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Frequently Asked Questions

The FAQ is also available in PDF format.

  1. What kind of information can I find on the website?
  2. What is the Assessment File Research Imaging Database?
  3. What is the OGS Publications Database?
  4. What is the Mineral Deposits Inventory?
  5. What is the Lithogeochemistry Database?
  6. What is the Drill Hole Database?
  7. What is the Abandoned Mines Information System?
  8. How do I find the information that I am looking for?
  9. What is a text content search and how do I use it?
  10. What is a spatial search and how do I use it?
  11. What is a form based search and how do I use it?
  12. How do I combine a spatial search with the form based search?
  13. How do I zoom in and out on the map?
  14. How do I pan across the map?
  15. How do I get a Box Already Drawn on Viewer?
  16. What is the map viewer?
  17. How do I access the map viewer?
  18. How do I zoom while in the map viewer?
  19. How do I pan across the map in the map viewer?
  20. How do I add different layers to the map?
  21. How do I remove map services (or layers)?
  22. How do I set the transparency of different services when using multiple map services?
  23. How do I move map services in the list?
  24. I have zoomed in, but now I can't see any of the services on the map.
  25. How do I zoom back to the original view that I had of the map?
  26. How do I go back to the previous view that I had of the map?
  27. How do I get information on a particular map service (or layer)?
  28. How do I limit my search to a specific area on the map?
  29. How do I limit my search area using a given feature?
  30. How do I remove the search area that I have created on the map?
  31. The map I am trying to view is taking too long to load, how do I cancel it from being loaded in the viewer?
  32. Is there a map legend available to explain the different colours and symbols found on the map?
  33. When adding layers, do I need to click on the Refresh Map button every time I add a new layer?
  34. When using the map viewer to narrow my searching area, does adding more layers broaden my search results or narrow them down?
  35. How do I customize my spatial search using the built-in map viewer on the website?
  36. What map service is used for the built-in map viewer?
  37. How does the Data Must Fall Completely Inside Area option affect my search?
  38. When attempting to create a map with SmallPlot, LargePlot, or TabloidPlot layers I get the following error message: "Your map could not be generated."
  39. Which map services should be used in constructing a map?
  40. When I am creating a search area by feature, I get an error message saying "No Feature is selected."
  41. Why is my search result missing records?
  42. When I use Sort by Area, my search results don't seem to be in order.
  43. How do I use the Find a Place option?
  44. What is the difference between the different options available in the What do you want to find field when using the Find a Place option?
  45. How does each query method work?
  46. When I use the year as a search criteria, is the search inclusive or exclusive?
  47. What is the difference between the Assessment Files and Reports of Work options?
  48. How do I view the actual file or publication I am searching for?
  49. When I am searching for an OGS Publication file I am not getting the correct results.
  50. How do I search the text content of OGS Publication PDF files?
  51. How do I search the text content of Assessment File PDF files?
  52. What is the difference between an All Words, Any Words, Exact Phrase, and Boolean search?
  53. When searching the PDF file text content, how do I view the PDF document that I am searching for?
  54. How do I create powerful text searches?
  55. How come, in the text search window, the PDF document doesn't open?
  56. I am experiencing problems downloading files.

What kind of information can I find on the website?

GeologyOntario provides access to all Ontario Geological Survey maps, reports and datasets and over 75,000 private sector Assessment Files, as well as data on mineral occurrences, surface and underground drilling, lithogeochemical results and abandoned mines information for the province of Ontario. Six distinct databases can be searched based on specific attribute information found in the following:

In addition, text searches can be performed on the contents of the publications and assessment files.

Over four hundred digital products containing field data, geophysical surveys, geochemical analyses and geochronological measurements are available for download.

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What is the Assessment File Research Imaging Database?

Assessment Files are the technical results from exploration programs carried out on Crown Land in the Province of Ontario. Since the 1940s, the Government of Ontario has required those who perform exploration on claims staked over Crown Land to submit results of that work, including all reports and maps, in exchange for the right to retain the claims. After a period of confidentiality, all Assessment Files are released to the public record to aid and promote further exploration.

The AFRI database captures details on location, property ownership, type of work done and commodities sought for each Assessment File. It provides an index to the reports and maps that comprise the technical data as well as a link to complete digital images of that data. Spatial data is collected for each file in the form of polygons indicating property outlines.

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What is the OGS Publications Database?

The Ontario Geological Survey has published a significant volume of reports, maps, books and data sets pertaining to all aspects of the geology of Ontario. The OGS Publications database is a complete reference to all of these publications. It currently contains 18 000 records which represents 3500 unique books, 10 000 maps and 500 data sets. The database is updated regularly, usually bi-monthly with each new publication release.

The database stores publication number, series type, title, authorship or other contributor details, year of publication, publication format, and basic location data such as township and NTS area (where applicable). Publications are indexed by volume title, as well as by individual article for compendia. Digital images are stored for each publication.

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What is the Mineral Deposits Inventory?

