How can I find …

1. Aerial photos of the United States?
2. Digital map data?
3. Field record materials (original notes made by USGS geologists) and mapping notes?
4. Flood maps?
5. And get historic USGS topographic maps?
6. USGS natural hazards information (earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.)?
7. Photographs by the USGS for reproduction?
8. Publications of the USGS (online, lists, prices & ordering)?
9. Out-of-print USGS publications?
10. Survey benchmark information?
11. U.S. Bureau of Mines publications?
12. Wetlands maps?
13. Are USGS reports copyrighted?
14. Where can I obtain soil surveys?
15. What if I think I found an impact crater? / Is this an impact crater?

(1) Q: How can I find aerial photos of the United States?
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A: Information about aerial & satellite imagery is available at http://edc.usgs.gov/products/aerial.html

Contact:

Customer Services

U.S. Geological Survey

Earth Resources Observation & Science (EROS)

47914 252nd Street

Sioux Falls, SD 57198-0001

 

Telephone: 1-800-252-4547 or 605-594-6151

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS (Aerial Photographs and Satellite Imagery)

TDD: 605-594-6933

FAX: 605-594-6589

E-mail: custserv@usgs.gov

URL: http://edc.usgs.gov

(2) Q: How can I find digital map data?
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A: There are several different sources available and dependent on the type of information you are searching for…

DEM

DOQ

DLG

DRG

National Atlas

National Map

Seamless Database

GeoSpatial One Stop

National Geologic Map Database

NHD

For more detailed descriptions and links to these topics, click here

(3) Q: How can I find field record materials (original field notes and related material made by USGS geologists) and mapping notes?
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A: The USGS Field Records Library in Denver, Colorado, has an extensive collection of materials. You may contact them at:

USGS Field Records Library

Box 25046, MS 914

Denver Federal Center

Denver, CO 80225-0046

 

Telephone: 303-236-1000

FAX: 303-236-0015

TDD: 303-236-0998

E-mail: den_lib@usgs.gov

To find field record materials related to Alaska, contact:

Jill Schneider

USGS Mineral Resources Surveys

Alaska Section

4200 University Drive

Anchorage, AK 99508-4667

 

Telephone: 907-786-7457 (Office) and 907-786-7007 (Library)

FAX: 907-786-7401

E-mail: jschnidr@usgs.gov

Two other sources of field records are:

1. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in College Park, Maryland, which keeps field record materials in their Archives II facility. Refer to the Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States (Washington, D.C.: NARA, 1995).

Inventory of the Records of the United States Geological Survey, Record Group 57, in the National Archives, part of USGS Circular 1179 (2000, CD-ROM): Records and History of the United States Geological Survey, contains information on USGS and related records accessioned by NARA through 1997 and held at NARA-II. Appendices in this inventory list field records held at NARA-II and by the USGS Field Records Library at Denver.

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road

College Park, MD 20740-6001

 

Telephone: 301-713-6800 (General Reference Information)

Telephone: 1-866-272-6272 (Toll Free)

E-mail: inquire@nara.gov

URL: http://www.archives.gov/index.html

2. Smithsonian Institution Archives includes papers of individuals with close ties to both the USGS and the Smithsonian. Other materials related with the activities of the Smithsonian Institution and the USGS are available there as well. Refer to the Guide to the Smithsonian Archives (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996) or contact them at the following address:

The Smithsonian Institution Archives

Arts and Industries Building, Room 2135

900 Jefferson Drive, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20560

 

Telephone: 202-357-1420

E-mail: OSIAREF@OSIA.SI.EDU

 The notes made by USGS map surveyors are available in two locations. For topographic mapping notes pertaining to areas of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and states west, including Alaska, contact:

Rocky Mountain Mapping Center

USGS National Mapping Division

Box 25046, MS 506, Federal Center

Denver, CO 80225-0046

 

Telephone: 303-202-4394

For topographic mapping notes pertaining to other geographic areas in the United States, contact:

Mid-Continent Mapping Center

USGS National Mapping Division

MS 309

1400 Independence Road

Rolla, MO 65401

 

Telephone: 573-308-3663

(4) Q: How can I find flood maps?
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A: For flood insurance maps, contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Flood Map Division.

Telephone: 1-800-358-9616

FAX: 1-800-333-1363

URL: http://store.msc.fema.gov

For prints of historical flood-prone area maps on microfilm, contact:

U.S. Geological Survey

Earth Science Information Center

507 National Center

Reston, VA 20192

 

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747) or 703-648-5953

FAX: 703-648-5548

TDD: 703-648-4119

E-mail: ask@usgs.gov

(5) Q: How can I find and get historic USGS topographic maps?
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A: To find specific historic USGS topographic maps, an index is Map Index to Topographic Quadrangles of the United States, 1882-1940, by Riley Moore Moffat. 1985. Western Association of Map Libraries, Occasional Paper no.10. You can also contact the ESIC in Reston, VA.

