The Rock Classification Scheme used in FieldNotes is developed the British Geological Survey, and provides a standardised system for classifying and naming geological materials encountered in the UK.
The BGS Rock Classification Scheme comprises five top-level categories (Igneous rock, Metamorphic rock, Sediments and sedimentary rock, Natural superficial deposits and Artifical man-made ground) and a variable number of second and lower-level categorisations. The classification allows unambiguous and informative formal names to be assigned and helps to place materials in a wider geological context, facilitating (among other things) storage in geological information systems and production of geological maps.
Details of the principles behind the BGS Rock Classification Scheme (RCS), the classification scheme itself and a wealth of associated geological information is available on the British Geological Survey website, or by contacting the British Geological Survey at Keyworth.
BGS Rock Classification Scheme (http://www.bgs.ac.uk/bgsrcs/) - background, details and latest version of the British Geological Survey's Rock Classification scheme (RCS).
British Geological Survey (http://www.bgs.ac.uk/) - research centre for Geological Sciences at Keyworth, Notts.