Why Use Encyclopedias?
Background sources like encyclopedias can provide context for your topic, or even help you choose one. They are great places to start because:
- they explain topics in simpler language than scholarly articles
- they are much shorter (often just a just a page or two, instead of the 20 pages or more found in a scholarly article or the hundreds of pages found in a book)
- they highlight important issues, figures, dates, and/or events that you may want to focus on in your paper or project
- they give you suggested sources for further research in the form of bibliographies or works cited
General Science Reference Books
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McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Volumes 1-20 11th Edition
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Call Number: R 503 M147 2012Publication Date: 2012-10-12For over 50 years the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology has set the standard for general science reference work. It represents the print multivolume reference set at its pinnacle. Just about every conceivable scientific discipline including geology, biology, chemistry, physics, agriculture, forestry, medicine, and engineering is covered. The set is well illustrated, and articles have bibliographies. There are 7.100 articles organized A to Z. The index volume makes the content more assessable. -
Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, 3 Volume Set
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Call Number: R 503 V269 2008ISBN: 9780471743385Publication Date: 2008-03-03The three-volume Tenth Edition contains articles contributed by industry experts and scholars worldwide. It comprises more than 10,000 entries and features hundreds of completely rewritten and re-referenced articles, as well as 2,500 completely new entries covering emerging technologies affecting genetics, global warming, communications, informatics, nanotechnology, and more. Internet references and print references have been updated and expanded to reflect the editors' conviction that modern students and researchers move from link to link as well as from page to page.
Print Encyclopedias
These works are housed in the reference area adjacent to the reference desk. Print reference books can only be used in the library. If you need assistance locating them or suggest on which items to use, please ask at the reference desk.
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Glossary of Geology
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Call Number: R 550.3 A512g 1997Publication Date: 2000-04-01 -
Encyclopedia of Minerals
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Call Number: R 549.032 R648ePublication Date: 1989-12-01Encyclopedia of Minerals contains: more that 3200 alphabetical entries, 1000 of which are entirely new; 240 new color photographs, mostly of large specimens, as well as 104 black and white photographs; 45 new crystal drawings of rare species; the most complete coverage of silicates now available. -
Encyclopedia of Volcanoes
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Call Number: R 551.2103 E56Publication Date: 1999-10-23The Encyclopedia of Volcanoes summarizes our present knowledge of volcanoes. The intended audience includes students, professionals, administrators along with interested amateurs. Encyclopedia is organized thematically. Entries are chapter length with a glossary, detailed essay with charts and illustrations, plus suggested readings. There is an index which makes this 1,400 plus page tome more accessible. -
Dictionary of Earth Sciences
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Call Number: R 550.3 D5542 2008Publication Date: 2008-04-07This dictionary offers wide-ranging and authoritative coverage of the earth sciences and related topics in 6,250 plus entries. Coverage includes geology, oceanography, paleontology, minerology, volcanology, and planetary science as well as climatology, geochemistry and petrology. It is an essential reference for students of geography, geology, and earth sciences and in related disciplines. -
The Mountain Encyclopedia
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Call Number: 551.43 H328m 2004Publication Date: 2005-06-15The Mountain Encyclopedia is a “compendium of more than 2.300 terms, concepts ideas and people.” Intended audience includes general readers, climbers and budding geologists. It provides nearly a hundred pages of high-quality color photos. Appendices focus on elevation of highest peaks in various regions. Index and bibliography included. -
Color Encyclopedia of Gemstones
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Call Number: R 553.803 A679cISBN: 9780442208332Publication Date: 1987-02-01Presents concise data on a particular gemstone's physical properties, occurrence, chemistry, availability, rarity, and market potential. -
The History and Use of Our Earth's Chemical Elements
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Call Number: R 546 K921h 2006Publication Date: 2006-07-30The History and Use of Our Earth's Chemical Elements includes other useful features: ; Introductory material on the basics of chemistry and the Periodic Table ; Appendices on the discoverers of the chemical elements ; A glossary of words commonly used in chemistry and chemical engineering ; A complete bibliography of useful resources, including websites All of this information makes The History and Use of Our Earth's Chemical Elements the ideal one-volume resource for understanding the importance of the chemical elements. from publisher -
Encyclopedia of Appalachia
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Call Number: R 974 E563 2006Publication Date: 2006-03-01This is the standard reference work for all things related to Appalachia, including geology. The encyclopedia has a significant article on the geology of region.
Online Encyclopedias
The following are recommended encyclopedias in your field. You can read them online 24/7.
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Encyclopedia of Earth Science Research
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Publication Date: 2012This book presents current research in the study of earth science. Topics discussed include the formation of the lithosphere; the fate of subducted oceanic crust and the origin of intraplate volcanism; deformable lithospheric plates; cosmogenic nuclides and geomorphology; geomorphic adjustment, geographic context and disturbances; erosion and sediment yield; paleomagnetic evidence for Siberian plate tectonics; dune ecosystems; the geology of sand dunes and improving water regimes of loamy sand for wheat cultivation by adding silt loam. -
Encyclopedia of Islands
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Publication Date: 2009This authoritative, alphabetically arranged reference, featuring more than 200 succinct articles by leading scientists from around the world, provides broad coverage of all the island sciences. The Encyclopedia of Islands examines many such insular settings--oceanic and continental islands as well as places such as caves, mountaintops, and whale falls at the bottom of the ocean. The work provides multiple color photographs, clear maps, and graphics will introduce island science to a wide audience and spur further research on some of the planet's most fascinating habitats. from publisher -
Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science
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Publication Date: 2004The Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science contains 350 alphabetically arranged entries. The topics include cave and karst geoscience, cave archaeology and human use of caves, art in caves, hydrology and groundwater, cave and karst history, and conservation and management. The Encyclopedia isnbsp;extensively illustrated with photographs, maps, diagrams, and tables, and has thematic content lists and a comprehensive index to facilitate searching and browsing. nbsp; -
The Cambridge Handbook of Earth Science Data
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Publication Date: 2009This handbook presents an indispensable compilation of fundamental facts and figures about the Earth. It brings together reliable physical, chemical, biological and historical data in a series of 145 easy to read tables, supplemented by maps, charts and color plates. Full references for the original data sources are provided to enable users to access further detail, and the appendix provides practical information on units and conversion factors.
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Encyclopedia of Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks
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Publication Date: 2007Named "Outstanding Academic Title" by Choice This encyclopedia, which constitutes a wide ranging and authoritative collection of academic articles, covers the sedimentological aspects of sediments and sedimentary rocks. As such it provides a comprehensive, one-volume reference work for students and faculty in universities, and for professionals in geology and allied disciplines (geography, engineering, environmental studies), as well as informed lay readers.
