You are here

Training & Support

Frequently Asked Questions

Maps and Other Content

What information and content is included in Geofacets?

  • More than 165,000 geologic maps from Elsevier’s market-leading Earth Science journal collection +MORE
  • More than 51,000 geological maps sourced from select journals of the Geological Society of London’s Lyell Collection* +MORE
  • More than 18,000 geological maps sourced from select journals and publications from SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology)*.+MORE
  • More than 15,000 geological maps sourced from the Society of Economic Geology's journal Economic Geology
  • All maps are downloadable as image files, with over 165,000 georeferenced for easy integration with GIS.
  • Geologic basin map overlays provided by IHS.
  • Wood Mackenzie’s map overlays provide high level commercial information for oil and gas exploration, including unconventional gas plays around the world.

* Access to maps from Geofacets content partners are an optional subscription feature for Geofacets subscribers.

Does Geofacets contain maps and information related only to Oil & Gas?

While Geofacets includes journals most relevant to the oil & gas industry, it also includes content related to other industries such as mining, engineering and environmental sciences (e.g., climatology, geochemistry, volcanology). Because Geofacets offers users the ability to filter content by map attributes and find maps by region or keyword, it is significantly easier to discover relevant maps that users may not have been previously aware of.

Does Geofacets offer content other than maps?

Yes. In addition to providing downloadable maps sourced from journal articles, Geofacets provides valuable contextual information for each available map that includes meta data, article information and abstract, and links to a full-text, read-only PDF of the associated journal article.

Why are all of the maps not georeferenced?

While all maps from Geofacets are downloadable as TIFF or JPEG files, there are a few possible scenarios for why maps found in Geofacets could not be georeferenced:

  • If a map is hand-drawn with errors introduced, which is common to maps generated prior to the mid-1990's when computers were not regularly used to generate maps 
  • If a map's scale cannot be determined or the scale is distorted 
  • If our modern day coordinate system does not apply to a map, i.e., for paleogeographic maps which depict geographic locations and movement of continents through geologic time 
  • If a map's geographic coordinate system or projection cannot be determined 
  • If a map has no geographic coordinates and/or geographic identifiers (e.g., countries, cities, states, etc) that can be used as a reference point

Can I integrate my own maps and data with Geofacets content?

Yes. You can integrate Geofacets content with your own proprietary data and maps by downloading the maps from Geofacets and importing them into your GIS software.

Will I be able to get a PDF of a journal article that does not contain any maps?

No. Only journal articles with maps are included in Geofacets.

How are basins defined in Geofacets?

Geofacets’ maps are indexed using IHS’s geologic basin classification. IHS is a well-respected global provider of technical information, decision-support tools and resources for the energy industry.

What geographic areas does Geofacets cover?

There is no geographic limitation to what Geofacets covers. Subscribers of Geofacets have access to the global database, thereby eliminating the requirement of buying location modules to access content for specific regions. In addition, because Geofacets can be used to find geological analogs (i.e., salt dome tectonics, prograding delta, etc.), global access means you can discover relevant content that you did not know existed.

How often is Geofacets content updated?

As the journals included in Geofacets publish new articles featuring maps, we update Geofacets with these new maps on an ongoing, monthly basis.

How can Geofacets support analog research?

Geofacets can help geoscientists find maps and associated data that can aid in identifying geological analogs, thus improving understanding of the subsurface geology of a basin, prospect or reservoir. All maps include a unique metadata index that enables geoscientists to refine search results by map type, surface area, article keyword and journal, allowing users to quickly find specific data needed for analysis and interpretation.

Also, geoscientists can use a keyword search of the map caption and unique map metadata (e.g., map type, geologic basin)—in addition to typical search of the article title, abstract, and author keyword—to uncover information that may have otherwise been overlooked, potentially opening up a whole new line of thinking.

Do I still need ScienceDirect if I have a subscription to Geofacets?

Geofacets subscribers can access and download maps from a selection of Elsevier journals. In addition, users can view a read-only PDF of each individual map’s associated full-text scientific article, if they wish to better understand the map within the article context.

Without a ScienceDirect subscription, Geofacets subscribers can only view this read-only PDF, which cannot be saved, downloaded or printed. In addition, hyperlinks to referenced, related and cited articles are not active within the read-only PDF.

Technical Access

Can I access Geofacets from anywhere?

Yes. Geofacets is a web-based application that can be accessed from anywhere with a user name and password.