The Mineral Deposit Inventory provides an overview of mineral occurrences in the province of Ontario. It contains information on location, geological environment and history of metallic and industrial mineral deposits, as well as some building stone and aggregate sites. The database is managed by the Resident Geologist Program, contains more than 19,000 records and is continually being updated. The database stores information on deposit name, location, status, commodities, geological environment, exploration history, and reserve and production data where available.

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What is the Lithogeochemistry Database?

Data in the Lithogeochemical (LGC) database are derived from rock samples collected by Ontario Geological Survey (OGS) staff during field projects dating from the 1970s to the early 1990s. The geologist recorded location and descriptive information for each sample and the OGS Geoscience Laboratory determined the major and trace element concentrations. The database contains analysis for approximately 31,500 rock samples.

Data fields include project, geologist, rock sample identifier, rock sample description, sample qualifier, rock name, stratigraphy, geological age, station identifier, latitude and longitude, UTM Northing and Easting, NTS, Township or Area, organization source, analysis type, analytical method, analytical property, quality control source and analytical results.

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What is the Drill Hole Database?

The Ontario Drill Hole database contains surface and underground drilling data compiled from Assessment Files for which drilling credits have been claimed. Assessment Files are the technical results from exploration programs carried out on Crown Land in the Province of Ontario. (See What is the Assessment File Research Imaging (AFRI) Database?)

The database contains data on percussion, overburden, sonic, and surface and underground diamond drill holes. Data include drill collar coordinates, location details, company name, company hole number, hole orientation, hole depth, overburden depth and drill core library number if applicable. The presence of assay results within cutoff values for gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, nickel and platinum group elements is noted. Source Assessment File numbers are captured for cross referencing with the AFRI database to allow follow up with the detailed logs and sections contained in the associated AFRI file.

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What is the Abandoned Mines Information System?

The Abandoned Mines Information System (AMIS) tracks the occurrences of mining related features including mining hazards and abandoned mines. The GeologyOntario AMIS database contains information pertaining to 5,654 hazards and mining occurrences.

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How do I find the information that I am looking for?

GeologyOntario provides three different search methods for discovery of content; text content searches, form-based searches and spatial searches. Six databases can be queried using form-based or spatial searches and text content searches can be performed against the OGS Publications and Assessment Files.

Search Databases

Search text content of Publication Files

This search interface provides the ability to search for text within an Ontario Geological Survey Publication PDF document.

Search text content of Assessment (AFRI) Files

This search interface provides the ability to search for text within an Assessment File Research Imaging file PDF document.

G-O Discover

G-O Discover provides you with the necessary resources to help you understand the use of GeologyOntario and its associated map viewer. Here you are provided with an FAQ for GeologyOntario as well as links to help files and user manuals for various mapping systems. Use our problem reporting forms to notify us of a problem or fill out our online survey. OGS Earth is also available for download by following this link

Database searches are performed by entering criteria in the various fields resulting in form-based searches. Form-based searches can be combined with the map interface so that the searches themselves can be spatial or, in other words, restricted to a specific geographic extent (i.e. township, geographic area, NTS area, user defined area, etc.).

If you choose to search the databases, you will be given six search categories.

Searchable Databases:

Once you have selected any of these categories you are presented with a search screen. These search screens will always contain a common map viewer on the left hand side of the page to perform spatial searches (See What is a spatial search and how do I use it?) as well as the form-based search on the right. (See What is a form-based search?)

In AFRI:

You are able to search using the following criteria:

Also, for a single year, enter that year in both the TO and FROM fields.
(See also When I use the year as a search criteria, is the search inclusive or exclusive?)

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In OGS Publications - (PUB):

You are able to search using the following criteria:

Also, for a single year, enter that year in both the TO and FROM fields.
(See also When I use the year as a search criteria, is the search inclusive or exclusive?)

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In Mineral Deposits Inventory (MDI):

You are able to search using the following criteria:

Also, for a single year, enter that year in both the TO and FROM fields.
(See also When I use the year as a search criteria, is the search inclusive or exclusive?)

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In OGS Publications - (PUB):

You are able to search using the following criteria:

Also, for a single year, enter that year in both the TO and FROM fields.
(See also When I use the year as a search criteria, is the search inclusive or exclusive?)

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In Mineral Deposits Inventory (MDI):

You are able to search using the following criteria:

In Lithogeochemistry (LGC):

You are able to search using the following criteria:

Here you can enter the first initial, middle initial, and the last name of the geologist.

In Drill Hole Database:

You are able to search using the following criteria:

In the Abandoned Mines Information System (AMIS):

You are able to search using the following criteria:

Once you have defined your search criteria, click the search button at the bottom of the page.

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Your results are then displayed in the window and you are able to view each of the available results.
(See How do I view the actual file or publication I am searching for?)

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What is a text content search and how do I use it?

