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Iowa Geological Survey Annual Reports online

The University of Iowa Libraries has recently posted the Iowa Geological Survey Annual Report (1893-1941) online.  The annual reports contain information on the topography and geological formations of all of Iowa’s counties, assessments of Iowa’s mineral resources, and reports on Iowa’s water resources.  Whether being used to grow crops in the field, livestock in the pasture, or to harvest minerals from the ground, the physical environment of Iowa has been the lifeblood of Iowa’s economy.  These reports were the first detailed, organized reports on the geology and natural history of Iowa and sometimes included other information like the plant species of the time.  

We anticipate this material will be most useful to educators and other individuals in Iowa and surrounding states.  This digital collection features the full volumes, complete with scans of both the color and the oversized plates.  Some images in this publication may be of lower quality, but there is a collection of exceptional photographs of many parts of Iowa by one of IGSAR’s frequent authors (and former State Geologist), Samuel Calvin.