ABSTRACT

During the 1960s through the 1980s, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted reconnaissance geochemical surveys of drainage basins throughout most of the Iliamna, Lake Clark, Lime Hills, and Talkeetna 1:250,000-scale quadrangles and parts of the McGrath, Seldovia, and Tyonek 1:250,000-scale quadrangles in Alaska. These geochemical surveys provide data necessary to assess the potential for undiscovered mineral resources and provide data that may be used to determine regional-scale element baselines. This report provides new data for 1,075 of the previously collected stream-sediment samples. The new analyses include a broader spectrum of elements and provide data that are more precise than the original analyses. All samples were analyzed for arsenic by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry, for gold, palladium, and platinum by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after lead button fire assay separation, and for a suite of 55 major, rare earth, and trace elements by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after sodium peroxide sinter at 450 degrees Celsius.

First posted August 20, 2010