Do I need to download special software to use Geofacets?

No special software is required. However, if using Internet Explorer (IE), users should have IE 7 or higher. Geofacets also supports Safari, Chrome, and Firefox.

Will Geofacets work on a Mac?

Yes. Geofacets is compatible with both the Safari and Firefox browsers on a Mac.

What browsers does Geofacets support?

Geofacets supports IE 7 or higher, Safari, Chrome, and Firefox.

Are maps available for download as .kml or .kmz files for use in Google Earth?

Not yet. Currently, maps can only be downloaded as either .geotiff, .jpg and .tiff files. We are planning to add .kml and .kmz formats in the future, so please check back again in the coming months. In the interim, there are many software programs available (ArcMap, Global Mapper, etc) that can convert .geotiffs to .kml and .kmz formats.

The Geological Society of London/Lyell Collection

What geographic areas does The Geological Society of London content in Geofacets cover?

Please refer to this page for the most updated information.

What subject areas does The Geological Society of London content in Geofacets cover?

Please refer to this page for the most updated information.

Can I subscribe to only specific Geological Society of London geographic areas?

Customers who subscribe to maps and information from The Geological Society of London have access to a global database, thereby eliminating the need for users to buy location modules that provide access to maps and associated information for specific regions. In addition, because Geofacets can be used to find geological analogs (i.e., salt tectonics, prograding delta, etc.), global access means you can discover relevant content that you did not know existed.

Do I still need a subscription to the Lyell Collection if I have a subscription to The Geological Society of London content through Geofacets?

Customers who subscribe to The Geological Society of London content in Geofacets can access and download maps from the Lyell Collection. In addition, users can view a read-only PDF of each individual map’s associated full-text scientific article, if they wish to better understand the map within the article context.

Without a Lyell Collection subscription, Geofacets subscribers can only view this read-only PDF, which cannot be saved, downloaded or printed. In addition, hyperlinks to referenced, related and cited articles are not active within the read-only PDF.

SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology)

What geographic areas does the SEPM content in Geofacets cover?

Please refer to this page for the most updated information.

What subject areas does the SEPM content in Geofacets cover?

Please refer to this page for the most updated information.

Can I subscribe to only specific SEPM geographic areas?

Customers who subscribe to maps and information from SEPM have access to a global database, thereby eliminating the need for users to buy location modules that provide access to maps and associated information for specific regions. In addition, because Geofacets can be used to find geological analogs (i.e., salt tectonics, prograding delta, etc.), global access means you can discover relevant content that you did not know existed.

Do I still need a subscription to SEPM Online if I have a subscription to the SEPM content through Geofacets?

Customers who subscribe to SEPM content in Geofacets can access and download maps from SEPM journals and publications. In addition, users can view a read-only PDF of each individual map’s associated full-text scientific article, if they wish to better understand the map within the article context.

Without an SEPM Online subscription, Geofacets subscribers can only view this read-only PDF, which cannot be saved, downloaded or printed. In addition, hyperlinks to referenced, related and cited articles are not active within the read-only PDF.

Society of Economic Geologists

What geographic areas does the SEG content in Geofacets cover?

Please refer to this page for the most updated information.

What subject areas does the SEG content in Geofacets cover?

Please refer to this page for the most updated information.

Can I subscribe to only specific SEG geographic areas?

Customers who subscribe to maps and information from SEG have access to global databases and location modules are not available for purchase. In addition, because Geofacets can be used to find mineral deposit models (i.e., copper porphyry, etc.), global access means users can discover relevant content that may not have been previously findable through location-based search.

Do I need to be an SEG member if I have a subscription to the SEG content in Geofacets?

Customers who subscribe to SEG content in Geofacets can access and download maps from Economic Geology. In addition, users can view a read-only PDF of each individual map’s associated full-text scientific article, if they wish to better understand the map within the article context.

Without being an SEG member, however, Geofacets subscribers can only view this read-only PDF, which cannot be saved, downloaded or printed. In addition, hyperlinks to referenced, related and cited articles are not active within the read-only PDF.

To become an SEG member, please contact SEG Member Services.

What is the Geofacets-SEG Millennium Edition?

The Geofacets-SEG Millennium Edition is a special, SEG members only, individual access to Geofacets that includes maps and related information from Economic Geology published from 2000 to present. Click here for more information.

To become an SEG member and sign up for the Geofacets-SEG Millennium Edition, please contact SEG Member Services.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.