OFR 97-492: Glendive Quadrangle NURE HSSR Study

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National Geochemical Database—Reformatted Data from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) Program

By Steven M. Smith
Version 1.40 (2006)

Brief History and Description of Data

[See History of NURE HSSR Program for a summary of the entire program.]

LASL: Glendive Quadrangle
Totals of 1,102 sediment and 964 water samples were collected from the Glendive quadrangle during May 1978 as part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Glendive Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. The samples were sent to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant for uranium and multielement analyses. The analytical data were released in the Glendive Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-399(81) report.

Summary Tables
The following is a list of sample types collected for the Glendive quadrangle study.

Summary of Glendive quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type Number of Samples Water Sample Type Number of Samples
Wet Streams 386 Streams 371
Dry Streams 678 Wells 544
Wet Springs 37 Springs 49
Dry Springs 1    
Total Sediments 1,102 Total Waters 964

These Glendive quadrangle samples were analyzed by one or more of the following methods:

Sediment Samples

Water Samples



Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Glendive Quadrangle

The Glendive quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Glendive Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-399(81) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Glendive quadrangle data:

Sediment Records

  1. During the NURE sample collection phase, LASL sites and samples were initially assigned a 6-digit integer Identification Number (LASLID) starting with 000001. After 1977, most LASL sites were reassigned a new 1-letter+5-digit Identification Number starting with A00001. All LASL samples and the early LASL reports use the 6-digit integer LASLID. Most of the later reports only use the 1-letter+5-digit LASLID. Although both sets of numbers were usually assigned sequentially, they do not correspond one to one with each other: 100001 does not equal C00001, etc. Whenever possible, the 1-letter+5-digit LASL Identification Number was saved in the LASLID field. When the corresponding 6-digit site number could be determined from sample number translation key lists or other sources, this Identification Number was saved in the SITE field.
  2. No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Glendive quadrangle sediment samples. The 6-digit LASL Identification Number found in LASLID was also added to the SITE field. Therefore, the value found in the LASLID and SITE fields is same LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers as well as the value published in Glendive Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-399(81) report.
  3. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for twenty-eight samples. These dates were removed from the SAMPDAT field. For each record, the original SAMPDAT value and the most likely correct value was added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
  4. Two sediment sample records contained values for the Well Pump Type(WELLPUMP). This parameter was not normally recorded for sediment sample records. The values were removed from each record and added as a comment to the corresponding REFORMAT field.
  5. Twenty sediment records with a STATE value of 'MT' had coordinates that plotted in North Dakota. These STATE values were changed and a comment was added to the REFORMAT field for each record.

Water Records

  1. The ORGDP Laboratory apparently analyzed one stream-water sample twice. Because of overlapping data fields, it was necessary to create two data records to preserve all the data for this sample.
  2. No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Glendive quadrangle water samples. The 6-digit LASL Identification Number found in LASLID was also added to the SITE field. Therefore, the value found in the LASLID and SITE fields is same LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers as well as the value published in Glendive Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-399(81) report.
  3. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for fourteen samples. These dates were removed from the SAMPDAT field. For each record, the original SAMPDAT value and the most likely correct value was added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
  4. Nineteen water records with a STATE value of 'MT' had coordinates that plotted in North Dakota. These STATE values were changed and a comment was added to the REFORMAT field for each record.


Download The Data

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 web sites, 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).

Glendive Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,102 records
Glendive Quadrangle Water Data - 965 records



Notes for Data Users

The data in the water database includes samples collected by 2 different methods with respect to filtering and acidification (See the SAMPTYP coding explanation in the On-Line Manual for USGS-Reformatted NURE HSSR Data Files for descriptions of different Sample Types). Analytical data may not be directly comparable for water samples collected by different methods.



Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Glendive Quadrangle

None found.



Glendive Quadrangle NURE Bibliography



Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Montana NURE data
Back to North Dakota NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE HSSR Data
Home Page: USGS National Geochemical Database - NURE HSSR data



Page written by Steven M. Smith (smsmith@usgs.gov)
Version 1.00: September 11, 1998
Version 1.10: July 29, 1999
Version 1.20: August 07, 2000
Version 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006

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