LibGuides: Geology: Online Resources

Geologic Time Scale
We provide science about the natural hazards that threaten lives and livelihoods, the water, energy, minerals, and other natural resources we rely on, the health of our ecosystems and environment, and the impacts of climate and land-use change. Our scientists develop new methods and tools to enable timely, relevant, and useful information about the Earth and its processes.
GeologyLink Glossary
This Dynamic Earth: the story of plate tectonics
Windows to the Universe
"An internet site that includes a rich array of documents, including images, movies, animations, and data sets, that explore the Earth and Space sciences and the historical and cultural ties between science, exploration, and the human experience."
Earth Reference Data and Models

Encyclopedia of Earth
A free, expert-reviewed collection of content contributed by scholars, professionals, educators, practitioners and other experts who collaborate and review each other's work.

Geological Website Resources

NOAA Photo Library
Photos from the sun to the bottom of the sea from National Oceanic and the Atmospheric Administration
U.S. Dept. of the Interior
Official policy, reports, data covering mining, minerals, land use.
U.S. Geological Survey
Federal government site with maps, images, reports, studies, statistics on natural resource issues, conditions and problems.

Active Fire Mapping
From the USDA Forest Service. Updated each Friday, or as conditions warrant.
United States Geological Survey
Latest Earthquakes
United States Geological Survey
Explore Volcanoes

Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries is meant to be a resource for people seeking records of past events, and people trying to analyze, interpret and display county-based historical data like returns of elections and censuses, and for people working on state and local history projects. The special interests of those potential users range from history to demography, economics, genealogy, geography, law, and politics.
USGS The National Map: Historical Topographic Map Collection
The goal of The National Map’s Historical Topographic Map Collection (HTMC) is to provide a digital repository of USGS 1:250,000 scale and larger maps printed between 1884, the inception of the topographic mapping program, and 2006. The National Geospatial Program (NGP) is accurately cataloging and creating metadata to accompany high-resolution, geo-referenced digital files representing the legacy lithographic maps. These maps are either no longer available for distribution in print or are being replaced by the new generation of US Topo maps.
Library of Congress Maps Collection
The Library of Congress has custody of the largest and most comprehensive cartographic collection in the world with collections numbering over 5.5 million maps, 80,000 atlases, 6,000 reference works, over 500 globes and globe gores, 3,000 raised relief models, and a large number of cartographic materials in other formats, including over 19,000 cds/dvds. The online map collections represents only a small fraction that have been converted to digital form.