USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

About USGS /  Science Topics /  Maps, Products & Publications /  Education / Publication: FAQ

Texas
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 279 stream-sediment samples within 4 counties along the eastern border of Texas as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sampling effort was completed between August and October of 1978 and included portions of the Palestine, Alexandria, Beaumont, and Lake Charles 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 26 stream-sediment samples were collected within the Beaumont quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and 16 additional elements. SRL was only able to analyze 26 of the 279 stream-sediment samples collected in Texas; seven sediment samples within the Beaumont quadrangle were analyzed. The analytical and site location data for all Texas sediment samples were released as a separate file in the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas Data Report [GJBX-104(82)].

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

ORGDP: Beaumont, Lake Charles, and Baton Rouge Quadrangles
SRL sent several Texas and Louisiana sediment samples to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) for analysis of uranium and 31 additional elements. ORGDP released the analytical data for 173 samples in the Beaumont, Lake Charles, and Baton Rouge Quadrangles GJBX-66(82) Data Report. This report includes data for 26 sediment samples from the Beaumont 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.

ORGDP: Beaumont Quadrangle
Totals of 619 stream-sediment and 707 ground-water samples were collected from the Beaumont quadrangle as part of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) Beaumont Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. All field sampling was conducted by ORGDP personnel between March and September of 1979. These samples were analyzed by the ORGDP for uranium and other elements. The analytical data were released as the Beaumont Quadrangle NURE HSSR Study GJBX-67(80) Report.

Summary Tables
Because of the various laboratories and analytical methods used, some samples may have been analyzed once, twice, or not at all. The following table summarizes the analysis of Beaumont quadrangle samples.

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

These Beaumont 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.)
• OR1: Oak Ridge Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of sediments for U.
• OR2: Oak Ridge Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for U.
• OR-MS: Oak Ridge Mass Spectrometry Analysis of sediments for U.
• OR6: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of sediments for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Sc, Sr, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.
• 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.
• OR8: Oak Ridge Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of sediments for As and Se.

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.)
• OR15: Oak Ridge Anion Optical Absorption (Technicon AutoAnalyzer) Analysis of waters for Sulfate only.
• OR16: Oak Ridge Anion Optical Absorption (Technicon AutoAnalyzer) Analysis of waters for Cl and Sulfate.
• OR17: Oak Ridge Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of waters for As and Se.

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Beaumont Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Beaumont quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted Beaumont quadrangle records from the Texas portion of the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas GJBX-104(82) Data Report combined with records from the ORGDP Beaumont, Lake Charles, and Baton Rouge Quadrangles GJBX-66(82) Data Report plus reformatted sediment records from the ORGDP Beaumont Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-67(80) report. When combining sample records, 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 Palestine quadrangle sediment data:

1. The SRL and the ORGDP Laboratory each analyzed the same 7 stream-sediment samples from Texas. 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 file for the Beaumont, Lake Charles, and Baton Rouge 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. When combining corresponding SRL and ORGDP records, all of the site descriptive data and the longitude values to 4 decimal places from the SRL data files were preserved in the final database.
3. 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.
4. Two sample records were missing a sample type value in the SAMPTYP field. A review of the site coding information suggests that these samples were actually stream sediments. A value based upon the assumed SAMPTYP was added to this record and the change was noted in the REFORMAT comment field.
5. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for four 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.
6. Two sample records contained high values for the concentrations for one or more of the following major elements: calcium (CA_PCT), aluminum (AL_PCT), potassium (K_PCT), magnesium (MG_PCT), or sodium (NA_PCT). Although no one value was impossibly high, the sum of these major elements was much greater than 100%. No values were removed but the problem was noted as a comment in the REFORMAT field.
7. One stream-sediment sample originally had a latitude of exactly 31°N, the dividing line between the Beaumont quadrangle and the Palestine quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the ORGDP Beaumont Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-67(80) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Beaumont quadrangle.

Water Records
The Beaumont quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the ORGDP Beaumont Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-67(80) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Beaumont quadrangle water data:

1. One sample record contained a questionable value for the dissolved oxygen (O_DISS) of -9.9. Although the most likely source of this error is an unwanted negative sign, this could not be confirmed in published sources. This value was removed from the O_DISS field and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
2. One sample record contained an impossible value for the pH (PH) of 23.9. A corrected value could not be found in published sources. This value was removed from the PH field and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
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. Four well-water samples originally had a latitude of exactly 30°N, the dividing line between the Beaumont quadrangle and the Houston quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the ORGDP Beaumont Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-67(80) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Beaumont quadrangle.
5. One well-water sample originally had a latitude of exactly 31°N, the dividing line between the Beaumont quadrangle and the Palestine quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the ORGDP Beaumont Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-67(80) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Beaumont 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).

Beaumont Quadrangle Sediment Data - 652 records
Beaumont Quadrangle Water Data - 707 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. SRL sample coverage in the Beaumont quadrangle is limited to Jasper County, Texas. This county is found only along the eastern border of the Beaumont quadrangle. The laboratory and analytical methods used also may vary by county such that adjacent counties often have very different analytical coverages.

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.

For all ORGDP samples, 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 +/- 364 feet (111 m) for latitude values and between +/- 317 feet (97 m) to +/- 300 feet (91 m) for longitude values (calculated at latitudes of 30° and 35°N, respectively.)

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Beaumont Quadrangle

Beaumont Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation of the Beaumont quadrangle was prepared by the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation [PGJ/F-62(82)]. A total of 50 rock samples were collected and analyzed for uranium by fluorometry and for 29 additional elements by an unspecified method. A total of 104 water samples were collected and analyzed for uranium by fluorometry and for 5 additional elements by an unspecified method. Results from these analyses show that one environment in the Beaumont quadrangle is favorable for uranium deposition. This environment includes potential Texas roll-type uranium deposits in fluvial sandstones of the Oakville-Flemming Formation, Catahoula Formation, and Yegua Formation and in deltaic sediments of the Jackson Group. Data for this study were only found in the tables on microfiche accompanying the report.

Beaumont 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.
• Henke, J.S., Joyner, T.M., and Levy, S.S., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Beaumont quadrangle, Texas: Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-062(82), 25 p.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1980, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Beaumont NTMS Quadrangle, Texas: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-134, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-67(80), 141 p.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1982, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Beaumont, Lake Charles, and Baton Rouge quadrangles, Texas, Louisiana: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-421, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-66(82), 21 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 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

AccessibilityFOIAPrivacyPolicies and Notices
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey URL: https://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/quad/q_beaumt.htm Questions or Assistance: USGS Web Contact Page Last Modified: Wed Dec 7 16:10 EST 2016