As part of the deliverables of the contract awarded to the British Geological Survey in 2021, for the update of the geological map of the Maltese Islands, a preliminary 3D geological model was developed.

This preliminary 3D geological model has mainly been constructed using the following datasets:

• • The updated geological map at 1:10,000 scale
  • Borehole information provided by the Energy and Water Agency
  • A digital terrain model of the islands provided by the Planning Authority

The model consists of a suite of deliverables which include borehole data, gridded surfaces of various stratigraphic horizons at both member and formation level, geological cross-sections, faults and 3D grids (voxel models).

The applicability of the model has its limitation due to the sparse borehole data used in its development and therefore its use is restricted to the understanding of the broad geological structure and stratigraphy of the Maltese Islands. Due to its generalised nature, the model is not suitable for the geological investigation of specific sites and for this reason, the model is not publicly available.

It is the intention of the Continental Shelf Department to improve the model as new data becomes available, and therefore this preliminary model will evolve and improve with every update.

The model can be viewed upon request at the premises of the Continental Shelf Department following the agreement to a disclaimer. For more information send us an email on the email address given under contact us.

This short video demonstrates the various model outputs including gridded surfaces, voxel data, boreholes, faults and geological cross-sections.