The Alberta Geological Survey (AGS), founded in 1921, is the official provincial

geological survey A geological survey is the systematic investigation of the geology beneath a given piece of ground for the purpose of creating a geological map or model. Geological surveying employs techniques from the traditional walk-over survey, studying outc ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and currently operates as a division within the

Alberta Energy Regulator The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is an Alberta corporation, with its main office in Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. ...

. The AGS provides geological information and advice about the geology of Alberta to the Government of Alberta, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), industry, and the public to support the exploration, sustainable development, regulation, and conservation of Alberta's resources. The AGS is the official provincial geological survey of Alberta. It operates under the guiding principles of the Canada Intergovernmental Geoscience Accord, which identifies the provincial survey as being the principal steward, resident authority, and principal investigator for public geoscience. AGS is responsible for describing the geology and resources in the province and provides information and knowledge to help resolve land use, environmental, public health, and safety issues related to geosciences.

History

Geological survey A geological survey is the systematic investigation of the geology beneath a given piece of ground for the purpose of creating a geological map or model. Geological surveying employs techniques from the traditional walk-over survey, studying outc ...

s exist at the provincial/territorial and federal levels of government in

. The complementary roles and responsibilities of provincial geological surveys and the federal survey, the

Geological Survey of Canada The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC; french: Commission géologique du Canada (CGC)) is a Canadian federal government agency responsible for performing geological surveys of the country, developing Canada's natural resources and protecting the en ...

(GSC), are defined in the Intergovernmental Geoscience Accord, which was signed by

Ken Hughes Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in t ...

, Alberta Minister of Energy, at Canada's Annual Energy and Mines Ministers' Conference in September, 2012. The roots of AGS go back to 1912, one year after the founding of the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...

. Dr.

Henry Marshall Tory Henry Marshall Tory (January 11, 1864 – February 6, 1947) was the first president of the University of Alberta (1908–1928), the first president of the Khaki University, the first president of the National Research Council (1928–1935), and t ...

, then president of the university, appointed Dr. John Allan to initiate the teaching of geology and establish a new Geology Department at the U of A. Dr. Allan took up the challenge and stayed on as Professor of Geology for nearly 40 years, with 37 of those years as head of the Geology Department. In 1920, Dr. Allan delivered to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta the first government report on the mineral resources of the province. Dr. Allan reported on 18 different mineral resources known to occur in the province at that time. That report marks the beginning of AGS. The Alberta Geological Survey was created in 1921, by

Order in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' Ki ...

of the Alberta government, as a core part of the Scientific and Industrial Research Council, later the

Alberta Research Council Alberta Innovates (AI) is an Alberta government provincial corporation whose appointed Board of Directors is accountable to the Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation and is responsible for promoting innovation in the province. AI was created ...

(ARC). In the late 1990s, AGS was transferred to the

Alberta Energy and Utilities Board The Ministry of Energy is a Executive Council of Alberta, Cabinet-level agency of the government of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta responsible for coordinating policy relating to the development of mineral a ...

(a predecessor to the AER) to provide geoscience expertise to support the regulatory process, to provide necessary geoscience information and knowledge to the Government of Alberta, and to fulfill the need for unbiased, credible public geoscience information. AGS resides within the provincial regulator to this day, providing geoscience support for Alberta's regulatory process. The manager of the AGS represents Alberta on the National Geological Surveys Committee, which governs the implementation of the Intergovernmental Geoscience Accord and fosters cross-jurisdictional survey co-operation in Canada.

Mission

The specific mission of the AGS is to provide data, information, knowledge and advice about the

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

of Alberta needed by government, industry and the public for earth-resource stewardship and sustainable development in Alberta. Geological processes, like

sedimentation Sedimentation is the deposition of sediments. It takes place when particles in suspension settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to the ...

glaciation A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...

mountain building Mountain formation refers to the geological processes that underlie the formation of mountains. These processes are associated with large-scale movements of the Earth's crust (tectonic plates). Folding, faulting, volcanic activity, igneous intr ...

and

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...

s, have shaped Alberta and provided Albertans with a wealth of Earth resources. Mapping and documenting these processes are key to understanding Alberta's current and untapped resources.

References

* This article incorporates text published under th
Open Government Licence - Alberta
(se
AGS Copyright Statement
: {{Authority control Alberta government departments and agencies

1921 establishments in Alberta Government agencies established in 1921