OFR 97-492: Roswell 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.]

LASL: Roswell Quadrangle
Totals of 1,270 sediment and 842 water samples were collected from 1,961 sites in the Roswell quadrangle as part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Roswell Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. The eastern half of the quadrangle (east of longitude 105°W) was sampled between November of 1976 and January of 1977 and the western half was sampled during April of 1978. The samples were sent to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant for uranium and multielement analyses. The analytical data were released in the Roswell Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-397(81) report.

Summary Tables
The following is a list of NURE sample types collected for the Roswell quadrangle study.

Summary of Roswell quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type Number of Samples Water Sample Type Number of Samples
Wet Streams 49 Streams 45
Dry Streams 973 Wells 678
Wet Springs 44 Springs 47
Wet Natural Ponds 10 Natural Ponds 4
Dry Natural Ponds 49 Artificial Ponds 68
Wet Artificial Ponds 67    
Dry Artificial Ponds 78    
Total Sediments 1,270 Total Waters 842

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

Sediment Samples

Water Samples


Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Roswell Quadrangle

The Roswell quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Roswell Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-397(81) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Roswell quadrangle data:

Sediment Records

  1. 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.
  2. No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Roswell 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 Roswell Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-397(81) report.
  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.

Water Records

  1. No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Roswell 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 Roswell Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-397(81) report.
  2. 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.
  3. One water sample record contained a value for the concentration of hafnium (HF_PPM). hafnium was not analyzed in water samples by any of the documented ORGDP methods. This value was removed from the record and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.

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).

Roswell Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,270 records
Roswell Quadrangle Water Data - 842 records


Notes for Data Users

None at this time.


Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Roswell Quadrangle

None found.


Roswell Quadrangle NURE Bibliography


Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to New Mexico 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 1.10: July 29, 1999
Version 1.20: August 07, 2000
Version 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006

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