Summary

This report presents the results of a geochemical survey of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Isla de Culebra, and Isla de Vieques as digital data files. A regional stream-sediment geochemical survey of Puerto Rico began in the early 1970's as an outgrowth of the cooperative exploration geochemical studies by the Department of Natural Resources of Puerto Rico (DNR) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on the Rio Tanama and Rio Vivi copper projects. From the early 1970's through the mid-1980's stream sediment sampling continued over a large part of the island. In 1980 a cooperative project between DNR and the USGS was started to continue the regional stream sediment sampling program and continued for several years. A total of 2560 stream sediment samples were collected during this phase of the project. In 1990 a systematic search of USGS computer records yielded a geochemical data set for the stream sediments which indicated that the geochemical sample net for the island was incomplete. In 1991 two field trips were made to Puerto Rico and an additional 292 stream sediment samples were collected and analyzed in order to complete the regional geochemical survey. The analytical results of a total of 2852 stream sediment samples are included on the floppy disk. In addition to the main island of Puerto Rico, the islands of Culebra and Vieques were sampled.

Data

The data tables (*.stp) can be converted into several formats, including DBF, DIF, and ASCII by using the program STP2DAT, authored by W.D. Grundy of the USGS.

This report contains geochemical data from 2560 stream sediment samples collected in Puerto Rico, 421 soil samples collected on Isla de Vieques, and 35 soil samples were collected on Isla de Culebra. Each rock sample was analyzed for 35 elements by semiquantitative spectrographic method and for gold and zinc by other chemical methods.

The files are as follows:

culebra.stp - binary file of chemical data for Is la de Culebra

vieques.stp - binary file of chemical data for Isla de Vieques

prnew.stp - binary file of 1991 chemical data for Puerto Rico

prold.stp - binary file of 1975-1985 chemical data for Puerto Rico

stp2dat.exe - a conversion program from "STP" data file to other commonly used data files (DBF, CMN, PST, DIF, and others)

DBF files produced from stp2dat:

culebra.dbf | vieques.dbf | prnew.dbf | prold.dbf

Posted online October 22, 2009
Originally: Chapter A -- text
Chapter B -- data