Retrospective analysis of element concentrations in bed-sediment samples was conducted for the Yellowstone River Basin NAWQA study unit. Element concentrations in samples collected during 1974-79 for the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Program were statistically analyzed and summarized for 50 elements. Summary statistics, categorized by geologic setting or ecoregion, also were calculated for 25 elements used in the factor analysis. Baseline concentrations of elements were determined in bed-sediment samples from volcanic rocks of Quaternary age (Yellowstone Plateau), volcanic rocks of Cretaceous and Tertiary age (Absaroka volcanic field), sedimentary rocks of Tertiary age in the Wyoming Basin ecoregion, sedimentary rocks of Tertiary age outside of the Wyoming Basin ecoregion, sedimentary rocks of Cretaceous age, sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age, crystalline rocks of Precambrian age in the Beartooth Mountains, and crystalline rocks of Precambrian age outside the Beartooth Mountains.
Factor analysis indicated three geochemically distinct types of source rocks: factor 1, basaltic rocks, factor 2, granitic rocks, and factor 3, carbonate rocks. Factor 1 correlated with scandium, iron, cobalt, vanadium, chromium, aluminum, nickel, manganese, copper, titanium, sodium, barium, strontium, and zinc. Scores for the basaltic-rocks factor were highest in samples collected from volcanic rocks of Cretaceous to Tertiary age (Absaroka volcanic field) and crystalline rocks of Precambrian age in the Beartooth Mountains. Factor 2 correlated with thorium, lanthanum, cerium, beryllium, hafnium, uranium, and potassium. Scores for the granitic-rocks factor were highest for volcanic rocks of Quaternary age (Yellowstone Plateau) and were intermediate for crystalline rocks of Precambrian age in and outside of the Beartooth Mountains, and sedimentary rocks of Tertiary age in the Wyoming Basin ecoregion. Factor 3 correlated positively with magnesium and calcium. Strontium had the third strongest positive correlation with the carbonate-rocks factor, and lead was negatively correlated. Scores for the carbonate-rocks factor were highest in samples collected from sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age and volcanic rocks of Tertiary and Cretaceous age.
The use of factor analysis also revealed element associations that were not readily apparent from exploratory data analysis. For example, factor analysis indicated element concentrations in bed-sediment samples from sedimentary rocks of Tertiary age in the Wyoming Basin ecoregion are significantly different from concentrations in samples collected from the same type of rocks in the Northwestern Great Plains ecoregion. The factor analysis also indicated association of aluminum, barium, strontium, and sodium with period-4 elements in the basaltic-rocks factor that were not expected on the basis of either the concentrations of elements for rock types from the literature or from elemental properties.
A small percentage of the samples had chromium, copper, lead, nickel, or zinc concentrations that exceeded sediment-quality assessment values for the protection of aquatic life. The highest concentrations of chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc tended to be located in the western part of the study unit, in areas of crystalline rocks of Precambrian age and volcanic rocks of Tertiary and Cretaceous age.
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