In creating the PDF documents that are now available on the GeologyOntario website, over 2.1 million scanned pages and 168,000 scanned maps were converted to 83,000 documents. These documents were then subjected to word pattern recognition software so that the actual content within the scanned images would be discoverable resulting in "PDF Searchable" documents. Searches can now be performed on the actual content of publication and assessment files. It is important to understand that optical character recognition (OCR) and word pattern recognition software success is based upon critical factors such as the quality of the original image, the typesetting and fonts that were originally used, font colour, background colour and the content of the dictionary used for word pattern recognition. Since many of the documents were of poor quality, word pattern recognition is not error free. The Ministry of Northern Development and Mines augmented American and British dictionaries with a 40,000 entry dictionary containing geoscientific terms, geographic names and the names of geoscientists that have worked for the Ontario Geological Survey in an effort to enhance the success of the word pattern recognition software.

To see examples of performing text-based searches see How do I create powerful text searches?

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What is a spatial search and how do I use it?

A spatial search is a search that is dependent upon a pre-defined geographic extent such as a township, NTS geographic area or a custom defined area.

Spatial searches are performed under the search databases pages. Establishing the geographic or spatial area to which database searches are applied can be achieved using several methods.

On each of the database search pages there exists a small map of Ontario in the Table of Contents along the left hand side of the page. The map of Ontario can be zoomed using a mouse and either clicking once in an area or by holding down the mouse button, drawing a box and then releasing the mouse button. If the map has zoomed in too far, the negative magnifying button can be used to zoom back out. Panning across the map area can be done by selecting the pan button (hand).

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In addition to the index map found on the search databases pages, one can also launch the GeologyOntario map viewer. This can be done by selecting Launch: GeologyOntario in the introduction page to the database searches or by selecting the button: LAUNCH MAP VIEWER TO DRAW BOX.

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The button is located below the index map in the table of contents on the left side on each of the database search screens.

A third way to launch the map viewer is to use the Find a Place button located in the table of contents on each of the database search screens.

This launches a query screen that permits the user to input specific criteria that will identify their spatial area of interest.

Database Search Page Viewer

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The spatial search can be used in a number of ways. You can choose the Find a Place option (see How do I Use the Find a Place Option?); this option opens a window where you can enter a search term to find a particular location on the map. Ex: searching for 'Sudbury' would zoom to the Sudbury area on the map.

You can choose to locate your search area using the embedded map viewer. To locate your search area this way you must use the zoom (see How do I ZOOM in and out on the map) and pan buttons (see How do I pan across the map) located at the top right of the embedded map viewer.

You also have the option of choosing to have the data being searched on fall completely within the viewable area (see How does the Data Must Fall Completely Inside Area option affect my search) and the option of sorting your search results by geographic area.

You can use the Launch Map Viewer to Draw Box option to open a new window containing a more advanced map viewer where you can make your geographic selection or you can select the Get Box Already Drawn on Viewer option that will take an existing selection from a map viewer window that is already open.

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What is a form based search and how do I use it?

The form-based search allows users to make queries directly on the information in the databases by specifying certain criteria of interest, for example: author of the publication, the year it was published, the township in which the information resides, etc. For each search criteria that you fill out, you must also select a query method that will tell us how to match your search criteria; these methods include Exact Match, Begins With, Contains, Pick List(or), and Any Word(or). (see How does each different query method work)

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How do I combine a spatial search with the form based search?

To combine both the spatial and form based searches you create a search area using the techniques described in What is a spatial search and how do I use it? Once the search area is defined, you then enter your search criteria in the form based search. (See What is a form-based search and how do I use it? ). When you have completed both of these methods you can then click on Search located near the bottom of the page and your results will be displayed.

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How do I zoom in and out on the map?

To zoom in, choose this button: #

You can now draw a box on the map viewer to zoom to a location.

Now the map viewer will refresh and zoom to the area you have chosen

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To zoom out, choose this button:#

Zooming out can be achieved by either single clicking several times to reach the degree of zoom out required or by drawing a box. The degree of zoom out is indicative of the size of box that is drawn. A small box will zoom out more than a larger box. A box is drawn by clicking with the left mouse button and holding down the button. Drag the mouse until the desired size of box is created. Release the mouse button and the map will zoom out based on the size of box drawn. The best way to understand how this button works is to play with it until you a re familiar with the degree that the map zooms out based on the size of box you have drawn.

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How do I pan across the map?

To Pan on the map viewer, choose this button:#

You can now navigate on the map viewer at all angles.

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How do I get a Box Already Drawn on Viewer?

In order to use the Get Box Already Drawn on Viewer option you must first select the Launch Map Viewer to Draw Box option and open a new window containing a more advanced map viewer where you can make your geographic selection. Create a search area using the button. Once you have your area selected, you can then select the Get Box Already Drawn on Viewer option.#

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What is the map viewer?

The map viewer is a mapping program called ArcExplorer that gives you more options for spatial searching than you get with the index map located on each of the search pages. Using the map viewer, you can add different map services, get information on a given map layer, set layer transparency levels, or define your search area by selecting a specific map feature.

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How do I access the map viewer?

