OFR 97-492: Hot Springs 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.]

ORGDP: Hot Springs Quadrangle
A total of 394 stream-sediment and 342 ground-water samples was collected from the Hot Springs quadrangle during April - June of 1979 by contracted personnel of the South Dakota Geological Survey. Within the Hot Springs quadrangle large areas were not sampled, including the Badlands National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. All samples were analyzed by the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) for uranium and other elements and the analytical data were released as the Hot Springs Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study GJBX-27(80) report.

ORGDP: Edgemont Detailed Study
During August of 1979, a total of 419 stream-sediment samples and 109 ground-water samples from the Hot Springs and Newcastle quadrangles were collected under contract by personnel from the South Dakota Geological Survey for a detailed study of the Edgemont uranium district. Of these, 401 sediment and 81 water samples were collected in the Hot Springs quadrangle. These samples were analyzed for uranium and additional elements by the ORGDP for uranium and other elements and the analytical data were released as the Edgemont Detailed Study GJBX-133(80) report. An interpretation of these data was also published as the Edgemont Study Supplement I GJBX-230(81) report.

Summary Tables
The following is a summary list of sample types collected for both NURE studies in the Hot Springs quadrangle.

Summary of Hot Springs quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type Number of Samples Water Sample Type Number of Samples
Wet Streams 167 Wells 385
Dry Streams 628 Springs 38
Total Sediments 795 Total Waters 423

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

Sediment Samples

Water Samples



Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Hot Springs Quadrangle

The Hot Springs quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Hot Springs Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(80) report plus reformatted records from the Edgemont Detailed Study GJBX-133(80) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for these data:

Sediment Records

  1. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for four samples. These dates were removed from the SAMPDAT field. For each record, the original SAMPDAT value and the most likely correct value were added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
  2. For one sample the sample collection date and sample hour values are probably in error. However, this difference too small to warrant removing the values from the record. A comment was added to the COORDPRB field for this sample.
  3. Ten separate stream-sediment samples have the same five latitude-longitude coordinates. It is unclear whether this represents five pairs of samples collected at the same sites or samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish.
  4. One record was missing a value for the sample type (SAMPTYP) field. This value was found and added from the Hot Springs Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(80) report.

Water Records

  1. The data records for two ground-water samples were found only in the digital data file accompanying the Hot Springs Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(80) report. Corresponding records were not listed in the published tables or counted in the abstract of the printed report.
  2. An unlikely sample collection date was found for one sample. This date was removed from the SAMPDAT field and the original SAMPDAT value with the most likely correct value was added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
  3. Eight separate ground-water samples have the same four latitude-longitude coordinates. It is unclear whether this represents four pairs of samples collected at the same sites or samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish.
  4. One well-water sample originally had a latitude of exactly 44°N, the dividing line between the Hot Springs quadrangle and the Rapid City quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Hot Springs Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(80) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Hot Springs quadrangle.
  5. One well-water sample originally had a longitude of exactly 104°W, the dividing line between the Hot Springs quadrangle and the Newcastle quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Hot Springs Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(80) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Hot Springs quadrangle.


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).

Hot Springs Quadrangle Sediment Data - 795 records
Hot Springs Quadrangle Water Data - 423 records



Notes for Data Users

The water samples were reportedly collected in the field without any filtering or acidification. (See the SAMPTYP coding explanation in the On-Line Manual for USGS-Reformatted NURE HSSR Data Files for descriptions of different Sample Types). However, the samples were filtered later in the laboratory through a 0.45 micron membrane filter before analysis. Therefore, the samples were not true "untreated water" samples and the analytical data may not be directly comparable for other quadrangle water samples of the same SAMPTYP when collected by a different laboratory. Since this was the standard procedure for Oak Ridge, water data from other Oak Ridge quadrangles should be comparable.

Latitude-longitude coordinates were reported in the original data files, as decimal degrees, to only 3 decimal places. Therefore, the precision of these coordinates is limited to +/- 0.001 degrees or +/- 3.6 seconds. This translates to a minimum precision of +/- 365 feet (111 m) for latitude values and between +/- 280 feet (85 m) to +/- 259 feet (79 m) for longitude values (calculated at latitudes of 40° and 45°N, respectively.)



Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Hot Springs Quadrangle

Hot Springs Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation report was prepared for the Hot Springs quadrangle by the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation [PGJ/F-029(82)]. An additional 412 rock samples were collected and analyzed from the quadrangle. The multielement analytical data were released only as appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report.

Uranium Anomalies in Wyoming
The Bendix Field Engineering Corporation identified and ranked 269 uranium anomalies from 23 quadrangles in and adjacent to Wyoming. These anomalies were based on an evaluation of the NURE HSSR data, aerial radiometric reconnaissance surveys, and to a lesser extent, geologic evaluations. This report [GJBX-3(83)] lists 21 uranium anomalies that were identified in the Hot Springs quadrangle. No additional geochemical data accompany this report.



Hot Springs Quadrangle NURE Bibliography



Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to South Dakota NURE data
Back to Nebraska NURE data
Back to Wyoming 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 1.10: 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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