OFR 97-492: Shishmaref Quadrangle NURE HSSR Study
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[See History of NURE HSSR Program for a summary of the entire program.]
Geochemical samples were collected during July and August of 1976 as part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study of the northern Seward Peninsula and vicinity. Totals of 1,251 sediment and 1,336 water samples were collected from 1,356 locations within the Shishmaref, Kotzebue, and Selawik quadrangles and in the western third of the Shungnak quadrangle. All of the samples were analyzed for uranium and the results were published in the Northern Seward Peninsula and vicinity GJBX-86(78) report. This report includes results for 93 sediment and 101 water samples collected from 101 locations within the Shishmaref quadrangle.
During 1977, the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBOM) provided funds for multielement analyses of samples taken from the areas proposed for the Chukchi Imuruk National Reserve, the Selawik National Wildlife Refuge, and the Cape Krusenstern National Monument. The areas proposed for the Chukchi Imuruk National Reserve included portions of Bendeleben, Kotzebue, Shishmaref, and Teller quadrangles. The areas proposed for the Selawik National Wildlife Refuge included portions of Selawik and Shungnak quadrangles. The areas proposed for the Cape Krusenstern National Monument were within the Noatak quadrangle. The results of the multielement analyses were released in two separate reports. In 1977, the first report released was the Proposed Cape Krusenstern National Monument GJBX-63(77) report. This report contained analytical results for 88 sediment samples and 84 water samples collected from 89 locations within the Noatak quadrangle. Included were the USBOM-funded multielement analyses of the sediments, and uranium analyses of sediment and water samples that were also released by LASL in the Noatak area GJBX-87(78) report.
In 1978, LASL released the GJBX-26(79) report. This was the second report of USBOM-funded analyses of LASL NURE samples. The report contained results for 452 sediment samples and 492 water samples from 517 locations within the proposed Chukchi Imuruk National Reserve, 423 sediment samples and 447 water samples from 451 locations within the proposed Selawik National Wildlife Refuge, and 11 sediment samples and 10 water samples from 11 locations within the proposed Cape Krusenstern National Monument. In addition to results of the USBOM-funded multielement analyses, the GJBX-26(79) report included results of uranium analyses that were also published by LASL in three other NURE data release reports. Uranium results for samples collected from Noatak quadrangle were also included in the Noatak area GJBX-87(78) report. Uranium results for samples collected from Teller and Bendeleben quadrangles were also included in the Seward Peninsula and vicinity GJBX-85(78) report. Uranium results for samples collected from Shishmaref, Kotzebue, Selawik, and Shungnak quadrangles were also included in the Northern Seward Peninsula and vicinity GJBX-86(78) report. The USBOM-funded GJBX-26(79) multielement analysis report included results for 51 sediment samples and 60 water samples collected from 60 locations from within the Shishmaref quadrangle.
In 1977, the entire NURE HSSR program changed from a study area basis (State, County, or geomorphic province) to a 1° x 2° (1° x 3° in parts of Alaska) quadrangle basis. To complete the Shishmaref quadrangle study, LASL analyzed the sediment samples from the remainder of the Shishmaref quadrangle for up to 45 additional elements. However, LASL was unable to complete the Shishmaref quadrangle data release report. The sediment and water data were sent to the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation in Grand Junction, Colorado and subsequently published as the microfiche Shishmaref Quadrangle HSSR GJBX-141(82) report. This report does not give any details on the sample collection or analytical methods used on these samples.
The following is a list of NURE sample types collected in the Shishmaref quadrangle. The actual number of records in the NEW-FORMAT NURE data files may be greater because of the multiple records needed to preserve all the data.
| Sediment Sample Type | Number of Samples | Water Sample Type | Number of Samples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet Streams | 27 | Streams | 25 |
| Dry Streams | 1 | Lakes | 76 |
| Wet Lakes | 65 | ||
| Total Sediments | 93 | Total Waters | 101 |
These Shishmaref quadrangle samples were analyzed by one or more of the following methods:
Sediment Samples
Water Samples
The data in the NEW-FORMAT NURE sediment data file consist of 93 reformatted sediment records from the Shishmaref quadrangle GJBX-141(82) report and 51 reformatted sediment records from the USBOM-funded GJBX-26(79) report. The data in the NEW-FORMAT NURE water data file consist of 101 reformatted water records from the Shishmaref quadrangle GJBX-141(82) report. Any changes in the data or problems found are noted in the REFORMAT comment field.
With the exception of the uranium data, the 93 sediment records from the earlier Northern Seward Peninsula and vicinity GJBX-86(78) study were the same as corresponding records from the later Shishmaref quadrangle GJBX-141(82) report. Uranium values from the Northern Seward Peninsula and vicinity GJBX-86(78) report were recorded to the tenths place while the corresponding values found in the later Shishmaref quadrangle GJBX-141(82) report were recorded to the hundredths place. The differences between the two values for each record are small, but are more than can reasonably be attributed to rounding or truncating. The slightly different uranium values from the Northern Seward Peninsula and vicinity report GJBX-86(78) were added to the sediment data file in the U_XX_PPM field and the addition was noted in the REFORMAT comment field.
Analytical values for the 51 sediment sample records from the USBOM-funded GJBX-26(79) report were different from the corresponding records from the Shishmaref quadrangle GJBX-141(82) report. The differences are due to the use of differing multielement analytical techniques. Consequently, 2 records were kept for each of the 51 samples released in both the USBOM-funded GJBX-26(79) report and the Shishmaref quadrangle GJBX-141(82) report.
With the exception of the uranium data, the 101 water records from the earlier Northern Seward Peninsula and vicinity GJBX-86(78) study were the same as the corresponding records from the later Shishmaref quadrangle GJBX-141(82) report. Uranium values for some records differ in the hundredths place. It appears that the uranium results were rounded to the hundredths place in the earlier Northern Seward Peninsula and vicinity GJBX-86(78) report but were truncated to the hundredths place in the later Shishmaref quadrangle GJBX-141(82) report. No explanation for the difference was found in the reports and the difference was not noted in the REFORMAT comment field. Only the records from the Shishmaref quadrangle GJBX-141(82) report were retained in the NEW-FORMAT NURE water data file. The slightly different values for uranium in waters from the Northern Seward Peninsula and vicinity study can be found in the GJBX-86(78) report.
The site description data and the uranium concentrations for the 60 water sample records from the USBOM-funded GJBX-26(79) report were the same as corresponding records from the Shishmaref quadrangle GJBX-141(82) report. To reduce the number of records, the multielement analytical results for the 60 Chukchi Imuruk National Reserve water samples from the USBOM-funded GJBX-26(79) report were combined with the corresponding records from the Shishmaref quadrangle GJBX-141(82) report. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies these records.
Values for dissolved oxygen at 47 sample sites from the Northern Seward Peninsula and vicinity study were added from the GJBX-86(78) report and can be found in the O_DISS field. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies these records.
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 websites, 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).
Shishmaref Quadrangle Sediment Data - 144 records
Shishmaref Quadrangle Water Data - 101 records
Water samples from this quadrangle are reported to have been acidified with nitric acid but NOT filtered in the field.
LASL compiled all of the regional HSSR data from Alaskan NURE studies and produced a report [GJBX-32(83] that graphically displays the distribution of selected elements for most of the State. No additional geochemical data were released with this report.
Back to Alaska NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE HSSR Data
Home Page: USGS National Geochemical Database - NURE HSSR data
Page written by Andrew W. Holt and Steven M. Smith
Contact: Steven M. Smith (smsmith@usgs.gov)
Version 1.20: August 07, 2000
Version 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.40: January 13, 2006
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