When you are at the database search page, you can click on the globe in the 'Make a Map' section of the page.

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This will bring up the map viewer.

You can also access the map viewer in any of the database search pages by clicking the 'Launch Map Viewer to Draw Box' button located below the index map on the left hand side of the search page.

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How do I zoom while in the map viewer?

Zooming works the same in the map viewer as it does on the index map located on our search pages.

To zoom in on the map in the map viewer, click:#

To zoom out, click: #

Once you've select one of these options, you can either click once on the map to zoom in or out, or you can click and hold down your mouse button (a red box will appear) and dragging it over the area in which you wish to zoom in or out on.

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How do I pan across the map in the map viewer?

To Pan on the map viewer, choose this button:#

You can now navigate on the map viewer at all angles.

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How do I add different layers to the map?

To add different layers (or services) to the map, click the #button.
This will bring up the 'Add Services' window.

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Once in this window, select the server that contains the services you want to add. You can either chose to select a server from the 'Internet Server' list or a select a server URL in the current map.

From the Internet Server drop down list you have the option of selecting either 'Claimaps' or 'Data Server'.

If you choose to select a server URL in the current map, you will have the option of selecting the GeologyOntario URL (http://www.geologyontario.MNDM.gov.on.ca).

When you select the desired server, its URL is displayed in the 'Map Server URL' field.

The 'Show restricted services' allows for those who have the correct permissions to access the restricted services that aren't readily available to everyone. When you select this option, you will be prompted to enter your credentials.

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Once you have selected all the desired options, click 'OK'.

This will bring up another window containing all the services (or layers) available on that particular server. See Which map services should be used in constructing a map to see which services should and shouldn't be added to the map viewer.

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From this window select the services that you wish to add to the map.

To select multiple services, hold down the Shift or Ctrl button while selecting the desired services then click 'Add'.

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The new available services (or layers) now appear on the left side of the viewer. The services now need to be applied to the map. In order to apply the services to the map, click the checkbox next the bolded service names then click the 'Refresh Map' button.

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Now the map with the new services is loaded in the right pane of the viewer.

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How do I remove map services (or layers)?

To remove some of the services that you have added to your map, click the #button.
This will bring up a new window with all the services that are currently on the map.

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To remove a service, click on the service and click the 'Remove' button.

To remove multiple services, hold down either the Shift or Ctrl button while selecting the services you wish to remove and click the 'Remove' button.

The map with the adjusted services will be loaded in the viewer.

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How do I set the transparency of different services?

When using multiple map services, setting the transparency of different services will allow you to customize the map by telling it what services will be more viewable than others.

To set the transparency levels of the different services, click the #button.
This will bring up theservice transparency window.

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In this window you can set the transparency levels of each individual service being used on the map. All services have equal transparency levels except for the bottom service, which will be opaque.

If you want the service to be completely transparent, set its level to 100% transparency. If you want the service to be opaque, set its level to 0%.

Once you have set the desired transparency levels, click the 'Refresh Map' button and the map with the new transparencies will be loaded into the viewer. Click the 'Close' button to close the Transparency window.

If you want a service other than the default 'SearchMap' service to always appear opaque, you can move the different services up or down in the list. In order for your desired service to always appear opaque, it must be at the very bottom of the list.

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How do I move map services in the list?

To move the different services, click the #button.
This will bring up the 'Move Services' window.

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From here, select the service that you want to move. Click the up or down arrows to move the service up or down in the list. If you move the service to the bottom, its transparency level will be set to opaque.

Once you have the services in the desired order, click the 'Refresh Map' button and the adjusted map will be loaded into the viewer.

Click the 'Close' button to close the window.

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I have zoomed in, but now I can't see any of the services on the map.

If you have zoomed in to the point where you can't see the map services any longer,
you can click: #

This will zoom the map to visible services.

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How do I zoom back to the original view that I had of the map?

To go back to the original map of the entire province,
click:#

This will zoom to the full extent of the map.

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How do I go back to the previous view that I had of the map?

If you zoom in or out, add different map services, or set different transparency levels and wish to go back to the previous map view, click #

This will load the previous map in the viewer.

You can also use # to view the next map.

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How do I get information on a particular map service (or layer)?

If you want to get details on a particular map service for a given area on the map, click the 'Identify' #button. This will bring up the 'Identify' window.

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From the drop down list, select the layer (or service) you wish to identify and click on an area of the map that contains that particular layer.

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Once you click on the area of the map that contains that specific layer, all the particulars related to that given layer will be displayed in the window.

If you receive a message saying 'No features found' then you have clicked on an area of the map that doesn't contain that feature. For example, if you had selected the Major Lakes service and clicked on an area of the map that didn't contain any lakes, you would receive this message.

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How do I limit my search to a specific area on the map?

If you wish to limit your search to a specific area on the map,

click#

Once you have selected this option. Click the mouse button and hold down while dragging it over the area you wish to search, creating a box over the area. Once the box is created, release the mouse button and your search will now be limited to that specific area of the map.

