Physical Geography Information Resources

This guide lists selected print and electronic information sources available to SFU faculty, students, and staff. Check the library catalogue to find additional materials at the SFU Library. 

If you need help, please contact Heather DeForest, Liaison Librarian at 778.782.7322 or hdefores@sfu.ca or Ask a librarian.

How to find:

Help with course assignments

Check the main Geography resource page for links to library research guides prepared for specific courses.

Journal articles

Use these indexes to locate journal articles on your topic. Note: other indexes may be useful for your topic - Ask a librarian for help in choosing the best index for your topic.

Definitions

• Dictionary of Physical Geography GB 10 D53 2000; online via CredoReference
• Encyclopedic Dictionary of Physical Geography GB 10 Z53 1994
• Glossary of Hydrology GB 655 G56 1998
• Illustrated Glossary of Alpine Glacial Landforms
• Dictionary of Geography (Oxford) G 63 M39 1997; online via Oxford Reference
• The Hutchinson Dictionary of Geography
• Houghton Mifflin Dictionary of Geography  G 63 H68 1997; online via CredoReference
• Merriam Webster Geographical Dictionary G 103.5 W42 1997
• Vocabulaire canadien du quaternaire = Canadian Quaternary Vocabulary QE 696 C66 1992

Background information and quick facts

• Companion Encyclopedia of Geography, the Environment and Humankind G 116 C645 2007
• Encyclopedia of Deserts GB 611 E65 1999
• Encyclopedia of Geographical Features in World History : Europe and the Americas G 141 P43 1997
• Encyclopedia of Geomorphology GB 400.3 E53 2004
• Encyclopedia of Hydrological Sciences GB 655 E527 2005
• Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
• Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science QE 741 E53 2007
• Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment S 596 E53 2005
• Encyclopedia of Trees QK 481 B46 1999
• Geo-Data: the World Geographical Encyclopedia
• Handbook of Soil Science S 591 H23 2000
• McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences GC 9 M32
• Mammal Species of the World QL 708 M35 2005
• Modern Geography: An Encyclopedic Survey G63 M57 1991
• Silvics of North America (from USDA Forest Service)
• Tree Book:  Learning to Recognize Trees of British Columbia (Forest Service BC)
• Water Encyclopedia: Hydrologic Data and Internet Resources TC 403 W38 2007

Electronic texts and online curriculum material

• Fundamentals of Physical Geography, 2nd Ed. 2006 (online textbook intended to supplement introductory Physical Geography textbooks with interactive and multimedia material from Dr. Michael Pidwerny at UBC Okanagan)
• The Virtual Geography Department has links to online courses covering all aspects of Geography as well as curriculum materials of all sorts, including laboratory exercises, course syllabi, lecture and discussion notes, and general reference materials such as slide sets.

Statistics and data

For more information on statistical sources,  see Statistics - Canada and Statistics - BC.

• Geoscience Data Repository (free databases from NRCAN)
• Digital Terrain Data (NOAA)
• Water Survey of Canada Data Products and Services (Hydat CD-ROM available at SFU Library)
• Geoconnections: Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure
• NSIDC Data Catalog: Subject List (National Snow and Ice Data Center, US)
• SoilDataMart (Sources of soil data, USDA )
• Water Data (USGS)
• National Climatic Data Center (US Department of Commerce): World's largest archive of climate data.

Guide to the map collection

The Map collection is housed in the Map Room on the Seventh Floor, southeast corner of WAC Bennett Library. The collection contains cartographic materials to serve the diverse needs of the University community. It includes atlases, maps, air photos and gazetteers. Canadian Topographic Maps and some US Topographic Maps are available. Users will need to consult the indexes and gazeteers in the Map Room to find the NTS number for a specific location.

• Geoscape Vancouver - also in print: GSC Open File 3309 -Bennett Maps Collection G 3512 S684 C51 1996
• GeoGratis (NRCan) - a portal provided by the Earth Sciences Sector (ESS) of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) which provides geospatial data at no cost via your Web browser. The collections include raster data, such as satellite images or scanned topographic maps, vector data, such as national-scale frameworks (grouped by theme), and a database of ground control points.
• Google Earth
• Google Maps
• GSC Geological Maps
• Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources (BC) Geological Maps On-line
• USGS National Geologic Map Database

Electronic journals

The Electronic Journals Database provides access to fulltext of electronic journals available to SFU Library users, on the web and through selected periodical indexes.

• SFU Geography E-journals
• Geosource: Journals by subject - lists over 1000 journals, some with links to full text, most with links to publisher's pages of information.
• Internet Resources for Geographers journal list - selective, includes journals that are on web only.

Associations and organizations

• Scholarly Societies - Geography (links to 45 scholarly societies dealing with Geography)
• Canadian Association of Geographers
• Royal Canadian Geographic Society

Government information

British Columbia

• Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
• Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
• Ministry of Forests and Range
• Ministry of Environment

Canada

• National Atlas of Canada
• Geological Survey of Canada ( Includes:Terrain Sciences Division)
• Pacific and Yukon Region Green Lane
• Natural Resources Canada

United States

• U.S. Geological Survey (Includes USGS Earthquake Hazards Program where you will find information on earthquakes around the world.)

For information on additional government sources, see Government Resources web page.

Directories of web sites

Comprehensive

• About.com Guide to Geography (popular and academic sites)
• Geo-Guide (sources from Gottingen State and University Library)
• Geosource:  web resources for geographers, planners, geoscientists and environmental scientists (from the Netherlands)
• Geography World (US-centric, introductory level)
• Internet Resources for Geographers (U. of Colorado)
• Internet Resources for Geographers and Geologists (U. of Wisconsin)
• Intute: Geography (formerly SOSIG, from the UK)
• Canadian Council for Geographical Education
• Librarian's Internet Index: Geography Links

Specific Topics

• Biogeography: Radford University Biogeography Home Page ( Susan L. Woodward - includes a module on Major Biomes of the World)
• Geomorphology: CGRG Internet Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology and Dr. Tracy Brennand's Geomorphology, Glaciology, and Quaternary Web Links (link goes to main page, choose web links in menu at left)
• Hydrology: Water Survey of Canada website (Environment Canada) including information about the Hydat CD (available in the Research Data Library) and links to US and international hydrological resources.
• Coastal Resources: Centre for Coastal Studies (SFU)
• GIS: GIS Web Links (University of Florida)

Style guides and writing guides

• Making Sense: a Student's Guide to Research and Writing: Geography and Environmental Sciences G 74 N67 2005
• Communicating in Geography and the Environmental Sciences Bennett Library
• Study Skills for Geography Students : a Practical Guide G 73 K64 1999 - see author's website for additional material.
• How to do Your Dissertation in Geography and Related Disciplines LB 2369 P36 2005
• SFU Library's guides to APA, MLA and Chicago/Turabian styles.
• Guide to Citing Maps and Atlases
• Harvard System of Referencing (This style guide is based on British Standards 5605 and is similar to APA style)
• Preparing and Submitting Your Thesis: Information Resources

Related Guides

• Geography
  
• Earth Sciences