Site Information

The gtk.fi website is an online service maintained by the Geological Survey of Finland.

This website is available in Finnish, Swedish and English. All content is drafted in one of the official languages and translated to other languages on a case-by-case basis.

Technical recommendations

Our website is designed and proven to work on most browsers. We recommend that you check that your browser is up to date. If some part of this website or some function of it does not work properly, please clear your browser cache, close all browser windows and restart your browser. You can also restart your computer.

The website includes PDF documents that might require a PDF reader for access.

Data collected

Our website uses cookies. We use cookies to collect statistical information on how the website is used in order to develop our services. This information includes the number of visitors, information on what sections are visited the most, how visitors move between sections and the search words and browsers used most often. Information collected from individual visitors include time and date, sections visited, browser type and operating system information. We do not transfer data related to visitors to any third parties.

The third-party services related to the functions on our website, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, also use cookies to share information on social media and to compile user statistic.

You can disable cookies from your browser’s settings.

Processing personal data

We protect the privacy and personal data of the visitors of our website. We do not collect any data that could be used to identify individual visitors. The only personal data we collect is your email address if you fill out the contact form, as it is needed to respond to your questions and feedback.

Copyright

Geological Survey of Finland or other specified parties hold all copyrights of the content published on this website. The Copyright Act and all other related regulations and legislation apply to the content of this website.

The content of this website can be used and linked elsewhere, as long as the source is also specified. Any commercial use of the content must always be separately agreed with the Geological Survey of Finland.

Access rights to other online services and datasets maintained by GTK

GTK’s website features links to other online services and datasets that are maintained by GTK and protected by copyrights, other laws and regulations, as well as agreements. All rights are reserved unless otherwise stated on the website.

Principles of the distribution and pricing of GTK’s content products are described below.

The terms of use for GTK products in online distribution are determined on the basis of GTK’s basic or open licences:

  1. Basic licence
  2. Open licence

The terms and conditions of the basic licence apply to the use of datasets that are available at the website or distributed through the site, unless otherwise stated in conjunction with specific data, or otherwise agreed in writing.

GTK’s open licence complies with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The CC BY 4.0 licence provides the right to copy and distribute GTK’s open access datasets in original or modified format for commercial and non-commercial purposes.

More information about the open licence: http://www.jhs-suositukset.fi/web/guest/jhs/recommendations/189

For third-party data included in the service or datasets, the terms and conditions of the copyrights holder apply. An appropriate usage or publication licence is required when reusing these photographs. In this case, the terms of use for photographs follow GTK’s basic licence. Instead, photographs uploaded through the Hakku service are subject to an Open license with a few clarifications: Terms of use for photographs in Hakku service.

Screenshots can be taken on the GTK website, provided that the source is stated clearly.  A separate permission is, however, necessary for any commercial publication.

Disclaimer

The accuracy and other quality factors of GTK’s observation data vary, depending on factors such as the age of the data and the accuracy of base maps, other source material and individual observations, as well as methods of location, modelling, interpretation and production. Geological maps and other datasets include interpreted information and are based on the views of the compiler of the information.

GTK is not responsible for any losses arising from errors or deficiencies in the web distribution system or the datasets, data products or services available on its website. It is recommended that users of data products carefully read the data product descriptions and contact GTK when further information is required. GTK welcomes feedback on its services and data products and will use the feedback to continuously improve its services.

Terms of use for GTK’s service content and products

 1. Datasets in GTK’s online service (not applied to downloaded publications)
  • Basic licence
  • Separate permission to be requested for commercial use
  • Further information: geodata@gtk.fi
  • It is recommended that datasets and the content are primarily used via hyperlinks. Quotation of datasets is, however, permissible, provided that the source is appropriately indicated.
  2. Distributed data products (including map services, interfaces and metadata services)
  • The majority of datasets are available in the Hakku.gtk.fi service.
  • Basic or open licence
  • When a basic licence is used, a written permission for publishing and commercial use must be requested
  • Special terms of use for official use
  • In documents created for authorities and in scientific publications and teaching material, it is permissible to use images created from digital datasets without any separate permission, provided that the source is appropriately indicated. With regard to using datasets on behalf of a third party as part of, for example, an assignment carried out as a partner or subcontractor, a separate permission must be acquired from GTK.
  • Further information: geodata@gtk.fi
  3. GTK publications, including maps (both printed and electronic formats) – all rights reserved
  • Quotation of text is permitted with an indication of the source.
  • The non-commercial publication of an image taken from an individual publication or map is permitted with an indication of the source. A permission must be requested for commercial publication.
  • Further information: geodata@gtk.fi

GTK online services with exceptional terms:

Ground surveying (PTR)
Hakku service
Online library

Outline of the GTK data policy

As the national centre of geodata, GTK provides its data content for use by all interested parties. 

GTK’s distribution policy is based on the following objectives:

  1. strengthening a societal impact,
  2. equality and the equal treatment of customers,
  3. high quality of datasets provided for customers (adequate descriptions of data), and
  4. reliability and sufficient guidance.

As a ground rule, GTK holds the right of ownership to all data it has produced and controls. In customer-funded research, clients hold the right of ownership to data, unless otherwise agreed. In jointly funded projects, the ownership is agreed in accordance with the role of each party; however, so that GTK has a full parallel right of use.

As part of its role as a public service provider, GTK makes its broadly used standard scale datasets available to all, free of charge and with unrestricted rights (GTK open licence). GTK also offers reasonably priced data products. For customers’ data requests that concern material not included in standardised products, the Finnish Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State applies, and the terms of use for data are defined in an agreement signed with each customer.

GTK’s numeric datasets are divided into the following categories based on availability:

  1. Open content (data products distributed in accordance with the principles of open data)
  2. INSPIRE data (data products distributed in accordance with the INSPIRE terms)
  3. Other datasets not subject to a charge (online distribution of datasets free of charge)
  4. Datasets subject to a charge (priced data products)
  5. Datasets not included in standardised products

The data products and their terms of use are listed in GTK’s product catalogue. Datasets included in categories 1, 2 and 3 and delivered online are available for use free of charge, while GTK requires that the contractual terms related to each product are followed.

Customers must always carefully read the terms of use for the acquired datasets, regardless of whether the datasets are free of charge.

GTK continuously develops the distribution and pricing of its products in accordance with the general guidelines of the central government and the objectives of the National Geographic Information Strategy.

Further information: Antti Kahra, senior specialist

Comments from readers

Blog posts in the “Current” section can be commented on. The comments must be related to matter discussed in the blog post, but otherwise we welcome all comments. Commenters are responsible for the contents of their comments.

Comments with inappropriate language or content will be removed. We will remove, for example, defamatory messages, messages disseminating information that violates someone’s personal privacy, messages that include name-calling or spread false information, messages inciting others to commit an offense, messages that include ethnic agitation and messages suspected of identity theft. Using the comment section for advertising purposes is also forbidden.

Feedback

To send feedback on our online services or the operations of the Geological Survey of Finland, please use the contact form. The form can be accessed by clicking the “Contact” button on the right edge of each page.

Further information

More information on this website can be requested from the Geological Survey of Finland communications at viestinta@gtk.fi.