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How do I define a search area using a given feature?

If you wish to define your search area by using a given feature, click #

This will bring up a new window.

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From the drop down list, select the feature you wish to limit your search to and click on an area of the map that contains that feature. A search box will be created over that given feature and your search will now be limited to that area.

If you receive a message saying 'No feature is selected', you have clicked on an area of the map that doesn't contain that feature. For example, if you had chosen the Major Lakes service and clicked on an area of the map that doesn't have any lakes, you would receive this message.

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How do I remove the search area that I have created on the map?

If you wish to remove a search area that you created on the map

click #

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how do I cancel it from being loaded in the viewer?

If you want to stop a map from being loaded into the viewer

click #

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Is there a map legendfor the different colours and symbols?

Yes. If you would like to view the legend of the different colours and symbols for the different map services that are found on the map,

click either# located at the top of the viewer
or# located at the bottom left of the viewer.

Clicking on one of these buttons will bring up the legend window.

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This window explains the different colours and symbols for the services that you currently have on your map.

Click the 'Close' button to close this window.

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do I need to click on the Refresh Map button every time I add a layer?

Yes.

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does adding more layers broaden or narrow my search results?

Adding more layers doesn't affect the search results at all.

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How do I customize my spatial search using the built-in map viewer?

In order to customize your spatial search you need to open the advanced map viewer by selecting Launch Map Viewer to Draw Box. From here you can pick and choose the different layers you'd like to use for reference and then create a search area. Once your search area is selected you can then select the Get Box Already Drawn on Viewer to apply your customized spatial search.

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What map service is used for the built-in map viewer?

The initial map services that are used are simple; map services containing the provincial outline, the townships and geographic areas in use by MNDM and general transportation and drainage themes.

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What doesthe "Data Must Fall Completely Inside Area" option DO?

When you select this option, any search results found must reside completely within the area selected. If any of the information is found outside the search area or even partially outside this search area, it will not be included in the search results. For example, if any of the boundaries of an AFRI file polygon fall outside of the defined area, the AFRI file will not be returned in the search results.

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what about theerror message: "Your map could not be generated."?

When attempting to create a map with SmallPlot, LargePlot, or TabloidPlot layers you might get the following error message: "Your map could not be generated."

Some of the map services are for specific internal applications and should not be added to the map or an error may be generated.

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Which map services should be used in constructing a map?

The following map services should be used:

Map Service Description
DetailMag Detailed airborne magnetometer surveys.
DetailMag_2vd Detailed airborne magnetometer surveys. Second vertical derivative.
Geology_LL 1:1M Quaternary Geology (download)
Geophysical_Atlas Location of detailed airborne surveys.
Hillshade_mnr Digital Terrain Model as provided by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
Hillshade_srtm Digital Terrain Model as provided by the the NASA Shuttle Radar Topographic Mapper project.
Kimberlite_Names This service provides the names of known diamond/kimberlite occurrences.
Kimberlites This service provides the locations where diamonds/kimberlite have been found.
Lakes_Roads This theme couples the base layers for drainage and transportation.
NOEGTS Northern Ontario Engineering Geological Terrain Study classifications.
Ontmag Ontario regional magnetometer survey. (download)
Ontmag_1vd Ontario regional magnetometer survey. First vertical derivative. (download)
PrecambrianGeology250K 1:250K scale interpreted Precambrian bedrock geology. (download)
SGU_Poly Surficial geology of Southern Ontario. (download)
UTM_Zones Universal transverse mercator zones in Ontario.
Arcgis_afri Assessment file polygons.
Arcgis_amis Abandoned Mines Information System point locations for mining related work and hazards.
Arcgis_ddh Exploration drill hole locations. (download)
Arcgis_grid_index NTS grid index for Ontario.
Arcgis_lgc Lithogeochemistry sample locations for primarily bedrock Precambrian rock samples.
Arcgis_mdi Mineral deposits and occurrences.
Arcgis_MNDM_twp Township fabric developed by the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
Arcgis_pub Location of maps and reports published by the Ontario Geological Survey

The following map services should not be added to the map as they have been developed for other internal application purposes:

SearchMap
Afri
Amis
Empty
Lgc
Mdi
Pub

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When I am creating a search area by feature, I get an error

When I am creating a search area by feature, I get an error message saying "No Feature is selected."

You must click on an area of the map that has the given layer. If you click on an area that doesn't contain a feature you will receive the error message.

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Why is my search result missing records?

Currently, there are some issues with the structure of queries on GeologyOntario. We are working to resolve these.

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When I use Sort by Area, my search results don't seem to be in order.

Queries can be performed and the results can be sorted by the size of the area that the report covers. This function was implemented since many publications cover the entire province and end up in the results of queries assigned to specific areas. This function puts these files at the end of the results allowing users to concentrate on results that cover smaller geographic areas or are more specific to the area that they are searching.

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How do I use the Find a Place option?

