Geology
Research & Instruction Librarian
Getting Started with Geology
Geology research covers an extensive array of topics, from volcanoes to paleobotany to mineralogy and more. Geology research resources can be just as diverse, coming from people like academic researchers, government agencies, and citizen scientists around the world.
Strategic Searching
Before you start searching for resources, pause to think about what exactly you are searching for:
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Write down key words, phrases, names, and dates that might relate to you topic.
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Brainstorm synonyms or words with related meanings.
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Think about scientific terminology and more common language for things.
Pro tip: as you find more and different types of sources, see what language they use, and add new terms to your list to help you refine additional searches!
Helpful Tools
Helpful Tools for Your Search:
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MacLinks connects you to our collections (and available fulltext): This service helps you find out whether an article, book, or other item is available here at Macalester. If it's not, it enables you to easily request it through interlibrary loan. Just look for the
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Interlibrary Loan gets you access to resources not available in our library: when doing research, don't limit yourself to the resources found at our library. Our interlibrary loan program allows you to borrow materials at no cost from other libraries when they are not available here.
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Librarians are here to help you! Need help getting started on a research project? Want assistance getting your hands on a hard-to-find resource? Have a citation question? Librarians are available to assist you. Schedule a one-on-one consultation, email us, or use the library website chat to get in touch.
Find Articles
These article databases are a great place to start when searching for geology literature, data, and other resources.
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GeoRefIndexes journals, books, maps, reports and theses in the fields of geology and earth sciences.
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Web of Science
Note: The library has begun a subscription to Scopus as a replacement for our Web of Science subscription. Access to Web of Science will end on December 31, 2025.
Indexes information covering disciplines in the sciences, arts and humanities, and social sciences. Includes six citation databases: the Science Citation Index, the Social Sciences Citation Index, the Arts & Humanities Citation Index, the Book Citation Index, Current Chemical Reactions, and Index Chemicus.
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Google Scholar
Search across a wide range of scholarly literature from around the world. This custom link for Google Scholar includes the Macalester Library code and will display a "MACLINKS FULL TEXT" link next to resources available from Macalester Library. You will also see MACLINKS if you are logged in to the on-campus network. If you are off campus and don't use the above custom link, you can configure Google Scholar to display MACLINKS by customizing your library links settings.
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GeoScienceWorld
A resource of publications from both large and small geoscience societies. Includes GeoRef, references to all publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, masters’ theses and doctoral dissertations from U.S. and Canadian universities and an index of more than 3,500 journals in 40 languages.
The USGS and other government agencies house a wealth of public information about geology. Here's some resources for navigating and identifying government resources.
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USGS Library CatalogAuthorized by Congress in 1879, the U.S. Geological Survey Library is recognized as one of the world’s largest Earth and natural science libraries, providing services, collections, and expertise essential to the USGS mission.
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GEOLEX - National Geologic Map DatabaseA National compilation of names and descriptions of geologic units.
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The National MapThe USGS National Geospatial Program's National Map has many uses ranging from recreation to scientific analysis to emergency response. The USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners contribute topographic information.
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National Park ServiceNPS hosts a geodiversity atlas and information about park landforms and geologic heritage.
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Technical Report Archive & Image Library (TRAIL)U.S. government technical reports issued primarily prior to 1975, made searchable and digitized by the TRAIL Working Groups.
Subject encyclopedias can be a good starting point for your research. They provide articles written by experts in their field and can provide a good overview of a topic. Articles in subject encyclopedias can also help to identify search terms to use in database searching and often include useful resources in the brief bibliography often included at the end of the article.
Geology-related Encyclopedias:
Encyclopedia of Environment and Society
This encyclopedia brings together issues, concepts, theories, examples, problems, and policies, with the goal of clearly explicating an emerging way of thinking about people and nature. With more than 1,200 entries written by experts from incredibly diverse fields, this innovative resource is a first step toward diving into the deep pool of emerging knowledge related to socio-environmental issues. Sage Publications, 2007.
The majority of the entries are devoted to explanations of paleontological concepts and techniques, examinations of the evolutionary development of particular organisms and biological features, profiles of major discoveries, and biographies of leading scientists. Each entry includes an essay and a further reading list.
Featured Journals
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The Journal of Geology
The Journal publishes original research across a broad range of subfields in geology, including geophysics, geochemistry, sedimentology, geomorphology, petrology, plate tectonics, volcanology, structural geology, mineralogy, and planetary sciences. Many of its articles have wide appeal for geologists, present research of topical relevance, and offer new geological insights through the application of innovative approaches and methods. -
Atlantic Geology
Covers all aspects of the geology of atlantic Canada and related areas; includes papers, notes and discussions on original research and review papers, where appropriate to the regional geology.
Local Resources and Organizations
A handful of links to local resources and organizations here in the Twin Cities to help kick-start your research process.
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Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA)The purpose of The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) is to bring together the diverse interests of the agricultural community with interests from across the University community in a cooperative effort to develop and promote sustainable agriculture in Minnesota and beyond.
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The Trust for Public LandThe Trust for Public Land works to protect the places people care about and to create close-to-home parks—particularly in and near cities, where 80 percent of Americans live.