Description
The geosciences include the study of the composition, properties, structure, dynamics, and history of the earth and its materials. Some topics include earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, fossils, radiometric dating and mineral resources. Students and researchers with an interest in crystallography, geobiology, geochemistry, geophysics, geophysics, hydrology, oceanography, paleontology and other areas of the earth sciences will find resources here that may be useful to them.
Overview of geosciences
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Glossary of GeologyThe Glossary of Geology is a primary source for terminology in the field of the geosciences. The Glossary provides access to the more than 39,000 glossary entries contained in the fifth edition of the print glossary.
Recommended online resources
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GeoRef from ProQuestGeoRef indexes citations and abstracts from journal articles, books, maps, conference papers, reports, and theses in the geological sciences. Includes all publications of the U.S. Geological Survey and covers master’s theses and doctoral dissertations from U.S. and Canadian universities. The database is updated monthly with thousands of new references from journals, books, maps, and reports in multiple languages. ProQuest Deep Indexing: Earth Sciences supplements GeoRef with detailed indexing of tables, figures, and other illustrations for selected records. Coverage spans 1669–present for North America and 1933–present worldwide.
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AAPG/DatapagesAAPG/Databases provides article, journal, and ebook collections, and conference presentations from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Content provided in PDF and HTML formats. 1935-present.
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National Map from the USGSThe National Geologic Map Database (NGMDB) is a collection of maps, reports, and stratigraphic information about the United States' geology. The NGMBD is a partnership between the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Association of American State Geologists (AASG).
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Oceanic Abstracts from ProQuestOceanic Abstracts indexes citations and abstracts from journal articles and conference papers in the fields of ecology, marine geology, biological oceanography, marine pollution, geophysics, geochemistry, marine biology, and maritime law. You can limit to peer-reviewed sources. 1981-present.
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ScopusScopus indexes citations of journal articles, conference papers, and books in the sciences, medicine, social sciences, arts, and humanities. You can perform cited reference searches. You can compare authors, institutions, and journals using various metrics. Helpful resources include Scopus training videos, Scopus webinars (recorded and upcoming), and the Quick reference guide PDF. Coverage spans from the 1800s to the present.
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Web of Science from Clarivate AnalyticsThe Web of Science (WoS) research platform hosts multiple, specialized databases covering academic literature, conference proceedings, patents, and other scholarly content. At the heart of the platform is the Web of Science Core Collection, a curated set of citation indexes for high-quality, peer-reviewed journals, books, and conference proceedings. Additional databases cover specific subject areas (e.g. biology), formats, or regional publications (e.g. Korean). Users may search across all databases on the platform or select a specific database from the 'Search in' drop-down menu.
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topoView from USGStopoView provides topological maps from the US Topo series and the Historical Topographic Map Collection. Maps can be downloaded as GeoTIFF, JPEG, and KMZ formats.
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University Libraries Digital LibraryDiscover Virginia Tech University Libraries' digital collections, digital libraries, and digital repositories, including digitized maps and aerial photographs.
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Water Resources Abstracts from ProQuestWater Resources Abstracts indexes abstracts and citations from journal articles, conference proceedings, books, technical reports, patents, theses, and dissertations on natural resources related on water: conservation, control, pollution, treatment, and use and management of water resources. You can limit to peer-reviewed sources. 1967-present.
Interlibrary Loan Services
All current Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff, regardless of your location, may request through ILLiad for materials:
- not owned by Virginia Tech (books, articles from journals and conference proceedings, book chapters, standards, and technical papers)
- owned by Virginia Tech but are unavailable for use (print books)
- owned by Virginia Tech and available in print (scans of articles from journals and conference proceedings, book chapters, standards, and technical papers)
We ship requests via UPS to users outside the immediate Blacksburg area (Montgomery, Giles and Pulaski counties).
Articles, book chapters, and many technical papers are delivered in PDF format to your ILLiad account. Occasionally, due to copyright restrictions, a paper copy of an article or standard is held for your at the Newman User Services Desk or sent o the mailing address listed on your account.