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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)

This page is currently being rewritten to the Version 1.41 format.

Brief History and Description of Data

[See History of NURE HSSR Program for a summary of the entire program.]

Totals of 1,795 sediment samples (at 899 locations) and 101 water samples were collected in the Trona quadrangle during May and June of 1979 as part of the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) Trona Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. These samples were analyzed by SRL for uranium and other elements (16 additional elements in sediments and 9 in waters) and the analytical data were released in the Trona NURE HSSR quadrangle GJBX-243(80) report. The water samples were then sent to other laboratories, including the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, for "supplemental analyses" of 23 elements in sediments and 31 elements in waters. SRL did not release the supplemental analytical data as a separate report. Two sediment fractions were collected at 896 of the sediment sampling locations; the S1 fraction (<100 mesh) and the S0 fraction (>100 mesh and <18 mesh). The second fraction was presumably collected to avoid windblown dust contamination.

In 1982, SRL released a summary report and data files for 50 quadrangles in the Western United States. This report, GJBX-132(82), contains both the SRL analytical data and the supplemental analytical data from the Trona quadrangle but the concentration values often differ from those reported in the GJBX-243(80) quadrangle report. The introduction section of the GJBX-132(82) summary report states:

"The data in the present report may not be identical to those reported previously. This is due to the use of different "scrub" procedures for the preparation of the data for release. The differences should be minor."

However, during the reformatting process major differences were discovered between the two water data sets.

SRL analyses of light hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, propane, and butane) in ground waters were released in the GJBX-131(82) summary report for 44 western quadrangles and 3 eastern quadrangles within the United States. This report includes data for 89 of the Trona quadrangle ground water samples.

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.

The following is a list of all sample types collected and reported for NURE studies in the Trona quadrangle. The actual number of records in the NEW-FORMAT NURE data files may be greater because of the multiple records needed to preserve all the data.

These Trona 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.
• SR6: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis of waters for Al, Br, Cl, Dy, F, Mg, Mn, Na, and V.
• SR-HE: Savannah River Helium Analysis of waters.
• SR-GC: Savannah River Gas Chromatography of waters for light hydrocarbons.
• OR13: Supplemental Analyses by 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.)
• OR17: Supplemental Analyses by Oak Ridge Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of waters for As and Se.

Composition of the NEW-FORMAT NURE Data Files

The data in the NEW-FORMAT NURE data files consist of records from all of the above reports. In order to reduce the number of records, a decision was made to primarily use the data from the GJBX-132(82) western U.S. summary report. The rationale for choosing this data set was that (1) it represents a later compilation of the data and (2) it should be more consistent across quadrangle boundaries because of the common "scrubbing procedure." Every record was checked against the "equivalent" record in the earlier GJBX-243(80) quadrangle report and any major differences were noted in the REFORMAT comment field. These different but unused quadrangle report records were combined and saved as extra files which may be accessed below.

In the water data file the SRL analyses and supplemental analyses could NOT be combined because of overlapping determinations for 5 elements. Each water sample may therefore have 2 separate records - one for the SRL analysis and one for the supplemental analysis.

During the reformatting process, several problems were discovered between the water results reported in the GJBX-132(82) western U.S. summary report and the GJBX-243(80) quadrangle report.

1. For most samples, the values given for U and V in the quadrangle report are double the values given in the western summary report. For the remainder of the U and V values, the value in the quadrangle report appears to be double the rounded value from the western summary report.
2. For most samples, the values given for Br, Cl, F, Mg, Mn, and Na in the quadrangle report are double the values given in the western summary report.
3. Most of the Al and Dy values were missing in the western summary report. The missing values were NOT added to the water file from the quadrangle report.

These problems could not be satisfactorily resolved during the reformatting process. Note: the unused data from the GJBX-243(80) quadrangle report were saved as extra data files which may be accessed below.

Hydrocarbon data from the GJBX-131(82) report were added to fields in the appropriate ground water records and this addition was noted for each record in the REFORMAT comment field.

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.

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 websites, 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).

Trona Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,795 records
Trona Quadrangle Water Data - 196 records
Unused set of quadrangle sediment records - trona_sx.dbf.gz
Unused set of quadrangle water records - trona_wx.dbf.gz

Notes for Data Users

SRL collected separate samples for two fractions at 896 of the sediment sampling locations. Samples with a suffix of "S0" on the SRLID consist of the fraction of sediment which passed a 18-mesh but did not pass a 100-mesh sieve. Samples with a suffix of "S1" on the SRLID consist of the fraction of sediment which passed a 100-mesh sieve. Due to fractionation of some elements between discretely sized sediment particles, analytical data may not be directly comparable for sediment samples with different sieve fractions.

Many records contain analytical values with insignificant digits. Most data should only have 2 or 3 significant digits and differences after the second or third digit should be ignored.

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Trona Quadrangle

A summary evaluation report was prepared for the Trona quadrangle by the California Division of Mines and Geology, of Sacramento, California [PGJ/F-038(82)]. Additional samples of 783 rocks and sediments were collected in the quadrangle to "identify areas favorable for the occurrence of uranium deposits." All samples were analyzed for uranium oxide by fluorometry. These data were released only as microfiche appendices accompanying the summary report.

In 1982, Bendix Field Engineering Corporation released a compilation of reports on 6 previously identified uranium anomalies in GJBX-222(82). This publication includes a report for Lake Tecopa in the Trona quadrangle. The purpose of the investigation was to study the "the apparent correlation between uranium content and different diagenetic facies in the lakebed deposits" in the "hope of understanding the processes responsible for uranium concentration in Pleistocene Lake Tecopa." A total of 60 samples of tuff and mudstone were collected in the lakebed and analyzed for uranium oxide by fluorometry. These data were released only as tables in the report.

A report on the geology and mineral resources of the Trona quadrangle prepared for the Savannah River Laboratory can be found in the GJBX-213(82) report. No geochemistry accompanies this report.

Trona Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• Bennett, C.B., 1980, Trona 1° x 2° NTMS area, California, data report (abbreviated): E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-80-146-17, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-243(80), 19 p.
• Bushnell, M.M., and Morton, P.K., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Trona quadrangle, California: California Division of Mines and Geology, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-038(82)F, 50 p.
• Cook, J.R., and Fay, W.M., 1982, Data report: Western United States: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-146-28, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-132(82), 33 p.
• Dromgoole, E.L., 1982, Report of analyses for light hydrocarbons in ground water: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-141-19, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-131(82), 14 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.
• Marshall, S.F., 1982, Reevaluation of possible diagenetic uranium concentrations in Pleistocene Lake Tecopa, Inyo County, California, in Goodknight, C.S., and Burger, J.A., compilers, Reports on Investigations of Uranium Anomalies: U.S. Department of Energy, Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-222(82), p. 83-97.
• Karfunkel, B.S., 1982, Geology and mineral resources of the Los Angeles, Needles, Salton Sea, San Bernardino, and Trona 1° x 2° NTMS quadrangles: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-141-12, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-213(82), 186 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to California NURE data
Back to Nevada NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE HSSR Data
Home Page: USGS National Geochemical Database - NURE HSSR data

Page written by Andrew W. Holt and Steven M. Smith
Contact: 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 1.40: January 13, 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_trona.htm Questions or Assistance: USGS Web Contact Page Last Modified: Wed Dec 7 16:28 EST 2016