OFR 97-492: Presidio 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: Presidio Quadrangle
Totals of 105 stream-sediment and 75 ground-water samples were collected from the Presidio quadrangle as part of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) Presidio Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. Field sampling was conducted by ORGDP personnel between April and May of 1978. These samples were analyzed by the ORGDP for uranium and other elements. The analytical data were released as the Presidio Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-12(79) report.

ORGDP: Trans-Pecos Detailed Geochemical Survey
As part of the NURE program, detailed surveys were initiated to supply comprehensive geochemical data from specific target areas. The Trans-Pecos Detailed Study was designed to characterize the hydrogeochemistry, stream sediment geochemistry and radiometric patterns of known or potential uranium occurrences in southwest Texas. The Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) collected 1,434 stream sediment, 14 soil, 509 rock, and 595 ground water samples from 7 project areas within the Del Rio, Emory Peak, Fort Stockton, Marfa, Presidio, and Sonora quadrangles. These samples were analyzed by the ORGDP for uranium and other elements. During sample collection, radiometric readings for eU, eK, and eTh were obtained in the field at several locations. (Almost all of the rock and soil samples as well as a few stream sediment samples appear to be sites where only radiometric readings were taken.) In selected Survey Areas, ORGDP used portable field methods to determine concentrations of uranium, fluorine, sulfate, and total iron in water. In the interpretations and Detailed Study reports, ORGDP also included data from 541 stream sediment and 248 ground water samples collected during earlier Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) studies in the Emory Peak and Presidio quadrangles. The analytical data were released in seven parts as the Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Detailed Geochemical Survey for Trans-Pecos, Texas report.

  1. Terrell Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 1: 62 stream sediments and 4 ground waters plus 13 rocks or radiometric readings were collected during January of 1979 within the Del Rio, Emory Peak, Fort Stockton, and Sonora quadrangles. Additional data for 99 stream-sediment and 32 ground-water samples from the Emory Peak Quadrangle NURE HSSR study were included.
  2. Solitario Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 2: 165 stream sediments, 1 soil, and 12 ground waters plus 57 rock or radiometric readings and 5 field analyses of water were collected during January of 1979 within the Emory Peak and Presidio quadrangles. Additional data for 355 stream-sediment and 115 ground-water samples from the Emory Peak quadrangle and Presidio quadrangle NURE HSSR studies were included.
  3. Sierra Vieja Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 3: 246 stream sediments and 60 ground waters plus 64 rocks or radiometric readings and 30 field analyses of water were collected between February and March of 1979 within the Marfa quadrangle.
  4. Tascotal Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 4: 533 stream sediments, 11 soils, and 451 ground waters plus 143 rocks or radiometric readings and 220 field analyses of water were collected between March and April of 1979 within the Emory Peak, Fort Stockton, Marfa, and Presidio quadrangles. Additional data for 87 stream-sediment and 101 ground-water samples from the Emory Peak quadrangle and Presidio quadrangle NURE HSSR studies were included.
  5. Chinati Mountains Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 5: 122 stream sediments and 24 ground waters plus 78 rocks or radiometric readings were collected between January and February of 1980 within the Marfa and Presidio quadrangles.
  6. Stillwell Mountains Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 6: 228 stream sediments, 2 soils, and 10 ground waters plus 142 rocks or radiometric readings were collected between January and February of 1980 within the Emory Peak quadrangle.
  7. Dryden Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 7: 78 stream sediments and 34 ground waters plus 12 rocks or radiometric readings were collected during February of 1980 within the Del Rio, Emory Peak, Fort Stockton, and Sonora quadrangles.

Within the Presidio quadrangle, the Trans-Pecos Detailed studies include:

Summary Tables
The following is a list of NURE sample types collected in the Presidio quadrangle.

