Reference sources can give you background on a topic, lead you to reliable and valid sources for further information (a beginning bibliography) and provide statistics and data associated with topics in environmental studies.
For longer articles on topics and issues, see:
For brief term definitions, see also:
- Water Resources Glossaries online from the U.S. Geological Survey -- Several different glossaries covering basic and advanced terms related to hydrology
For data and maps, see:
- The Atlas of Water -- Good for all topics about water: supply, pollution, groundwater, conservation, quality, etc.
- The Cambridge Handbook of Earth Science Data -- Seymour Library Reference QE16.3 H45 2009 -- See chapter 4 "Aqueous Earth" for data on a variety of water related topic, such as ocean volumes, ocean salinity, drainage and discharge of rivers, etc.
- Climate Atlas of Illinois -- Seymour Library Main Stacks G1406.C8 C5 2004 -- Has data on weather and precipitation for the past 100+ years for the state of Illinois, with lots of maps.
- Field Guide to Rivers of North America -- online via Credo Reference -- Has maps of river systems along with descriptive information about fauna and flora.
