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LASL: Newcastle Quadrangle
Totals of 1,226 sediment and 533 water samples were collected by contractors from the Newcastle quadrangle during August - November of 1977 as part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Newcastle Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. LASL analyzed each water sample for uranium and each sediment sample for uranium and up to 42 additional elements. The data were released as the Newcastle Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-187(80) report.

LASL: Southern Powder River Basin Detailed Study
In June of 1979, LASL collected 946 ground-water samples from parts of the Arminto, Newcastle, and Torrington quadrangles for a detailed study of the Southern Powder River Basin. A total of 601 samples were collected within the Newcastle quadrangle. Samples were specifically collected from areas that are "adjacent to or underlain by the Eocene Wasatch and Fort Union formations." These formations are the principle host rocks for several uranium mining districts in the Powder River Basin. The water samples were analyzed for uranium and the data were released in the Southern Powder River Basin Detailed Study GJBX-174(81) report.

ORGDP: Edgemont Detailed Study
During August of 1979, a total of 419 stream-sediment samples and 109 ground-water samples from the Hot Springs and Newcastle quadrangles were collected under contract by personnel from the South Dakota Geological Survey for a detailed study of the Edgemont uranium district. Of these, 18 sediment and 28 water samples were collected in the Newcastle quadrangle. These samples were analyzed for uranium and additional elements by the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) for uranium and other elements and the analytical data were released as the ORGDP Edgemont Detailed Study GJBX-133(80) report. An interpretation of these data was also published as the Edgemont Study Supplement I GJBX-230(81) report.

Summary Tables
The following is a list of sample types collected for all NURE studies in the Newcastle quadrangle.

These Newcastle quadrangle samples were analyzed by one or more of the following methods:

Sediment Samples

• LA1: Los Alamos Delayed-Neutron Counting Analysis of sediments for U.
• LA2: Los Alamos Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of sediments for Ag, Bi, Cd, Cu, Nb, Ni, Pb, Sn, and W.
• LA4: Los Alamos Arc-Source Emission Spectrography Analysis of sediments for Be and Li.
• LA5: Los Alamos Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for Al, Au, Ba, Ca, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Dy, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Lu, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, Ti, V, Yb, and Zn.
• OR1: Oak Ridge Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of sediments for U.
• OR2: Oak Ridge Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for U.
• OR7: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of sediments for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Sc, Sr, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.
• OR8: Oak Ridge Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of sediments for As and Se.

Water Samples

• LA6-DN: Los Alamos Delayed-Neutron Counting Analysis of waters for U.
• LA6-FL: Los Alamos Fluorometry Analysis of waters for U.
• OR9-FL: Oak Ridge Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of waters for U.
• OR13: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of waters for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Sc, Si, Sr, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr. (Note: Nb and Th may be included in this method.)
• OR16: Oak Ridge Anion Optical Absorption (Technicon AutoAnalyzer) Analysis of waters for Cl and Sulfate.
• OR17: Oak Ridge Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of waters for As and Se.

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Newcastle Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Newcastle quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted records from the Newcastle Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-187(80) report plus reformatted records from the ORGDP Edgemont Detailed Study GJBX-133(80) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Newcastle quadrangle sediment data:

1. During the NURE sample collection phase, LASL sites and samples were initially assigned a 6-digit integer Identification Number (LASLID) starting with 000001. After 1977, most LASL sites were reassigned a new 1-letter+5-digit Identification Number starting with A00001. All LASL samples and the early LASL reports use the 6-digit integer LASLID. Most of the later reports only use the 1-letter+5-digit LASLID. Although both sets of numbers were usually assigned sequentially, they do not correspond one to one with each other: 100001 does not equal C00001, etc. Whenever possible, the 1-letter+5-digit LASL Identification Number was saved in the LASLID field. When the corresponding 6-digit site number could be determined from sample number translation key lists or other sources, this Identification Number was saved in the SITE field.
2. A LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Newcastle quadrangle sediment samples. The 1-letter+5-digit LASL Identification Number was saved in the LASLID field and the corresponding 6-digit site number was manually added to the SITE field. Therefore, the LASLID field contains the Identification Number found in the Newcastle Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-187(80) report. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
3. Two sediment sample records contained values for the well pump type(WELLPUMP), well diameter(WELLDIAM), well depth(WELLDPTH), or well water depth(WWTRDPTH). These parameters were not normally recorded for sediment sample records. The values were removed from each record and added as a comment to the corresponding REFORMAT field.
4. One sediment record with a STATE value of 'SD' had coordinates that plotted in Wyoming. This STATE value was changed and a comment was added to the REFORMAT field.

Water Records
The Newcastle quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the Newcastle Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-187(80) report plus reformatted records from the LASL Southern Powder River Basin Detailed Study GJBX-174(81) and the ORGDP Edgemont Detailed Study GJBX-133(80) reports. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Newcastle quadrangle water data:

1. A LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Newcastle quadrangle water samples. The 1-letter+5-digit LASL Identification Number was saved in the LASLID field and the corresponding 6-digit site number was manually added to the SITE field. Therefore, the LASLID field contains the Identification Number found in the Newcastle Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-187(80) report. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
2. No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the LASL Southern Powder River Basin Detailed Study water samples. The 6-digit LASL Identification Number found in LASLID was also added to the SITE field. Therefore, the value found in the LASLID and SITE fields is same LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers as well as the value published in LASL Southern Powder River Basin Detailed Study GJBX-174(81) report.
3. Forty-two water samples in this quadrangle share the same latitude-longitude coordinates with one other sample (21 distinct coordinate sites). These appear to be sites collected during Newcastle quadrangle study that were resampled during the LASL Southern Powder River Basin detailed study. A comment in the COORDPRB field identifies each of these pairs.
4. One water record with a STATE value of 'WY' had coordinates that plotted in South Dakota. This STATE value was changed and a comment was added to the REFORMAT field.
5. One water sample record contained an invalid value in the water color(WTRCOLR) field. This value was likely miscoded or entered incorrectly. The correct value was not found. This value was removed from the field and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field for the record.
6. An unlikely sample collection date was found for one sample. This date was removed from the SAMPDAT field and the original SAMPDAT value with the most likely correct value was added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.