Summary of Presidio quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type Number of Samples Water Sample Type Number of Samples
Wet Streams 14 Wells 114
Dry Streams 247 Springs 19
Rocks 58    
Total Sediments 319 Total Waters 133

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

Sediment (and Rock) Samples

Water Samples


Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Presidio Quadrangle

The Presidio quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Presidio Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-12(79) report and reformatted records from the Trans-Pecos Detailed Study's Solitario Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 2; Tascotal Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 4; and Chinati Mountains Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 5 reports. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Presidio quadrangle data:

Sediment Records

  1. Forty-four records from the Presidio Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-12(79) report sediment samples were also found in the Trans-Pecos Detailed Study Solitario Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 2 report. These corresponding records were compared and combined into a single record for each sample. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies each of these records.
  2. Thirty-five records from the Presidio Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-12(79) report sediment samples were also found in the Trans-Pecos Detailed Study Tascotal Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 4 report. These corresponding records were compared and combined into a single record for each sample. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies each of these records.
  3. 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.
  4. ORGDP usually assigned a MAPCODE value to each record to identify the 1:250,000-scale quadrangle in which the sample was collected. Within the Presidio quadrangle, 1 sediment record had a MAPCODE value that did not correspond with the quadrangle identified from the latitude and longitude coordinates of the sample. It is assumed that the MAPCODE value was in error but this was not confirmed. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies this record.
  5. Eight stream-sediment samples in this quadrangle share the same latitude-longitude coordinates with another (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.
  6. One stream-sediment sample originally had a latitude of exactly 30°N, the dividing line between the Presidio quadrangle and the Marfa quadrangle. The coordinates were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within both the Presidio Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-12(79) and Trans-Pecos Detailed Study Tascotal Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 4 reports. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Presidio quadrangle.

Water Records

  1. Twenty-eight records from the Presidio Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-12(79) report water samples were also found in the Trans-Pecos Detailed Study Solitario Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 2 report. These corresponding records were compared and combined into a single record for each sample. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies each of these records.
  2. Thirty-four records from the Presidio Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-12(79) report water samples were also found in the Trans-Pecos Detailed Study Tascotal Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 4 report. These corresponding records were compared and combined into a single record for each sample. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies each of these records.
  3. Within the Presidio quadrangle, 6 water records had MAPCODE values that did not correspond with the quadrangle identified from the latitude and longitude coordinates of the sample. It is assumed that the MAPCODE values were in error but this was not confirmed. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies each of these records.
  4. Forty water samples in this quadrangle share the same latitude-longitude coordinates with one other sample (20 distinct coordinate sites). It is unclear whether this represents sets of samples collected at the same twenty sites or single samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish locations.

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. Fifty-eight Presidio quadrangle records were identified in the SAMPTYP field as rock sample data. A closer examination of these records reveals that for 4 rocks, 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.
  3. Fifty-two of the rock samples collected in the Presidio quadrangle were not analyzed by any method. However, these sample records do include a scintillometer measurement of the local gamma-ray activity at that sample site. The measured value is recorded in SCIN field.
  4. One rock sample record contained a value for the concentration of silicon (SI_PPM). Silicon was not analyzed in rock or sediment samples by any of the documented ORGDP methods. This value was removed from the record and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field. This same sample record contained an impossible value for the concentration of sodium (NA_PCT) of 274.1%. Although the most likely source of this error is a missing decimal point, this could not be confirmed in published sources. This value was removed from the NA_PCT field and also added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
  5. One rock sample originally had a latitude of exactly 30°N, the dividing line between the Presidio quadrangle and the Marfa quadrangle. The coordinates were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within Trans-Pecos Detailed Study Chinati Mountains Survey Area GJBX-29(80)-Part 5 report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Presidio 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).

Presidio Quadrangle Sediment Data - 319 records
Presidio Quadrangle Water Data - 133 records


Notes for Data Users

Most of 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 +/- 363 feet (111 m) for latitude values and between +/- 343 feet (101 m) to +/- 331 feet (97 m) for longitude values (calculated at latitudes of 25° and 30°N, respectively.)


Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Presidio Quadrangle

Presidio Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation of the Presidio quadrangle was prepared by the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation and the University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology [PGJ/F-109(82)]. Totals of 22 rock samples were collected and analyzed for uranium by fluorometry and for 31 additional elements. Results from these analyses infer that two environments are favorable for uranium deposition. These environments include the Allen Intrusions, a group of rhyolite domes that contain authigenic deposits, and Cienega Mountains, a homogeneous riebeckite rhyolite intrusion that contain subeconomic orthomagmatic deposits. Data for this study were only found in tables on the microfiche accompanying the report.


Presidio Quadrangle NURE Bibliography


Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

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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URL: https://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/of/1997/492/quad/q_presid.htm
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