Encyclopedia articles, written by subject authorities, provide information useful for gaining a basic understanding of a topic and getting started with a research project. Typically, a bibliography, or list, of "classic" books and articles for further research follows each article. Students will find also these encyclopedias useful for brushing up on topics related to their central area of investigation. [Note: See the Research Guides for sources that deal with narrower sub-fields within the discipline.]
Encyclopedia of Earth System Science. San Diego: Academic Press, Inc., 1992.
This four-volume resource addresses major topics in the earth sciences. Subject outlines, bibliographies, and contextual glossaries enhance each entry. Illustrated.
CALL NUMBER: Ref QE 5.E514 1992 -- v.1-4
Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Dordrecht; Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999.
Aimed at the non-geochemist and the subject expert alike, this resource examines the
formation and evolution of the planets from their elemental beginnings. Contains over 340 entries, penned by top scientists in the evolving field. Includes bibliographies and cross-references.
CALL NUMBER: Ref QE 515.E48 1999
Macmillan Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 1996.
Most of the 360 alphabetical entries in this encyclopedia fall roughly into five organizational categories: Solid Earth Processes, Surficial Earth Processes, Earth Resources and Stewardship, Earth Sciences in the Public Eye, and Earth in Space. Articles on the history of earth sciences subdisciplines and relevant biographical sketches complement this content. Illustrated, with brief bibliographies.
CALL NUMBER: Ref QE 5.E5137 1996 -- v.1-2
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.
The 7100 articles on the subject matter and applications of the life, physical, and earth sciences offer comprehensive treatments of a wide array of subjects. Brief bibliographies.
CALL NUMBER: Ref Q 121 .M3 1997 -- v.1-20 
These specialized subject dictionaries define the terminology in the discipline. See the Research Guides for sources that deal with narrower sub-fields within the discipline.
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Category: Geology. [ Online ] Houghton Mifflin Company. Available: http://www.bartleby.com/61/catpages/Geology.html (Accessed 9 April 2002).
Offered as part of Bartleby.com's reference collection, The American Dictionary of the English Language is browsable by subject area. This link provides access to hundreds of basic terms in the geology field.
Dictionary of Physical Sciences. [ Online ] Harcourt, Inc. Available: http://www.harcourt.com/dictionary/browse/phys.html (Accessed 9 April 2002).
Published online by Harcourt and Academic Press, Dictionary of Physical Sciences is one of the components of the comprehensive Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology which offers definitions of 130,000 terms from 130 fields of science.
Subject dictionaries include Geology, Hydrology, Mineralogy, Oceanography, and
Volcanology.
Oxford Reference Online: Earth and Environmental Sciences. [ Online ] Oxford University Press, 2002. Available: http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/SUBJECT_SEARCH.html?subject=s5 (Accessed 18 March 2003).
A searchable and browsable collection of dictionaries from Oxford University Press including: A Dictionary of Earth Sciences, A Dictionary of Ecology, A Dictionary of Geography, and A Dictionary of Weather.