ALASKA GEOCHEMICAL DATABASE (AGDB)—GEOCHEMICAL DATA FOR ROCK, SEDIMENT, SOIL, MINERAL, AND CONCENTRATE SAMPLE MEDIA By Matthew Granitto, Elizabeth A. Bailey, Jeanine M. Schmidt, Nora B. Shew, Bruce M. Gamble, and Keith A. Labay 2011 U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 637 ABSTRACT The Alaska Geochemical Database (AGDB) was created and designed to compile and integrate geochemical data from Alaska in order to facilitate geologic mapping, petrologic studies, mineral resource assessments, definition of geochemical baseline values and statistics, environmental impact assessments, and studies in medical geology. This Microsoft Access database serves as a data archive in support of present and future Alaskan geologic and geochemical projects, and contains data tables describing historical and new quantitative and qualitative geochemical analyses. The analytical results were determined by 85 laboratory and field analytical methods on 264,095 rock, sediment, soil, mineral, and heavy-mineral concentrate samples. Most samples were collected by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel and analyzed in USGS laboratories or, under contracts, in commercial analytical laboratories. These data represent analyses of samples collected as part of various USGS programs and projects from 1962 to 2009. In addition, mineralogical data from 18,138 nonmagnetic heavy mineral concentrate samples are included in this database. The AGDB includes historical geochemical data originally archived in the USGS Rock Analysis Storage System (RASS) database, used from the mid-1960s through the late 1980s and the USGS PLUTO database used from the mid-1970s through the mid-1990s. All of these data are currently maintained in the Oracle-based National Geochemical Database (NGDB). Retrievals from the NGDB were used to generate most of the AGDB data set. These data were checked for accuracy regarding sample location, sample media type, and analytical methods used. This arduous process of reviewing, verifying and, where necessary, editing all USGS geochemical data resulted in a significantly improved Alaska geochemical dataset. USGS data that were not previously in the NGDB because the data predate the earliest USGS geochemical databases, or were once excluded for programmatic reasons, are included here in the AGDB and will be added to the NGDB. The AGDB data provided here are the most accurate and complete to date, and should be useful for a wide variety of geochemical studies. The AGDB data provided in the linked database may be updated or changed periodically. The data on the DVD and in the data downloads provided with this report are current as of date of publication. DISCLAIMERS This database, identified as DS 637, has been approved for release and publication by the Director of the USGS. Although this database has been subjected to rigorous review and is substantially complete, the USGS reserves the right to revise the data pursuant to further analysis and review. Furthermore, it is released on condition that neither the USGS nor the United States Government may be held liable for any damages resulting from its authorized or unauthorized use. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty, expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system, or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute such warranty. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. Any use of trade, product or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also contains copyrighted material as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items for other than personal use must be secured from the copyright owner. These data are released on the condition that neither the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) nor the United States Government may be held liable for any damages resulting from authorized or unauthorized use. The USGS provides these data "as is" and makes no guarantee or warranty concerning the accuracy of information contained in the data. The USGS further makes no warranties, either expressed or implied as to any other matter, whatsoever, including, without limitation, the condition of the product, or its fitness for any particular purpose. The burden for determining fitness for use lies entirely with the user. CONTENTS 00Readme.txt DS637_pamphlet DS637_metadata(.txt/html./html.faq/xml) Data Files: AGDB_DS637_txt — AGDB dataset as ASCII text files AGDB_DS637_xls — AGDB dataset as Excel files Access 2003 AGDB.mdb – AGDB database as the first of two linked databases on the field LAB_ID AGDB_Chem.mdb – AGDB database as the second of two linked databases in the field LAB_ID Access 2010 AGDB.accdb — AGDB database as the first of two linked databases on the field LAB_ID AGDB_Chem.accdb — AGDB database as the second of two linked databases in the field LAB_ID HOW TO OBTAIN THE DIGITAL FILES The digital files constituting the database for this report can be obtained via the Internet from the U.S.Geological Survey publications website. Go to the web page at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/637/ and follow the directions to download the files. Files are also available on DVD. To order, go to the USGS Store at: http://store.usgs.gov/. The pamphlet is a Portable Document Format (.pdf) map, which requires Adobe Acrobat for viewing. Acrobat software runs on a variety of systems, and is available for download free of charge from Adobe at http://www.adobe.com. The databases run on Access 2000, 2003, 2007 and 2010. A free snapshot viewer may be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=13911.