Geodata Registration

The registration portal enables the reporting of geological and geophysical exploration and data collection work to GeoSphere Austria.

Due to their high production costs and complex implementation, drilling, excavation and geophysical measurements in the course of civil engineering and energy production measures provide a large amount of economically valuable and irretrievable data about the subsurface. This data is an important basis for the comprehensive geological and geophysical survey of the country and will be available to the public in the long term and sustainably for social issues via GeoSphere Austria.

Paragraph 11 of the GeoSphere Austria Act (notification obligation for exploration and data collection work) serves as the legal basis for the registration of corresponding geodata. On this basis, GeoSphere Austria must be notified of planned exploration and data collection work, especially if this is carried out on behalf of the state or the public sector.

What kind of data must be reported and when?

Geological drillings and excavations must be reported at least 14 days before the start of the exploration and data collection work if drilling depths of more than 50 meters or excavation depths of more than 25 meters are planned. In all other cases, the exploration and data collection work must be notified at least three days before the outset of the operation.

The following ventures are subject to notification:

  • Drilling of boreholes (e.g. core drillings, percussion core drillings, drillings for geothermal probes, raw material drillings).
  • Carrying out excavation work (trenching).
  • Carrying out geophysical investigations (e.g. seismics, geoelectrics, gravimetry).
  • Construction of monitoring stations and networks for the observation of natural hazards.

Once a report has been received, GeoSphere Austria staff will check its content and, if necessary, a request will be made to send the evidence, technical or evaluation data, including research material, by e-mail after the statutory deadline following completion of the exploration work.

Core drilling in Lower Austria. © GeoSphere Austria/Posch-Trözmüller.

Near surface geophysics with cows. © GeoSphere Austria/Supper.

Gypsum drill core with fractures, Hinterbrühl (Lower Austria). © GeoSphere Austria/Posch-Trözmüller.

Pit with scale from road construction works. © GeoSphere Austria/Posch-Trözmüller.

Evidence, technical and evaluation data

  • Evidence data are used to assign investigations, in particular to place them in a scientific context and, if necessary, to archive them later. Evidence data can also contain personal data. With a registration, the verification data are usually already included.
  • Technical data do not contain any personal data, but only refer to information that has been obtained in investigations. In a scientific context, they are sometimes also referred to as raw data. In addition, research material such as rock samples, drill cores or photographic material can also be requested.
  • Evaluation data are data that contain analyses, assessments and conclusions on specialist data, in particular in the form of expert opinions, studies, spatial models of the geosphere, reservoir calculations or data on other potential uses of the area under investigation.

For questions, please contact us at meldung@geosphere.at.