OFR 97-492: Lawton 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.]

Oklahoma Pilot Geochemical Survey
In 1976, a pilot geochemical survey was undertaken to sample a small but regionally and geologically representative area within the Lawton and Clinton quadrangles. This survey was designed to act as a guide for understanding geologic factors which control the chemistry of samples. A total of 103 stream-sediment, 7 rock, 77 ground-water, 90 surface-water, and 316 plant samples were collected between April and June of 1976 from parts of the Lawton and Clinton quadrangles in Oklahoma. Of these, 94 sediment, 7 rock, 160 water, and 301 plant samples were collected within the borders of the Lawton quadrangle. All field sampling was done by Uranium Resource Evaluation (URE) Project personnel of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP). These samples were analyzed by the ORGDP for uranium and other elements and the analytical data were released as the Oklahoma Pilot Geochemical Survey GJBX-46(79) report.

ORGDP: Lawton Quadrangle
Totals of 788 stream-sediment and 705 ground-water samples were collected from the Lawton quadrangle as part of the ORGDP Lawton Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. The stream-sediment sampling was conducted by ORGDP personnel between May and June of 1978. Ground-water was sampled, under contract, by personnel of the Oklahoma Geologic Survey between May and August of 1978. These samples were analyzed by the ORGDP for uranium and other elements. The analytical data were released as the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report.

Wichita Uplift Region Detailed Geochemical Survey
ORGDP conducted a detailed study of the Wichita Uplift Region to characterize the hydrogeochemistry, stream sediment geochemistry, and radiometric patterns of known or potential uranium occurrences. Samples were collected by ORGDP personnel between June and July, 1979. A total of 221 stream-sediment samples, 135 rock samples, and 385 ground-water samples were collected from parts of the Lawton and Clinton quadrangles in Oklahoma. (Within the Lawton quadrangle, 212 sediment, 132 rock, and 328 water samples were collected.) A filtered water sample was analyzed for uranium in the field and the results were used to indicate areas of higher potential so that sampling efforts could be focused. Another water sample was often collected and shipped to Furman University, Greenville, S.C. for helium and neon analyses. ORGDP analyzed all of the samples for uranium and additional elements and released the analytical data as the Wichita Uplift Region Detailed Geochemical Survey GJBX-66(80) report.

Summary Tables
The following is a total listing of the sample types collected within the Lawton quadrangle for all three NURE studies.

Summary of Lawton quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type No. of Samples Water Sample Type No. of Samples Plant Sample Type No. of Samples
Wet Streams 538 Streams 83 Deciduous Tree (12 types) 289
Dry Streams 554 Wells 1,103 Conifer (1 type) 12
Soils 2 Springs 6    
Rocks 139        
Total Sediments 1,233 Total Waters 1,192 Total Plants 301

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

Sediment (and Rock) Samples

Water Samples

Plant Samples


Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Lawton Quadrangle

The Lawton quadrangle sediment and water data consist of records from the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report plus Lawton quadrangle records from the Oklahoma Pilot Geochemical Survey GJBX-46(79) report and the Wichita Uplift Region Detailed Geochemical Survey GJBX-66(80) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Lawton quadrangle data:

Sediment Records

  1. Six stream-sediment records were found in the digital data file but were missing in the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report. Each of these records can be identified by a comment in the REFORMAT field.
  2. Eight stream-sediment records were found in the digital data file but were missing in the Wichita Uplift Region Detailed Geochemical Survey GJBX-66(80) report. Each of these records can be identified by a comment in the REFORMAT field.
  3. One sediment record was not included in the original digital data file for the Lawton quadrangle. This record was manually entered from the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report.
  4. The sample type code (SAMPTYP) for five sediment records could not be determined directly from the digital data record. These SAMPTYP values were assigned based on data given in tables within the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report.
  5. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for two 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.
  6. Fifty-eight stream-sediment samples in this quadrangle share the same latitude-longitude coordinates with one or two other samples (28 distinct coordinate sites). It is unclear whether this represents sets of samples collected at the same twenty-eight sites or single samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish locations.
  7. Three stream-sediment samples originally had a latitude of exactly 35°N, the dividing line between the Lawton quadrangle and the Clinton quadrangle. The coordinates for these samples were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report or the Wichita Uplift Region Detailed Geochemical Survey GJBX-66(80) report. This slight change places these samples clearly in the Lawton quadrangle.
  8. Four stream-sediment samples originally had a longitude of exactly 98°W, the dividing line between the Lawton quadrangle and the Ardmore quadrangle. The coordinates for these samples were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report. This slight change places these samples clearly in the Lawton quadrangle.
  9. The original latitude and longitude coordinates for 1 stream-sediment sample collected within the Clinton quadrangle incorrectly placed the sample location in Mexico. Correct coordinates were found and added to the record for this sample from the field notes on microfiche accompanying the Oklahoma Pilot Geochemical Survey GJBX-46(79) report.
  10. The data appendices in the Wichita Uplift Region Detailed Geochemical Survey GJBX-66(80) report include partial data for 182 sediment samples previously collected as part of the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report. However, these data were not repeated in the digital file for the Wichita Uplift Detailed Study. Since no additional data for these samples was reported in the Detailed Study, these HSSR records were not changed or identified.