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Clicking on the 'Find a Place' button opens a new window where you perform on search on a particular area within Ontario. The window looks like the following:

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Figure 2: Find a Place Details

There are many options available in the 'What do you want to find' drop down list.

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The available options are:

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What are the different optionsusing the Find a Place option?

What is the difference between the different options available in the What do you want to find field when using the Find a Place option?

Place

Choose this when you are searching for a place within Ontario. A place can be, but is not limited to, a city, a lake, the name of an area etc.

If you are looking for a specific place, perform the following steps:

A list of all places matching the place name appears in the dialog window.

Latitude/Longitude

You can also find a place by entering latitude and longitude coordinates. To specify the latitude and longitude coordinates of a place, perform the following steps:

Township

Choose this when you want to search for a specific township within Ontario.

Mining Division

Choose this when you want to search for a specific Mining Division in Ontario.

Resident Geologist District

Choose this when you want to search for a specific Resident Geologist District within Ontario.

NTS Area No.

Choose this when you know the NTS area No. of a location within Ontario.

G Plan

Choose this when you know a G Plan number that you want to search for. G Plan numbers represent certain areas within Ontario.

UTM (The Universal Transverse Mercator)

Choose this when you want to search for an exact UTM coordinate within Ontario.

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Figure 3: Find a Place Returned Search Results

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How does each query method work?

Exact Match

Exact Match will return only the results that match exactly what you entered in the text box. Select 'Exact Match' from the drop down box and enter the known value into the adjacent text box; for example, in OGS Publications you might enter "P1864"; in the Publication Number field. This query will return results for the publication that is an exact match to the publication number you entered into the text box.

Begins With

Begins With will return only the results that begin with the value you entered in the text box. For example, if you know the first few letters of a township, you would select 'Begins With' from the drop down box and enter the first few characters of the township or area name into the adjacent text box (i.e. "abb" or "abbot" or "abbotsford"). This will limit the search to townships or areas that begin with abb or abbot or abbotsford, depending on the selection.

Contains

Selecting 'Contains' from the drop down box will return only the results that contain, somewhere in your search criteria, the value you entered in the text box. For example, if you know a portion of an Assessment File number, select 'Contains' from the drop down box and enter a portion of the AFRI number you wish to search on. (i.e. "1k09"). This will limit the search to files which contain 1k09 as part of the file number. An example of AFRI files returned would be: 41K09NE0001, 41K09SW9502 etc.

Pick List (or)

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Selecting 'Pick List (or)' from the drop down box will bring up a new window with a list of available values. To select multiple values from the list hold down the "Ctrl key while selecting your values. There is an implied "OR" between values, meaning that if multiple values are selected, the search will include value 1 OR value 2 OR value 3, etc. For example, if you are searching for files within the Abbot or Haines townships, you would pick both Abbot and Haines from the list while holding down 'Ctrl'; your search will be limited to only those files from either the Abbot OR the Haines townships.

Any Word (or)

Selecting 'Any Word (or)' from the drop down box will allow you to enter known words into the text box. For example, if you choose Any Word (or) for the publication title search criteria, you might enter "corundum canoe"). There is an implied "OR" between words. This will limit the search to publications that contain the word "corundum" OR "canoe" in the title. Include spaces, but not punctuation.

Any Word (and)

Selecting 'Any Word (and)' from the drop down box will allow you to enter known words into the text box. For example, if you choose Any Word (and) for the publication title search criteria, you might enter "geophysical magnetic thunder bay"). There is an implied "AND" between words. This will limit the search to publications that contain all the words "geophysical" AND "magnetic" AND "thunder" AND "bay" in the title. Include spaces, but not punctuation.

Contains Word

Selecting 'Contains Word' from the drop down box will allow you to enter a word into the adjacent text box. For example, if you want to search for a publication with a title that contains a certain word, you can enter that word in the text box (i.e. "geophysical"). This will limit the search to publications that contain the word "geophysical" anywhere within the title. An example of a returned title would be "Geophysical work at Steeprock Lake, 1938-39" or "Ontario Airborne Geophysical Surveys, Magnetic Data, Kapuskasing-Chapleau Area".

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When I use year in the search, is the search inclusive or exclusive?

The search is inclusive. When you search a range of years (i.e. "1990" to "1995"), your search result will include all files created in both 1990 and 1995 and all the years in between.

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If you wish to search on a single year, simply enter that given year in both the "FROM" and "TO" fields. For example, entering "1991" in both the FROM and TO fields will return only those files created in 1991.

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difference between the Assessment Files and Reports of Work options

A number of files within the AFRI database are Report of Work files only; that is they contain the Mining Lands Report of Work document only and not any technical data such as maps or reports. Report of Work files are differentiated from Assessment Files by the use of a 5000-series AFRI file number such as 52N04SE5001.

To ensure that you find all relevant information about work done in a specific area it's recommended that you use the "both" option when searching for Assessment Files.

However, keep in mind that performing a query based on "both" in conjunction with a spatial query will not return accurate results as the Report of Work files do not have any spatial reference or polygon tied to them.

