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Missouri
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 2,162 stream-sediment, 1,340 surface-water, and 3,423 ground-water samples within 30 counties from the southeast and southwest corners of Missouri as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The samples were collected during May - August, 1978, October - December, 1978, and May - June, 1979 and included portions of the Dyersburg, Harrison, Joplin, Paducah, Poplar Bluff, Rolla, St. Louis, Springfield, and Tulsa 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 874 stream-sediment, 625 surface-water, and 1,199 ground-water samples were collected within the Rolla 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 1,669 sediments and 4,762 waters from Missouri; this includes 760 sediment and all 1,824 water samples from the Rolla quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all Missouri samples were released in the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas Data Report [GJBX-104(82)].

Illinois
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 716 stream-sediment, 337 surface-water, and 1,046 ground-water samples within 16 counties from southern Illinois as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The samples were collected during November - December, 1978 and included portions of the Paducah, Saint Louis, Belleville, and Vincennes 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (No samples were collected within the Illinois portion of the Rolla 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 716 sediments and 1288 waters from Illinois. The analytical and site location data for all Illinois samples were released in the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio Data Report [GJBX-105(82)].

SRL: Rolla Quadrangle
SRL did not release a separate report for the Rolla quadrangle.

ORGDP: Joplin, Rolla, and Springfield Quadrangles
SRL sent several Missouri sediment samples to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) for analysis of uranium and 31 additional elements. ORGDP released the analytical data for 462 samples in the Joplin, Rolla, and Springfield Quadrangles GJBX-73(82) Data Report. This report includes data for 331 sediment samples from the Rolla quadrangle. The site coding information for this data set was summarized in the GJBX-51(82) 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 Rolla quadrangle samples.

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

These Rolla 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.)
• OR2: Oak Ridge Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for U.
• 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

• 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 Rolla Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Rolla quadrangle sediment data consist of records from the Missouri portion of the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas GJBX-104(82) Data Report combined with records from the ORGDP Joplin, Rolla, and Springfield Quadrangles GJBX-73(82) Data Report. Site descriptive information and coordinates were compared for all corresponding records. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Rolla quadrangle sediment data:

1. The SRL and the ORGDP Laboratory each analyzed the same 329 stream-sediment samples from Missouri. Because of overlapping data fields, it was necessary to create two data records for each sample to preserve all the data.
2. The original ORGDP files for the Joplin, Rolla, and Springfield quadrangles did not include all of the information about the character of the sample location. This missing information includes observations taken at each site on the stream width, depth, and flow, water color, surrounding vegetation, local relief, weather, and possible contaminants. In addition, the longitude coordinate reported in the ORGDP file only had 3 decimal places instead of the 4 decimal places found in the corresponding records from SRL State files. The missing site descriptive data and the complete longitude value were added to ORGDP records from the corresponding SRL State file records. Sources of data and any problems found are described in the REFORMAT comment field.
3. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for two samples represented by 3 records. 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. One sample had unlikely values reported for water temperature(83°C) and pH(2.1). It is suspected that these values were switched and mistakenly entered in the wrong fields on the original field note forms. These WTRTEMP and PH values were removed and a statement of the suspected problem accompanied by the original values is included as a comment in the REFORMAT field.
5. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 3 stream-sediment samples collected within Crawford(1) and Wayne(2) Counties in Missouri were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The records for these 3 samples cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.
6. 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 is the lowest reported gold concentration in the entire report.

Water Records
The Rolla quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the Missouri portion of the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas GJBX-104(82) Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the reformatting process of the Rolla quadrangle water data:

1. The original NURE format for surface-water files did not include much information about the character of the sample location. This missing information includes observations taken at each site on the stream width, depth, and flow, water color, surrounding vegetation, local relief, weather, and possible contaminants. This information is given in records for stream-sediment samples that were collected at the same locations. The available site descriptive information for stream-water sites were compared with the corresponding stream-sediment site records. The missing site descriptive data were then added to stream-water records from the corresponding stream-sediment sample records. Sources of data and any problems found are described in the REFORMAT comment field.
2. One ground-water sample was collected at a longitude of exactly 90°W, the dividing line between the Paducah and Rolla quadrangles. The data record for this sample was assigned to the Paducah quadrangle.
3. 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.
4. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 7 water samples collected within Bollinger(1), Crawford(1), Madison(1), Ste. Genevieve(1), Texas(2), and Wayne(1) Counties in Missouri were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The records for these 7 samples cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.

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).

Rolla Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,200 records
Rolla Quadrangle Water Data - 1,817 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 Rolla quadrangle is complete and includes samples from Bollinger, Carter, Crawford, Dent, Howell, Iron, Madison, Perry, Phelps, Reynolds, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Shannon, Stoddard, Texas, Washington, and Wayne Counties. The laboratory and analytical methods used also may vary by county such that adjacent counties often have very different analytical coverages.

One hundred and twelve sediment samples within the Rolla quadrangle were not analyzed by any of the various laboratories. The following table summarizes the locations of those unanalyzed samples.

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Rolla Quadrangle

St. Francois Mountain and Decaturville Precambrian Area Orientation Study
An orientation study was conducted in the St. Francois Mountain and Decaturville areas by SRL to delineate favorable environments for uranium deposition (GJBX-200(82)). This area was of great interest because the combination of Precambrian and Cambrian uranium-rich source rock and the onlapping conglomerate and shaley Lamotte sequence provides a favorable environment for uranium deposits. Tables within the report include analyses for 310 ground-water and 135 stream-water samples. Ground-water samples were analyzed by neutron activation analysis for U, Br, Cl, F, Mn, Na, Al, and Dy. In addition, ground-water samples were analyzed for He. Stream-water samples were analyzed by neutron activation analysis for U, Th, Hf, Ce, Fe, Mn, Sc, Ti, V, Al, Dy, Eu, La, Sm, Yb, and Lu. No digital data files accompanied this report.

Rolla Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• 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.
• Fay, W.M., Sargent, K.A., and Cook, J.R., 1982, Data report: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-146-24, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-104(82), 37 p.
• Fay, W.M., Sargent, K.A., and Cook, J.R., 1982, Data report: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-146-25, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-105(82), 41 p.
• Steele K.F., and Fay W.M., 1982, Orientation study of St. Francois Mountain and Decaturville Precambrian area, Missouri: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-141-28, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-200(82), 72 p.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1982, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Joplin, Springfield and Rolla quadrangles, Missouri; Kansas; Illinois: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-428, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-73(82), 46 p.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1982, Supplement to hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data reports K/UR-405 and K/UR-408 through K/UR-443 [GJBX-52(82) through GJBX-88(82)]: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-412, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-51(82), 25 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Missouri NURE data
Back to Illinois 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_rolla.htm Questions or Assistance: USGS Web Contact Page Last Modified: Wed Dec 7 16:27 EST 2016