G171: Environmental Geology
Indexes to Articles
ABI/INFORM Global Suite – An index to business journals that includes over 600 full-text journals. 1971- Present.
Academic Search (EBSCO) – Index to magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals in every subject area. May include links to full text journals. The IULINK button can be used determine whether an article is available in an online journal or in the IUB Libraries. 1975 – Present.
Indiana Newspapers - An index to Indiana newspapers that can be used to search for information about local issues. 1999 - Present.
Lexis-Nexis Congressional – An index to U.S. government publications on all topics. Includes full-text. Hint: Be sure to use the pull down menu to specify that you want to search from 1970 – Present. Covers publications from 1789 – Present.
Lexis-Nexis Environmental – An index to abstracts and full text publications in newspapers, journals and government publications. Most useful sections would be Environment Abstracts and the News, Journals and Commentary section. Hint: If you do not get a lot of results, use the pull down menu to specify that you want to search more than the last 2 years. 1975 to Present
Other Indexes:
GeoRef – An index to articles, books and government publications related to the geological sciences, including water resources. The IULINK button can be used determine whether an article is available in an online journal or in the IUB Libraries. 1693 - Present
Biosis Previews – Indexes journal articles and other publications related to the life sciences. The IULINK button can be used determine whether an article is available in an online journal or in the IUB Libraries. 1969-present.
Topographic Maps
Topographic maps are important sources of environmental information. They show natural features, such as floodplains and wetlands, as well as man-made features, such as roads and mines. The Geosciences Library has topographic maps for Indiana and other U.S. states. The name of the topographic map that covers a particular area can be identified using the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), an index of place names that appear on 1:24,000 topographic maps. Use the link below to identify the topographic map that covers your area of interest. Enter the name of your place in the Feature Name area on the GNIS Query Form. Note the Quadrangle Name and the name of the County for your location.
Topographic maps show a wide variety of information. Flat areas along rivers could be possible floodplains. They also show features such as mines, quarries, gravel pits, sinkholes and other features which could be potential hazards.
Geologic Maps
Geologic maps show the types of rocks or sediments that cover an area. The Indiana Geological Survey has published geologic maps showing the geology of surface materials (the sediments that occur at the surface) and bedrock geology (the types of rocks that can be found under the sediments at the surface) for the entire state. An index to the quadrangle names that cover various parts of Indiana, shown at right, can be used to identify the name of the map that covers a particular area in Indiana.
Sometimes information about the geology of an area can be found in a book or publication about that area. Search IUCAT to determine if there are any maps or other publications about the geology of the area. To search for publications on an area, do a keyword search on the place or county name and the word geology. To search for maps on the area, do a keyword search for the name of the place or county, the word geology and the word maps.
Another source that can be used to locate geologic maps is the National Geologic Map Database. It contains information about geologic maps, including maps published in books. Some of the books and maps in the GeosciencesLibrary are not cataloged. Please ask for help in locating a map for your area at the Geosciences Library Reference Desk.
Geologic Reports
Government agencies, such as the Indiana Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sometimes publish reports on the geology of an area, some of which contain maps. Many of these reports are available in the Indiana University Geosciences Library. Reports for Indiana can be located using IUCAT. Search the name of the county containing the area of interest and the word geology. Note the call number(s) of the items that deal with the area of interest.
Geologic reports for areas outside of Indiana can be identified using other resources in the Library. Please ask for assistance at the Geosciences Library reference desk.
Internet Resources
The GIS Atlas for Indiana can be used to make maps of Indiana on a wide variety of topics. It includes information on the locations of environmental hazards (superfund and leaking underground storage tank sites), oil & gas wells and fields, caves, and other geologic features. The Indiana Coal Mine Information System can be used to find the locations of coal mines in Indiana.
The links below can be used to connect to other Internet resources with information on natural hazards, water and mineral resources.
- Natural Hazards - The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Natural Hazards web site. It includes links to sites that provide information on earthquake, flood, landslide and hurricane hazards in the United States. The USGS also has a web site with links to Fact Sheets, brief reports on natural hazards.
- Hazard Maps from FEMA - Can be used to make maps showing floodplains, historical earthquakes and other natural hazards.
- EnviroMapper - An interactive mapping site that can be used to display aerial photography, the location of polluting facilities and polluted (impaired) water bodies.
- USGS State Mineral Resource Information - Contains maps and reports on mineral resources in each U.S. state.
- USGS Ground Water Atlas of the United States - Connects to reports on aquifers in various areas of the United States.
Use an Internet search engine such as Google or Yahoo to locate a local government web site for the area of interest. They may contain information about local water resources.
