Chemical and isotopic database of water and gas from hydrothermal systems with an emphasis for the western United States

Chemical and isotope data accumulated by two USGS Projects (led by I. Barnes and R. Mariner) over a time period of about 40 years can now be found using a basic web search or through an image search (left). The data are primarily chemical and isotopic analyses of waters (thermal, mineral, or fresh) and associated gas (free and/or dissolved) collected from hot springs, mineral springs, cold springs, geothermal wells, fumaroles, and gas seeps. Additional information is available about the collection methods and analysis procedures.

The chemical and isotope data are stored in a MySQL database and accessed using PHP from a basic search form below. Data can also be accessed using an Open Source GIS called WorldKit by clicking on the image to the left. Additional information is available about WorldKit including the files used to set up the site.

Systems requirements: Standard web browser. The search from the image page requires flash.

Database Contents

Site data - Name, State, County, Longitude (Deg, Min, Sec), Latitude (Deg, Min, Sec), Township, Range, Section, Qtr section, Date collected, Map datum, and Sample collector. Location data are of variable quality. Sites with locations given to degrees, minutes, and seconds are considered most accurate, sites with locations given to degrees and minutes are less accurate, and sites with locations given only to decimal degrees are approximate.
Basic data - T°C, pH_field, pH_lab, spec_cond_field (µS), spec_cond_lab (µS), dissolved solids (mg/L), discharge (gallons per minute).
Major dissolved constituents in mg/L - Ca, Mg, Na, K, Li, SiO₂, alkalinity_field, alkalinity_lab, Cl, F, SO₄, cation_total, anion_total, charge balance (in %). Alkalinity is reported as bicarbonate (HCO₃).
Minor dissolved constituents in mg/L - B, Br, Fe, H, H₂S _field, H₂S_lab, I, Mn, NH₄ (as N), NO_{3 field}, NO_{3 lab}, NO_{2 field}, NO_{2 lab} , OH, PO₄ (as P), Rb, Sr.
Trace elements in mg/L - Ag, Al_monomeric, Al_total, As, Au, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, S, Sb, Se, U, Zn.
Gas composition(free gas bubbles, gas seeps, fumaroles, and steam wells) in volume percent - Ar, O₂ + Ar, O₂, N₂, CO₂, CO, CH₄, C₂H₆, H₂S, He, H₂, NH₃, SO₂, Total free gas.
Gas composition (dissolved gas) in micromoles gas per kilogram of water - Ar, O₂, N₂, CH₄, CO₂, He, H₂.
Water Isotopes - δD, δ¹⁸O, tritium. The isotope compositions of oxygen and hydrogen in a sample are expressed as per mil differences relative to standard mean ocean water (SMOW). Tritium concentrations are reported in tritium units (TU).
Isotopes (dissolved constituents, minerals, and rocks) δ¹³C_{total dissolved}, δ¹⁸O _sulfate, δ¹³C_{mineral carbonate}, δ¹⁸O_{mineral sulfate}, ¹⁴C, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_diss., ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_rock, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_diss., ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_rock, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_diss., ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_rock. The isotope composition of carbon in the sample is expressed as per mil differences relative to PDB. The isotope composition of oxygen in the samples is reported in per differences relative to SMOW. Strontium and lead values are isotope ratios. The denominator in both the strontium and lead values is a stable isotope that is not produced by decay of any other naturally occurring isotope. 14C values are reported as % modern carbon.
Isotopes (free gas) - δ¹³C of CO₂, δ¹⁸O of CO₂, δ¹⁵N of N₂, δ¹³C of CH₄, ³He/⁴He. Nitrogen isotope compositions are reported in per mil notation relative to the ¹⁵N/¹⁴N value of air. ³He/⁴He values are reported as R/R_a.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the chemists and laboratory technicians who produced the chemical, gas, and isotope values listed in the accompanying tables. Water analyses are principally the work of T.S. Presser, W.C. Evans, M. Huebner, J.B. Rapp, and L.M. Wiley. Gas analyses are principally by W.C. Evans with the earlier analyses by J.B. Rapp. Hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and stable carbon isotope analyses are principally the work of L.D. White either in the Jim O'Neil USGS Laboratory in Menlo Park or the Ivan Barnes USGS Laboratory in Menlo Park. Samples for oxygen isotopes of sulfate were prepared by Cathy Janik and run by L.D. White. A few samples for hydrogen and oxygen isotopes on water were run in the Tyler Coplen USGS Laboratory in Reston, Virginia. Lead and strontium isotope analyses were run by Tom Bullen and John Fitzpatrick in the USGS Water Resources Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory in Menlo Park. Helium isotope values were run by Thijs van Soest or Mack Kennedy in Lawerence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California. Tritium analyses are by Bob Michaels in the Carol Kendall USGS Isotope Laboratory in Menlo Park, CA or the Denver, CO USGS Tritium Laboratory.