Libraries

Charts & Maps

  • Arrangement: the Chart & Map Collection is arranged by national hydrographic agency and then in a hierarchical geographic filing arrangement for ocean and then land areas.
  • Map copying in large format is not available in-house. You are encouraged to bring your digital camera to make free copies. With considerable difficulty in arranging, copies or scans can be made by UCSD Imprints for non-copyrighted materials; we hand-carry charts to them, and you arrange payment with them (1/4/02: $1.41 per sq ft on card stock; $0.45 per sq ft on paper). Imprints will not copy/scan copyrighted maps.
  • Map and chart indexes are available online as noted on this page, or located either on top of the map cases or in the first drawer of a map series. SIO Library's maps and charts are not cataloged in UCSD's Roger catalog or UC's Melvyl system catalog.
  • Reference service is only available for ocean charts. While this web page provides some guidance to geological and land mapping, we do not collect or follow those areas. We do not offer unannounced walk-in reference service due to staffing limitations. Make an appointment if you need assistance with the chart & map collection; contact Peter Brueggeman at pbrueggeman@ucsd.edu
  • Access to the collection is controlled for security of the materials. UCSD affiliates can check out a key to enter the chart and map collection at the front desk. For non-UCSD affiliates, access is subject to availability of staff who will accompany users. Sorry, but thefts have occurred, and too many charts and maps are impossible to replace.

NOS/NOAA CHARTS

Covers US and territorial waters. A complete collection, that is not updated with Notice to Mariners; therefore this is a reference collection and unsuited for navigation. Paper indexes to the collection are laying out on top of the north map cabinets.

NGA CHARTS

Worldwide coverage excluding US waters. A complete collection until NGA discontinued paper chart distribution in June 2010. Our charts were not updated from Notice to Mariners; therefore this is a reference collection and unsuited for navigation. Paper indexes to the collection are laying out on top of the north map cabinets.

General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans - GEBCO

BRITISH ADMIRALTY CHARTS

Worldwide waters. Not a current or complete collection. British charts usually offer better detailed coverage for waters around Commonwealth countries than US charts, i.e. Fiji. Paper index to the British charts is laying out on top of these map cabinets.
  • INDEX (select 'commercial')

MEXICAN CHARTS

A fairly complete collection, including older charts in an earlier numbering scheme. Paper index to the Mexican charts is inside these map cabinets, BUT the index linked below is easier to use. This chart collection is locked for security.

  • INDEX (downloaded from www.semar.gob.mx) 
  • INDEX 1 & INDEX 2 to OLDER charts with the earlier chart numbering scheme
  • Gerry Sea of Cortez Charts & Cruising Guides: Gerry Sea of Cortez Charts & Cruising Guides have unique charting details and information for the Gulf of California, that you won't find in the government-produced charts. Great cruising guides, too. Though we have these, you will want to purchase originals to save space, rather than make copies from our holdings (they're double-sided).

AUSTRALIAN CHARTS

Coverage of Australian waters, Torres Strait, Papua New Guinea, & Antarctic water. A strong collection

CANADA CHARTS

Not a complete collection.

FRENCH CHARTS

Not a complete collection. French charts usually offer better detailed coverage for waters around French territories than U.S. charts, i.e. French Polynesia. Paper index to the French charts is inside these map cabinets

IRAN CHARTS

Coverage of Iranian waters & Persian Gulf. A fairly complete collection

INDONESIAN CHARTS

Coverage of Indonesian waters. We collect in areas where the Indonesian charts offer better coverage than the U.S. and British charts.

JAPANESE CHARTS

Coverage of Japan & East Asian waters, Pacific & Indian Oceans, and Japanese area of Antarctica. Not a complete collection.

California Geological Maps

The US Geological Survey and the California Geologic Survey/Division of Mines and Geology produce geological maps for California. Some are published as individual maps in a map series, and some are published as reports or embedded within reports in various technical report series. If we own a specific item in the latter category, it may be located upstairs in our book and journal collections. You can't look in map cases, and see all of the geological maps for California; it doesn't work that way. Use the indexes below to determine geological maps available in print and online. We focus on San Diego County, and while we do have many geological maps for other areas in California, we do not collect them all.

California Topographic Maps

Not a current collection of California US Geological Survey maps. You can download the current California topo maps; see first link below. Our holdings of 1929-1986 La Jolla and Del Mar topo maps are held in the Scripps Archives collection 2005-04 (inquire at the Archives), with a few of them filed among these California topo maps if duplicate copies.

BLM 1:100,000 maps for Western states

Not a current collection.

World Aeronautical Charts / Tactical Pilotage Charts 1:500,000

Not a current collection.

SIO Produced Charts & Maps

Historically SIO produced many paper charts and maps relating to research interests. These are filed within the collection's geographic filing arrangement. Some of the better known SIO produced maps include:

  • Bathymetry of the North Pacific. J Mammerickx, SM Smith, IL Taylor, TE Chase. UC Institute of Marine Resources Technical Report 3,6-15. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1970.  Ten sheets.
  • Surface Sediments and Topography of the North Pacific Ocean. J Frazier, DL Hawkins, A Arrhenius, J Mammerickx, TE Chase, HW Menard. UC Institute of Marine Resources Technical Report 27-36. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1972.  Ten sheets.
  • Bathymetry of the South Pacific. J Mammerickx, SM Smith, IL Taylor, TE Chase. UC Institute of Marine Resources Technical Report 45A-54A. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1971-1974.  Eleven sheets.
  • Topography of the South Pacific. J Mammerickx, SM Smith, IL Taylor, TE Chase. UC Institute of Marine Resources Technical Report 45A-56. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1975.  1:6,500,000

Mexico topographic and geological maps

We have an older, not current collection. Check with the Map collection in UCSD Libraries' Geisel Library for their holdings.

Other Map Resources

Scripps Archives