U.S. Geological Survey

Earth Science Information Center

507 National Center

Reston, VA 20192

 

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747) or 703-648-6045

FAX: 703-648-5548

TDD: 703-648-4119

E-mail: ask@usgs.gov

Give as much information as possible, including the State, county, and town or township; year of interest or range of years; as well as the type of information you are seeking on the map – for example, streams and rivers, railroad lines, roads, or cultural features. A researcher will then be able to determine if any maps in the USGS historical collections will suit your needs.

To view copies, check with USGS depository map libraries in the state covered. Also, some may be viewable on the Internet by checking http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/histopo/, or http://docs.unh.edu/nhtopos/nhtopos.htm.

General information about historical mapping, including non-USGS sources of information can be found at: USGS Fact Sheet 154-99 (November 1999)

Additional resources are available from the Library's Selected Map Web Links page under the Historical Maps listing.

(6) Q: How can I find USGS natural hazards information (earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.)?
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A: The Natural Hazards Gateway includes:

Earthquakes

Floods

Geomagnetism (solar flares, etc.)

Hurricanes

Landslides

Seismic Zone Mapping

Sinkholes

Tsunamis

Volcanoes

Wildfires

(7) Q: How can I find photographs by the USGS for reproduction?
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A: The Photographic Library, located in Denver, Colorado, is an archive of still photographs dating from the 1870's and taken by USGS scientists as part of their field studies. The works of pioneer photographers W.H. Jackson, T.H. O'Sullivan, Carleton Watkins, J.K. Hillers, Thomas Moran, A.J. Russell, E.O. Beaman, and William Bell are represented in the collection. Topics include USGS personnel, earthquakes, volcanoes, geologic hazards and other phenomena, historical mining operations, and earth science photographs.

Digital copies of photographs selected from the collection can be accessed online from the USGS Earth Science Photographic Archive.

Reproductions (prints, transparencies, and negatives) may be ordered from the library at cost. Because the collection consists of more than 500,000 photographs, researchers are welcome to visit in person to make selections. For more information, call 303-236-1000.

(8) Q: How can I find publications of the USGS (online, lists, prices & ordering)?
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A: The USGS Publications Warehouse provides an online catalog where you can place orders, view price information, download scanned versions and view a list of recent publications.

Searching the USGS Library catalog online will assist you in identifying additional publications not currently available in the Publications Warehouse.

(9) Q: How can I find out-of-print USGS publications?
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A: Out-of-print USGS publications and maps, depending on series and date, can be obtained in one of four ways:

1. Check the USGS Publications Warehouse for online availability.
   
2. Borrow from your local public, academic, or corporate library through a request for interlibrary loan.
3. Purchase through a document delivery service company. Several are listed on the web at http://www.docdel.com/Geology_and_Earth_Sciences.html
4. Purchase through used book and map dealers. Some places to start your search include:
   

   http://www.google.com (Search title in quotations.)

   http://www.minerant.org/dealersBKS.html

   http://www.lib.umn.edu/libdata/page.phtml?page_id=1286#toc39244

   http://www.bookfinder.com

(10) Q: How can I find survey benchmark information?
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A: Most survey benchmarks were not established by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), but by the National Coast and Geodetic Survey, and are available on the web from http://www.ngs.noaa.gov ["Data sheets"]. For further assistance call 301-713-3242 or e-mail infocenter@ngs.noaa.gov.

USGS survey benchmark data is not yet available on the Internet

For Eastern U.S. vertical and horizontal control information contact USGS in Rolla, Missouri, by telephone 573-308-3500 or e-mail mcmcesic@usgs.gov.

For Western U.S. vertical and horizontal control information contact USGS in Denver, Colorado, by telephone 303-202-4400 or e-mail infoservices@usgs.gov.

(11) Q: How can I find U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) publications?
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A: For information on former Bureau of Mines programs or publications, please contact the following sources:

USBM Publications
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
Information Phone: 703-605-6000
Order Phone: 1-800-553-NTIS
URL: http://www.ntis.gov/products/specialty/bom.asp?loc=4-5-1
E-mail: info@ntis.fedworld.gov

The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) has a "legacy" collection of USBM publications dating from 1910-1995. These publications are available for purchase from NTIS and represent most of the research work done by the USBM in the fields of mining technology, mine safety and health, and the mineral industry.

