Georef

Georef (World Geographic Reference System) is a grid-based method of specifying locations on the surface of the Earth. Georef is essentially based on the geographic system of latitude and longitude, but using a simpler and more flexible notation. Georef was used primarily for air navigation, particularly in military or inter-service applications, but it is rarely seen today. However, Georef can be used with any map or chart that has latitude and longitude printed on it.

Operation

Georef is based on the standard system of latitude and longitude, but uses a simpler and more concise notation. Georef divides the Earth's surface into successively smaller quadrangles, with a notation system used to identify each quadrangle within its parent. Unlike latitude/longitude, Georef runs in one direction horizontally, east from the 180° meridian; and one direction vertically, north from the South Pole. Georef can easily be adapted to give co-ordinates with varying degrees of precision, using a 2–12 character geocode.

GeoRef

The GeoRef database is a bibliographic database of scientific literature in the geosciences, including geology. Coverage ranges from 1669 to the present for North American literature, and 1933 to the present for the rest of the world. It currently contains more than 2.8 million references. It is widely considered one of the preeminent literature databases for those studying the earth sciences.

It is produced by the American Geosciences Institute, known as the American Geological Institute until October 2011.

"To maintain the database, GeoRef editor/indexers regularly scan more than 3,500 journals in 40 languages as well as new books, maps, and reports. They record the bibliographic data for each document and assign index terms to describe it. Each month between 6,000 and 9,000 new references are added to the database."

Major areas of coverage by GeoRef include: •Areal geology •Economic geology •Engineering geology •Environmental geology •Extraterrestrial geology •Geochemistry •Geochronology •Geophysics •Hydrogeology and hydrology •Marine geology and oceanography •Mathematical geology •Mineralogy and Crystallography •Paleontology •Petrology •Seismology •Stratigraphy •Structural geology •Surficial geology