Geosciences: Recommended

The Glossary is searchable using terms, words within terms or definitions, categories and Spanish-language equivalents. Boolean operators (and/or/not) are available for each search field. Search fields may also be combined or may be browsed using a pop-up word wheel.

The online Glossary includes several features not available in the print version:

Display option for images of minerals, rocks, fossils and landforms. These images are drawn from the Earth Science World Image Bank maintained by AGI.
Spanish language equivalents for many entries in the online Glossary. Translated by geoscientists whose native language is Spanish, the Spanish entries can be browsed or searched directly.
Hyperlinks to related or similar terms. Synonyms or antonyms and glossary terms appearing as parts of other term definitions are frequently hyperlinked to allow quick reference.

All terms in the Glossary are assigned to general discipline categories. Terms can be restricted to a particular category or all terms in a category can be browsed.

The GeoRef database includes references to all publications of the U.S. Geological Survey. Masters' theses and doctoral dissertations from US and Canadian universities are also covered.

To maintain the database, GeoRef editor/indexers regularly scan more than 3,500 journals in 40 languages as well as new books, maps, and reports. They record the bibliographic data for each document and assign index terms to describe it. Each month between 4,000 and 7,000 new references are added to the database.

ProQuest Deep Indexing: Earth Sciences supplements GeoRef with access to deep indexing for tables, figures, graphs, charts and other illustrations from the scholarly research and technical literature for selected records. Records from the database appear with searches of GeoRef to provide an additional path for discovery.

As one of the cornerstones of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Geospatial Program, The National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other federal, state, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the nation. It has many uses ranging from recreation to scientific analysis to emergency response. The National Map is easily accessible for display on the Web, as products and services, and as downloadable data. The geographic information available from The National Map includes orthoimagery (aerial photographs), elevation, geographic names, hydrography, boundaries, transportation, structures, and land cover. Other types of geographic information can be added within the viewer or brought in with The National Map data into a Geographic Information System to create specific types of maps or map views. The National Map is a significant contribution to the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and currently is being transformed to better serve the geospatial community by providing high quality, integrated geospatial data and improved products and services including new generation digital topographic maps.

In addition to being an important contribution to the NSDI, The National Map is foundational to implementation of the Department of the Interior (DOI) Geospatial Modernization Blueprint and meeting the DOI mission to protect America's treasures for future generations, provide access to our nation's natural and cultural heritage, offer recreation opportunities, honor our trust responsibilities, conduct scientific research, provide wise stewardship of energy and mineral resources, foster sound use of land and water resources, and conserve and protect fish and wildlife. The National Map also underpins the USGS Science Strategy which is based on a systems approach to help address multi-faceted issues, provide better understanding of earth processes and evaluate broad causes and consequences of the use and management of natural resources.

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• Quick reference guide PDF