OFR 97-492: Miles City Quadrangle NURE HSSR Study
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: Miles City Quadrangle
Totals of 1,118 sediment and 915 water samples were collected from the Miles City quadrangle between March and September, 1978 as part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Miles City 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 Miles City Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-371(81) report.
Summary Tables
The following is a list of NURE sample types collected for the Miles City quadrangle study.
Summary of Miles City quadrangle sample types.
| Wet Streams |
304 |
Streams |
312 |
| Dry Streams |
767 |
Wells |
535 |
| Wet Springs |
46 |
Springs |
67 |
| Wet Natural Ponds |
1 |
Natural Ponds |
1 |
| Total Sediments |
1,118 |
Total Waters |
915 |
These Miles City quadrangle samples were analyzed by one or more of the following methods:
Sediment Samples
- OR1: Oak Ridge Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of sediments for U. (One sample only.)
- OR2: Oak Ridge Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for U.
- OR-MS: Oak Ridge Mass Spectrometry Analysis of sediments for U. (One sample only.)
- OR7: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of sediments for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Sc, Sr, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.
Water Samples
- OR9-FL: Oak Ridge Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of waters for U.
- OR9-MS: Oak Ridge Mass Spectrometry Analysis of waters for U.
- OR13: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of waters for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Sc, Si, Sr, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr. (Note: Nb and Th may be included in this method.)
Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Miles City Quadrangle
The Miles City quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Miles City Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-371(81) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Miles City quadrangle data:
Sediment Records
- 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.
- No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Miles City 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 Miles City Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-371(81) report.
- Unlikely sample collection dates were found for six 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.
- Two 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
- No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Miles City 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 Miles City Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-371(81) report.
- Twelve 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).
Miles City Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,118 records
Miles City Quadrangle Water Data - 915 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 Miles City Quadrangle
None found.
Miles City Quadrangle NURE Bibliography
- Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1981, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Miles City quadrangle, Montana: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-384, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-371(81), 183 p.
Links Within Open-File Report 97-492
Back to Montana NURE data
Back to North Dakota NURE data
Back to South 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