Water Records

  1. Two well-water records were found in the digital data file but were missing in the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report. Each of these records can be identified by a comment in the REFORMAT field.
  2. One water record was not included in the original digital data file for the Lawton quadrangle. This record was manually entered from the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report.
  3. Eight water records were found in the digital data file but were missing in the Wichita Uplift Region Detailed Geochemical Survey GJBX-66(80) report. Each of these records can be identified by a comment in the REFORMAT field.
  4. An undocumented, and most likely incorrect, value found in the WLDPTCNF field was removed from one water sample record. This change and the original value were recorded in the REFORMAT comment field.
  5. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for seven 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.
  6. Eight water samples in this quadrangle share the same latitude-longitude coordinates with one other sample (4 distinct coordinate sites). It is unclear whether this represents sets of samples collected at the same four sites or single samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish locations.
  7. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 3 well-water samples collected within the Lawton quadrangle were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The records for these 3 samples cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.
  8. Four water samples originally had a latitude of exactly 35°N, the dividing line between the Lawton quadrangle and the Clinton quadrangle. The coordinates for these samples were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report, the Oklahoma Pilot Geochemical Survey GJBX-46(79) report, or the Wichita Uplift Region Detailed Geochemical Survey GJBX-66(80) report. This slight change places these samples clearly in the Lawton quadrangle.
  9. One well-water sample originally had a longitude of exactly 100°W, the dividing line between the Lawton quadrangle and the Plainview quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Lawton quadrangle.
  10. The data appendices in the Wichita Uplift Region Detailed Geochemical Survey GJBX-66(80) report include partial data for 145 water samples previously collected as part of the Lawton Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-27(79) report. However, these data were not repeated in the digital file for the Wichita Uplift Detailed Study. Since no additional data for these samples was reported in the Detailed Study, these HSSR records were not changed or identified.

Rock Records

  1. When rock samples were collected, the site descriptive data commonly utilized the same field formats found for stream-sediment samples. When analyzed, the analytical methods were also the same methods used for stream-sediment or soil samples. Because of these similarities, rock sample data were reformatted with and are now reported in the sediment database.
  2. 139 records were identified in the SAMPTYP field as rock sample data. A closer examination of these records reveal that for 132 of these records the sample data are actually Gamma Spectrometer field analyses for equivalent potassium (eK), equivalent uranium (eU), and equivalent thorium (eTh). It appears that these measurements were taken at the sample site and that no rock sample was actually collected for laboratory analysis. The Gamma Spectrometer field data for these sample sites are listed in the REFORMAT comment field.

Plant Records

  1. The Oklahoma Pilot Geochemical Survey GJBX-46(79) report includes data for 301 plant samples collected in the Lawton quadrangle.
  2. At the time of this Open-File release (v. 1.41), the ORGDP plant data have not been completely reformatted and released for downloading. See the ORGDP Plant Data page for a more detailed description of the data format and plant data availability.

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).

Lawton Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,233 records
Lawton Quadrangle Water Data - 1,189 records


Notes for Data Users

The ORGDP 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 +/- 364 feet (111 m) for latitude values and between +/- 317 feet (97 m) to +/- 300 feet (91 m) for longitude values (calculated at latitudes of 30° and 35°N, respectively.)

Two stream-sediment samples collected in the Texas portion of the Lawton quadrangle were not analyzed by any method.


Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Lawton Quadrangle

Lawton Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation of the Lawton quadrangle was conducted by the Oklahoma Geological Survey (1978 to 1980) under contract to the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation [GJQ-017(82)]. For this evaluation, 500 rock, 30 stream-sediment, and 220 soil samples were analyzed for uranium and 29 other elements. No ground-water samples were collected. Data tables were released only on appendices on microfiche accompanying the report. The results of this investigation suggest that five areas within the Lawton quadrangle are favorable for uranium deposits. The Rush Springs Formation is favorable for joint-controlled deposits, non-channel controlled peneconcordant deposits, and Texas roll-front deposits. The Post Oak Conglomerate south of the Wichita Mountains, the eastern Red River Valley, and the eastern Hollis Basin are favorable for the occurrence of channel-controlled peneconcordant deposits. The Cambrian Quanah Granite and pegmatite dikes are favorable for orthomagmatic and autometasomatic deposits, respectively.


Lawton Quadrangle NURE Bibliography


Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Oklahoma NURE data
Back to Texas NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE HSSR Data
Home Page: USGS National Geochemical Database - NURE HSSR data


Page written by Bryan G. Moravec and Steven M. Smith
Contact: Steven M. Smith (smsmith@usgs.gov)
Version 1.20: August 07, 2000
Version 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006

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