What is geologic heritage, you ask? In short, it "encompasses the significant geologic features, landforms, and landscapes characteristic of our Nation." The National Park Service has a special program to document these sites and to provide the public with resources about these unique destinations. The materials here are divided into four featured programs: Fossil Resources, Geologic Heritage...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a historic tour of the Colorado River Canyon? Wonder no more, as this site from the U.S. Geological Survey makes just such a sojourn possible. Drawing on thousands of historic and contemporary photographs, views, documents, and other items, the USGS has created these fine 3D and photographic tours of dozens of national parks. On the site,...

The Geophysical Studies of the Las Vegas Urban Corridor Area are part of an integrated effort to "geologically characterize the seismic hazards, water resources, and crustal structure of this rapidly growing urban corridor" by the USGS. The informational Web site contains a gravity map of the Las Vegas region, an aeromagnetic map, and a publications link with a list of over a dozen references....

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the Permian Reef Complex of the Guadalupe Mountains? Probably not, but Dr. Peter A. Scholle, the Director and State Geologist of the New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources of New Mexico Tech has provided a complete virtual field trip for those who would. Visitors can read and view pictures of the area, the structural history of the mountains, the...

The University of Kentucky maintains the Kentucky Geological Survey Web site. Visitors will find a number of educational general information pages on rocks and minerals, fossils, coal, geologic hazards, industrial minerals, maps and GIS, oil and natural gas, and water, as well as the general geology of Kentucky. Each page contains specific information, data, and research summaries from the...

The National Elevation Dataset is a product offered by the USGS that "is designed to provide national elevation data in a seamless form with a consistent datum, elevation unit, and projection." The interactive GIS map interface can view various layers of data from all over the US, creating informative and useful maps, which can be printed or ordered in CD format. The handy "help" button provides a...

The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, part of the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno, is an active and interesting source for studying mining and geology in the Southwestern United States. The Bureau's website includes quite a bit of information that would be of interest to students, researchers, and laypeople alike. Users will find information...

A great site from the National Park Service, Geologic Resources Division provides information on geologic features of our national parks. The site is aimed at a young audience (K-8), but is a pleasure to browse for anyone. Organizing the site by geologic features (e.g., Hot Springs, Oldest Rocks, and Volcanoes) allows readers to compare the geology of various national parks and explore maps,...

This USGS handout is a page providing a good, brief summary of stable isotope techniques and applications in the geosciences. A map indicating the locations of current USGS stable isotopic studies accompanies the text. A discussion of mineral weathering effects and case studies from ore deposits in Maine and North Carolina complement the general overview.

The first site from PBS.org, called Lost in the Canyon (1), offers an excellent online learning experience. Visitors learn about John Wesley Powell's expedition down the Colorado River, covered in transcripts from the companion television show and a timeline of Powell's life. Other features include an interactive lesson on running rapids and a look at the unique geologic history of the area. Next,...