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How do I view the actual file or publication I am searching for?

Once you've entered all your search criteria, click the search button at the bottom of the page. This will bring up a new page with your search results. Each file listed will have several lines of information pertaining to that given file. The options you have at this point depend on what database you are searching on.

In AFRI:

The top line (should be the file name) is underlined. This is a link to the given file. Click on the link and the file will open and be available for you to read.

Note: All files are subject to a disclaimer that you must read and agree to before being able to view the files.

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You are also given several options at the bottom of each result:

Clicking on the 'View AFRI Directory' option will open a new window displaying the contents of AFRI directory which includes file size. Clicking on the filename will open the AFRI file.

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>Clicking the 'View AFRI file' option will open the file in a new window.

Clicking the 'View AFRI Index' will open a new window displaying the metadata caption for that file. Under General Information, click on the AFRI number to view the file.

The View Map button launches the map viewer that shows the geographic extent of the file.

In OGS Publications (OGS PUBS):

In order to view the publication file, you must click either 'View Pub Directory', 'View Publication', or the 'View Details' option.

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Clicking the 'View Pub Directory' option will open a new window displaying the Publication Directory. Click on the file name to view the file.

Clicking the 'View Publication' option will open the file in a new window.

Clicking the 'View Details' option will open a new window with the details of the file. Under Content Citation, click the link next to Content Title to view the file.

In the Mineral Deposits Inventory (MDI):

When your search results are displayed, click the 'View Details' option at the bottom of the result you wish to view; this will open a new window displaying the details of that deposit.

In Lithogeochemistry (LGC):

When your search results are displayed, click the 'View Details' option at the bottom of the result you wish to view; this will open a new window displaying the details of that result.

In the Drill Hole Database:

When your search results are displayed, click the 'View Details' option at the bottom of the result you wish to view; this will open a new window displaying the details of that drill hole. The details also contain a link to the related AFRI file.

In the Abandoned Mines Information System (AMIS):

When your search results are displayed, click the 'View Details' option at the bottom of the result you wish to view; this will open a new window displaying the details of that mine. The details also contain links to related old and new MDI numbers.

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I am not getting the correct Search results.

When I am searching for an OGS Publication file I am not getting the correct results.

There is an issue regarding punctuation in the searching criteria. For example, if you are searching for the publication series "Map, A Series" you will get results for any publication series containing "Map" in the name as well as "A Series". The comma in the search is the root of the issue; however, removing it results in a new set of unexpected search results. We are currently working towards a solution to the issue and hope to have it resolved as soon as possible.

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How do I search the text content of OGS Publication PDF files?

When you choose to search the text content of the OGS Publication PDF files, you are given the following search interface:

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This interface allows for "free-text" searching which allows you to enter text that you believe to be found somewhere in the PDF document. Once you have chosen what text to search for, you can select the searching method. From the drop down list you have 4 options: any of the words, all of the words, the exact phrase, and Boolean.

(See What is the difference between an All Words, Any Words, Exact Phrase, and Boolean search?) The free-text search also provides a number of search features.
(See How do I create powerful text searches?)

Then you can select how many results you would like to list per page. Select the number from the drop down box. You also have the option of selecting how you want to sort your results. From the Sort Type drop down box you have the following options: hits, date, name, or size.

Once you have completed the form, click the search button. Your results are displayed in the same frame on the left side of the page.

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(See When searching the PDF file text content, how do I view the PDF document that I am searching for?)

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How do I search the text content of Assessment File PDF files?

Searching the text content of the Assessment File PDF documents works the same as for the OGS Publication files. The only difference is the searching interface.

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This search interface provides the ability to search for text within an AFRI file PDF document. The "free-text" searching can be combined with searches against data associated to the AFRI file. For example, you can use "Diamond" as a search term while entering "Southeastern Ontario" as the Resident Geologist District and "Moore" as the Author. That particular search would return all documents that contain the text "Diamond" where the Resident Geologist District is Southern Ontario and the Author of the AFRI file has the last name Moore. As you can see the interface provides a powerful means of fine tuning searches to achieve specifc results. The free-text search also provides a number of search features. (See How do I create powerful text searches?)

In addition to the detailed help, look for the question mark ( This question mark will display explanations and tips associated to the element that it is beside.) symbols beside form elements which will give brief explanations and tips on using the element within a search.

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Once the information is entered in the form select the searching method (See What is the difference between an All Words, Any Words, Exact Phrase, and Boolean search?), items per page, the sort type, and click the search button just as you would with the OGS Publication PDF search.

Your results are displayed in the same frame on the left of the page. (See When searching the PDF file text content,how do I view the PDF document that I am searching for?)

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All Words, Any Words, Exact Phrase, and Boolean search

What is the difference between an All Words, Any Words, Exact Phrase, and Boolean search?

