Manteo Quadrangle NURE HSSR Study

OFR 97-492: Manteo 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.]

North Carolina
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 6,666 stream-sediment, 295 surface-water, and 5,778 ground-water samples within 100 counties from North Carolina as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sediment samples were collected during June - December 1976; July - August 1977; and April - May 1978, and water samples were collected during December 1976 - August 1977 and June - July 1978. Sample coverage included portions of the Beaufort, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Currituck Sound, Florence, Georgetown, Greensboro, Greenville, Johnson City, Knoxville, Manteo, Norfolk, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Rome, Spartanburg, and Winston-Salem 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 1 stream-sediment and 2 ground-water samples were collected within the Manteo quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters). SRL was able to analyze 6,597 sediments and 6,040 waters from North Carolina; this includes 1 sediment and 12 water samples from the Manteo quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all North Carolina samples were released in the North and South Carolina Data Report [GJBX-102(82)].

SRL sent 4,677 sediment samples from North Carolina to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 4,660 of these samples in the North and South Carolina Data Report [GJBX-102(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report does not include any Supplemental Analyses for North Carolina sediment samples within the Manteo quadrangle.

SRL: Rocky Mount and Manteo Quadrangles
SRL released a separate quadrangle report for the Rocky Mount and Manteo NTMS quadrangle, which includes data for 501 stream-sediment, 859 ground-water, and 28 stream-water samples (1 stream-sediment and 2 ground-water samples collected within the Manteo quadrangle). With minor differences, these sample data are the same as the that for corresponding samples found in the North and South Carolina State reports. SRL released the analytical data as the Rocky Mount and Manteo Quadrangles GJBX-16(81) Preliminary Basic Data Report. The site coding information for this data set is summarized within the text of this report.

Gold Analyses
Data for gold analyses of sediments by SRL neutron activation were released in the GJBX-135(82) summary report. The introduction of that report states:

"This report contains previously unreported neutron-activation analyses of gold in sediment samples determined at SRL. These data were not included in the standard SRL NURE data reports because the gold spectrum was not measured in the original analytical procedure and the report format was designed without the gold analyses being included. Gold analyses became available as the analytical procedure was refined, but the report format was not modified to incorporate these data."

Only those sediment samples that had detectable concentrations of gold by neutron activation analysis were given in the GJBX-135(82) report. Sediment samples with concentrations below detection limits were not reported and can only be ascertained by identifying which samples were actually analyzed by neutron activation at SRL.

Summary Tables
Because of the various laboratories and analytical methods used, some SRL samples may have been analyzed once, twice, or not at all. The following table summarizes the analysis of Manteo quadrangle samples.

*Combination of laboratories that analyzed samples for the Manteo quadrangle.*
Laboratory Analysis	Sediments	Waters
Only SRL	1	12
Total Samples	1	12
Total Data Records	1	12

The following is a list of all sample types collected and reported for NURE studies in the Manteo quadrangle.

*Summary of Manteo quadrangle sample types.*
Sediment Sample Type	Number of Samples	Water Sample Type	Number of Samples
Wet Stream	1	Wells	12
Total Sediments	1	Total Waters	12

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

Sediment Samples

SR1: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis - Neutron Counting of sediments for U.
SR2: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for Al, Ce, Dy, Eu, Fe, Hf, La, Lu, Mn, Na, Sc, Sm, Th, Ti, V, and Yb. (Note: Au values were reported later for this method.)

Water Samples

SR4: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis - Neutron Counting of waters for U.
SR5: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis of waters for Al, Br, Cl, Dy, F, Mn, Na, and V. (Note: Mg may also be reported by this method.)

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Manteo Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Manteo quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted records from the Rocky Mount and Manteo Quadrangles GJBX-16(81) Data Report. These records were compared with corresponding sample records from the North Carolina portion of the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Manteo quadrangle sediment data:

The analytical values for the Ce determination differed slightly between the Manteo quadrangle files and the North Carolina State files. This variation is apparently due only to differences in rounding versus truncation of reported values or to differences in the number of recorded significant digits. Since the variation was insignificant, only one set of the values was retained for the affected elements.
The date on which a sample was analyzed by Neutron Activation Analysis was only recorded in the State digital data files from the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report. This information was added to each of combined sediment data records.
Gold concentrations from the GJBX-135(82) report were added to the appropriate sediment records. A value of -0.01 (<0.01 ppm Au) was added to all other sediment samples determined to have been analyzed by SRL neutron activation. This value was chosen because 0.01 ppm is the lowest reported gold concentration in the entire report.

Water Records
The Manteo quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the Rocky Mount and Manteo Quadrangles GJBX-16(81) Data Report. These records were compared with corresponding sample records from the North Carolina portion of the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Manteo quadrangle water data:

For 1 record, the analytical value for Mg was found in the North Carolina State files but was missing in the corresponding record from the Manteo quadrangle files. This value was added and that change was noted for each affected record in the REFORMAT comment field.
An analysis of latitude-longitude site coordinates identified several stream-sediment samples that were missing coordinates, did not plot within expected state, county, or map boundaries, or had differing coordinates in corresponding records. To correct or confirm sample coordinates, the original field collection maps for Dare County, North Carolina were obtained and re-digitized. The newly re-digitized coordinates were added to the database and the coordinates from the original file(s) were recorded in the COORDPRB comment field. When the newly re-digitized coordinates were not significantly different, that confirmation of the site location was also noted in the COORDPRB comment field.
After re-digitizing, ten well-water samples from Dare County, North Carolina originally located in the Currituck Sound quadrangle now plot in the adjacent Manteo 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).

Manteo Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1 record
Manteo Quadrangle Water Data - 12 records

Notes for Data Users

In the eastern United States, SRL collected samples primarily by county. Often, not all counties within a quadrangle were completely sampled. Sample coverage in the Manteo quadrangle is limited to only a couple samples collected from Dare County in North Carolina. The laboratory and analytical methods used also may vary by county such that adjacent counties often have very different analytical coverage.

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Manteo Quadrangle

None found.

Manteo Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

Cook, J.R., 1980, Rocky Mount and Manteo 1° x 2° NTMS areas, North Carolina, data report (abbreviated): E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-80-146-21, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-16(81), 17 p.
Fay, W.M., and Cook, J.R., 1982, Gold analyses by neutron activation from SRL NURE samples: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-141-38, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-135(82), 45 p.
Sargent, K.A., Cook, J.R., and Fay, W.M., 1982, Data report: North and South Carolina: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-146-22, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-102(82), 45 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to North Carolina NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE 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 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006

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U.S. Department of the Interior \| U.S. Geological Survey URL: https://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/of/1997/492/quad/q_manteo.htm Questions or Assistance: USGS Web Contact Page Last Modified: Wed Dec 7 16:27 EST 2016

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)