Research Guides: Geology: Maps & Surveys

Maps & Surveys

Map Collections
Geological Surveys

Below are some online resources for maps - physical, topographic, geological, etc. The Libraries has a print map collection containing approximately 350,000 maps, as well as atlases and map-related reference materials. Most of the maps date to the second half of the 20th century and were published by U.S. government agencies and acquired through the Federal Depository Library Program. The collection covers the the United States and its territories and possessions, and many areas outside of the United States.

Please visit this guide for more details on UMD's map collection and how to use it.

CGIAR-CSI GeoPortal
The CGIAR-CSI GeoPortal is able to provide SRTM 90m Digital Elevation Data for the entire world. The SRTM digital elevation data, produced by NASA originally, is a major breakthrough in digital mapping of the world, and provides a major advance in the accessibility of high quality elevation data for large portions of the tropics and other areas of the developing world. The SRTM digital elevation data provided on this site has been processed to fill data voids, and to facilitate it’s ease of use by a wide group of potential users.
Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative
The Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI) Portal is a free interactive mapping tool designed to share outputs from the geoscientific collaboration between Geoscience Australia (GA), the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Guide to the US Map Collections
The MAGIRT/ALA Online Guide to U.S. Map Collections is a directory of map collections, big and small, across the United States.
Maryland Geology: Geologic Formations
NASA Earth Observations (NEO)
One of the best places to study Earth is from space. NASA satellites continually orbit the globe, collecting information about Earth’s ocean, atmosphere, and land surfaces. Satellites can even monitor the activity of life forms, such as phytoplankton, from their remote vantage points. Satellite imagery provides the greatest benefit to the most people when it can be analyzed by anyone with an interest. NEO strives to make global satellite imagery as accessible as possible.
National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program
The National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP) is the primary source of funds for the production of geologic maps in the United States and provides accurate geologic maps and three-dimensional framework models that help to sustain and improve the quality of life and economic vitality of the Nation and to mitigate natural hazards. Includes National Geologic Map Database, FEDMAP, STATEMAP, and Geologic Names Lexicon (Geolex).
National Geologic Map Database
Geology, hazards, earth resources, geophysics, geochemistry, geochronology, paleontology, and marine geology.
OpenTopography
OpenTopography facilitates community access to high-resolution, Earth science-oriented, topography data, and related tools and resources.
USGS National Geologic Map Database
The National Geologic Map Database (NGMDB) is a distributed archive of geoscience information for the Nation. It was mandated by the Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 and is cooperatively built and maintained by the USGS and State Geological Surveys.
USGS National Map
As one of the cornerstones of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Geospatial Program, The National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the Nation. It has many uses ranging from recreation to scientific analysis to emergency response.
U.S. Topo
View and download current topographic maps from the USGS. Alternate between satellite, hybrid, and topo views. Includes point location latitude and longitude.

U.S. Topographic Map Symbols

Where can I find a topographic map symbol sheet? Like topographic maps, topographic map symbols have evolved over time. There is no single document that describes all of the symbols used on all USGS topographic maps since they were first created. This site provides help for this issue.

U.S. Geological Surveys Database
The Geological Surveys Database indexes publications from participating state geological surveys, and factsheets from the USGS, with links to full text where available. The database provides full-text searching of all of its publications. This means that users can search metadata fields (i.e., title, author, notes, etc.), as well as the entire text of the indexed publications.
Maryland Geological Survey Maps
GEOSCAN: Geological Survey of Canada
GEOSCAN is a bibliographic database for scientific publications of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). The database features over 98,000 publication records primarily of the earth sciences (Geological Survey of Canada, National Atlas, Topographic maps, Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, Remote Sensing and Geodesy, and Surveyor General), and is continually growing with records on energy efficiency, metals, minerals and mining. GEOSCAN also contains records on external publications authored by NRCan scientists and specialists or with NRCan support.
Servicio Geológico Mexicano
The Mexican Geological Survey is the agency that generates the geological-mining information of the country. It has vast experience in geological surveying and in mining exploration and evaluation, because it has more than 50 years operating in Mexico in different specialties and in several scales.
British Geological Survey
The British Geological Survey is a world-leading geological survey and global geoscience organisation, focused on public-good science for government and research to understand earth and environmental processes.
Geoscience Australia
A world-leading organization informing evidence-based decisions through integrated Earth sciences to secure Australia’s future.
China Geological Survey
The China Geological Survey is a government-owned, not-for-profit, Chinese organization researching China's mineral resources.
Geological Survey of India
The Geological Survey of India is a major Indian research agency that functions to create and update the national geoscientific information and mineral resources of India. assessment.