An any words search is any sequence of text, like a sentence or a question. In an any words search, use quotation marks around phrases, put + in front of any word or phrase that is required, and - in front of a word or phrase to exclude it. Examples:

banana pear "apple pie"

"apple pie" -salad + "ice cream"

An all words search is like an any words search, except that all of the terms have to be found in a document.

Choosing the exact phrase search requires that all search results must include all the words entered in the search and in the exact order they were entered.

A boolean search request consists of a group of words or phrases linked by connectors such as and and or that indicate the relationship between them. Examples:

apple and pear Both words must be present
apple or pear Either word can be present
apple w/5 pear Apple must occur within 5 words of pear
apple not w/5 pear Apple must not occur within 5 words of pear
apple and not pear Only apple must be present
author contains smith The field author must contain smith

If you use more than one connector, you should use parentheses to indicate precisely what you want to search for. For example, apple and pear or orange juice could mean (apple and pear) or orange, or it could mean apple and (pear or orange).

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how do I view the PDF document that I am searching for?

Once you click the search button your results are displayed in the same window.

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Each result has a link to the related PDF file. Click this link to view that particular document. The document is displayed in the right frame of the page.

NOTE: Each document is subject to a disclaimer that you must agree to before viewing the file.

At the top of the right frame, there is a button bar with three buttons: Prev Doc, Next Doc, and Help.

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When viewing documents, you can simply click the 'Prev Doc' button to view the previous document, or click the 'Next Doc' button to view the next document. The 'help' button will bring up a new window with detailed help on searching the text content of the PDF files.

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How do I create powerful text searches?

The text search engine on GeologyOntario allows for simple natural language queries or more powerful "text mining" Boolean queries.

A natural language query can be as simple as typing in a word or name and pressing search.

The logic of querying:

As an example, consider that we are looking for the occurrences of the term "visible gold" in the GeologyOntario assessment files.

If the phrase visible gold is input and the query type is set to "all of the words", then only those documents containing both of the words visible and gold will be returned.

If the phrase visible gold is input and the query type is set to "any of the words", then only those documents containing both of the words visible and gold will be returned. Keep in mind that in this case, the occurrences of visible and gold can be many pages apart.

If the phrase visible gold is input and the query type is set to "the exact phrase", then only those documents containing the actual phrase "visible gold" will be returned.

Boolean query logic allows for more powerful searching and includes functions such as and, or, w/#, not w/#, and not, contains, etc. How these functions work is described in the table below:

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Using the above functions we can now build a more powerful search with the logic as follows:

The first question to ask oneself is whether or not you are looking only for visible gold. Often, visible gold may be described as native gold. If you are looking for occurrences of both native and visible gold then the simplest Boolean query to use is:

visible gold or native gold

However, this type of query will also return results such as "no visible gold" which is a common description in reverse circulation drilling logs. Also, none of the following will be returned:

So the query can be further revised to remove some of the occurrences of "no visible gold" as follows:

(visible gold or native gold) not w/5 no

Simply translated, this query is asking for all the occurrences of visible gold or native gold that are not within five words of the word "no". Note that this query does not return results like visible coarse gold, native fine-grained gold, etc. To accomplish this we need to add additional logic as follows:

(visible pre/3 gold) or (native pre/3 gold) not w/5 no

What this query is saying is show all the occurrences where visible or native is within 3 words before the word gold and not within 5 words of the word no.

Boolean queries offer the ability to text mine the content of documents which may help you to pinpoint exactly what you are looking for. For instance, you may only be interested in visible gold that is associated with quartz.

(visible pre/3 gold w/5 quartz) or (native pre/3 gold w/5 quartz) not w/5 no

The above query will provide occurrences of visible or native gold that has been found within five words of the word quartz. Tweaking of these queries is a an effective way to locate very specific occurrences of desired terms within the assessment and publication files.

Note: The original conversion of the scanned images to text recognizable documents is not flawless and as result not all occurrences may be identified. Furthermore, trying to eliminate the term "no visible gold" may not always work as the word "no" may not have been originally recognized in the text recognition process so don't be surprised if you see some occurrences of "no visible gold" as the vast majority will have been filtered out. A simple way to check is to copy and paste results from documents into a text editor or word processor to see how exactly a document has been recognized. Also, performing an internet search on "Boolean tutorial" will provide additional help with structuring Boolean queries.

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How come, in the text search window, the PDF document doesn't open?

Sometimes, the adobe (standard or professional) or acrobat reader plugin for internet explorer hangs and documents will not open. A simple way to resolve this is to open up the Windows Task Manager by right clicking on the task bar and selecting Task Manager. Ending either the acrobat.exe process or the acrord32.exe process will usually allow you to open a pdf document once again.

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I am experiencing problems downloading files.

Sometimes when downloading files from GeologyOntario, the download may timeout.

If you are experiencing problems downloading files and data from GeologyOntario, downloading a download manager may resolve the issue.

To obtain a download manager:

You may also try the Free Download Manager available for download at http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/

NOTE: The Ministry of Northern Development and Mines does not recommend or support third party software and is not responsible for any issues that may arise from the use of such software.

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