Minerals Information Programs
Transferred to U.S. Geological Survey
Locations: Reston, VA, and Denver, CO
Program contact: 703-648-6140
URL: http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/
Library contact in Reston, VA: 703-648-4302
Library e-mail: library@usgs.gov

After 85 years of service, the U.S. Bureau of Mines closed effective January 1996. Certain functions, such as the collection, analysis, and dissemination of minerals information, have been returned to the U.S. Geological Survey where they are now the responsibility of the Mineral Resources Program. Since 1996, the following minerals information periodicals have been prepared by and are available from the USGS:

Nonmetallic Mineral Products Industry Indexes
Metal Industry Indicators
Mineral Industry Surveys
Mineral Commodity Summaries
Minerals Yearbook

Health and Safety Programs
Transferred to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Locations: Pittsburgh, PA, and Spokane, WA
Program contact: 412-892-6601
Library contact: 412-892-4431 (Pittsburgh)
Library contact: 509-484-1610 (Spokane)
Library e-mail: kis2@niosh5.em.cdc.gov
OCLC symbol: qpc

Materials Research Program
Transferred to U.S. Department of Energy
Location: Albany, OR
Program contact: 541-967-5892
Library contact: 541-967-5864
Library e-mail: clark@alrc.doe.gov

Minerals Analysis Program
Transferred to U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Locations: Juneau, AK, and Anchorage, AK
Program contact: 907-586-7752
Library contact: 907-586-7751
URL: http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/minerals.1.html

Videos
The USBM video program no longer exists, although a few educational institutions may still have a loan program. Corporations which co-produced the films with the USBM may also have copies.

Other Sources
Many government depository libraries received USBM publications and should have them available for use on site. They are listed on the Web at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/libraries.html#locate

(12) Q: How can I find wetland maps?
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A: Wetland mapping information is available from the National Wetlands Inventory Center of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, St. Petersburg, Florida.

Telephone: 727-570-5420

FAX: 727-570-5420

URL: http://www.fws.gov/nwi/

Digital wetland data are available through the Wetlands Mapper. Paper copies of wetland maps are available from various state sources.

(13) Q: Are USGS reports copyrighted?
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A: USGS-authored or produced data and information are in the public domain. While the content of most USGS web pages and reports are in the public domain, not all information, illustrations, or photographs are. Some are used by USGS with permission. For other uses, you may need to obtain permission from the copyright holder under the copyright law.

You are welcome to make a link to any of the Web pages USGS has published on the Internet. There is no need to request permission.

Use of the USGS visual identifier (logo) is restricted to official publications.

When using information from USGS products, publications, or Web sites that are in the public domain, we ask that proper credit be given. Credit can be provided by including a citation such as the following:

Credit: U. S. Geological Survey

U. S. Geological Survey/photo by Jane Doe (if the artist is known)

USGS/Ft. Collins, CO (if originating office but not the artist is known)

Additional information is available from USGS Privacy Policy and Disclaimers and Acknowledging or Crediting USGS as Information Source.

If you have questions concerning the use of USGS information, contact the Office of Communications

(14) Q: Where can I obtain soil surveys?
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A: Soil Surveys published by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly the Soil Conservation Service, are available from several sources.

1. Some are available online from the NRCS website.
2. The public may view the surveys or borrow them through interlibrary loan from a public or organizational library.
3. Surveys may also be purchased from your state or local government.
4. The USGS Library in Reston, Virginia has a majority of the soil surveys in our collection, available to the public through interlibrary loan. Contact us through the Ask a Librarian form; include the county and state of interest, to obtain further information.

(15) Q: What if I think I found an impact crater? / Is this an impact crater?
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A: Although the USGS has been involved in impact crater research, it is not the expert facility nor the ultimate authority for confirming something as an impact crater. The University of New Brunswick Planetary and Space Science Center (http://www.unb.ca/passc/) is a great resource for determining something as an impact crater. UNB maintains a database of identified and confirmed impact craters at:

Earth Impact Database
Univ. of New Brunswick Planetary and Space Science Center http://www.unb.ca/passc/ImpactDatabase/

PASSC Director: John Spray
Data Manager: Jason Hines
Planetary and Space Science Centre
University of New Brunswick
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Queries to: passc@unb.ca

Another possible resource would be: Terrestrial Impact Craters at the University of Arizona Lunar Planetary Laboratory website at: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/SIC/impact_cratering/World_Craters_Web/intromap.html

The only way to confirm that a structure is indeed an impact crater on Earth is to visit the sites and search for impact indicators (such as shatter cones, melts, etc.) The UNB site mentioned above has a list of criteria for confirming that a structure is an impact crater.

If you have any planetary questions not related to impact craters, please visit the USGS Astrogeology Research Program website at: http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/.