Download The Data

The NURE HSSR data are now available online in two databases: The sediment database (also includes data for soils and some rocks) at http://tin.er.usgs.gov/nure/sediment/ and the water database at http://tin.er.usgs.gov/nure/water/. From these two web sites, NURE HSSR data can be selected, examined, summarized, and downloaded by political boundaries (State and County), by quadrangle (1:250,000-scale, 1:100,000-scale, and 1:63,360-scale for Alaska or 1:24,000-scale for the Lower 48 States), and by hydrologic unit (drainage region, subregion, river basin, or sub-basin). Selected data can be downloaded as a dBase file, a shapefile, an HTML table, or ASCII text (tab- or comma-delimited).

Newcastle Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,244 records
Newcastle Quadrangle Water Data - 1,162 records

Notes for Data Users

Apparently, no Newcastle quadrangle samples were collected within the Bill 15' quadrangle (43° to 43.25°N latitude, 105.25° to 105.5°W longitude).

The ORGDP Edgemont Detailed Study water samples were reportedly collected in the field without any filtering or acidification. (See the SAMPTYP coding explanation in the On-Line Manual for USGS-Reformatted NURE HSSR Data Files for descriptions of different Sample Types). However, the samples were filtered later in the laboratory through a 0.45 micron membrane filter before analysis. Therefore, the samples were not true "untreated water" samples and the analytical data may not be directly comparable for other quadrangle water samples of the same SAMPTYP when collected by a different laboratory. Since this was the standard procedure for Oak Ridge, water data from other Oak Ridge quadrangles should be comparable. The water samples collected for the LASL studies were filtered and acidified in the field before being transported to the lab.

For the ORGDP Edgemont Detailed Study, latitude-longitude coordinates were reported in the original data files as decimal degrees to only 3 decimal places. Therefore, the precision of these coordinates is limited to +/- 0.001 degrees or +/- 3.6 seconds. This translates to a minimum precision of +/- 365 feet (111 m) for latitude values and between +/- 280 feet (85 m) to +/- 259 feet (79 m) for longitude values (calculated at latitudes of 40° and 45°N, respectively.)

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Newcastle Quadrangle

Newcastle Quadrangle NURE Summary
The U.S. Geological Survey produced a summary evaluation report for the Newcastle quadrangle [PGJ/F-008(82)]. During this evaluation an additional 348 stream sediment samples, 130 ground water samples, and 2 surface water samples were collected and analyzed for U and other elements. These data were released only as appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report.

Uranium Anomalies in Wyoming
The Bendix Field Engineering Corporation identified and ranked 269 uranium anomalies from 23 quadrangles in and adjacent to Wyoming. These anomalies were based on an evaluation of the NURE HSSR data, aerial radiometric reconnaissance surveys, and to a lesser extent, geologic evaluations. This report [GJBX-3(83)] lists 9 uranium anomalies that were identified in the Newcastle quadrangle. No additional geochemical data accompany this report.

Newcastle Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• Butz, T.R., Dean, N.E., Bard, C.S., Helgerson, R.N., Grimes, J.G., and Pritz, P.M., 1980, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment detailed geochemical survey for Edgemont, South Dakota; Wyoming: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-38, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-133(80), 165 p.
• Butz, T.R., Dean, N.E., Bard, C.S., Helgerson, R.N., Grimes, J.G., Pritz, P.M., and Wolf, D.A., 1981, Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Detailed Survey for Edgemont, South Dakota; Wyoming: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-38 Supplement I, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-230(81), 38 p.
• Goeff, S.J., Sandoval, W.F., Gallimore, D.L., Tallcott, C.L., Martinez, R.G., Minor, M.M., and Mills, C.F., 1980, Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance for the Newcastle NTMS quadrangle, Wyoming, including concentrations of forty-two additional elements: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory informal report LA-8004-MS, Los Alamos, N.M., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-187(80), 147 p.
• Goodknight, C.S., Ludlam, J.R., Burger, J.A., Dickson, R.E., Dayvault, R.D., Dexter, J.J., and Anderson, J.R., 1982, Uranium anomalies in Wyoming and parts of adjacent states: U.S. Department of Energy, Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-3(83), 11 p.
• Purson, J.D., Sandoval, W.F., Minor, M.M., and Mills. C.F., 1981, Detailed Uranium Hydrogeochemical Survey of Ground Water from the Southern Powder River Basin Special Study Area, Wyoming: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory informal report LA-8485-MS, Los Alamos, N.M., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-174(81), 32 p.
• Santos, E.S., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Newcastle quadrangle, Wyoming and South Dakota, with a section on Interpretation of U.S. Geological Survey Stream-Sediment and Hydrochemical Data by Robinson, Keith, Geer, K.A., and Blattspieler, J.G.: U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-008(82), 47 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Wyoming NURE data
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Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE HSSR Data
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Page written by Steven M. Smith (smsmith@usgs.gov)
Version 1.10: July 29, 1999
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