OFR 97-492: Billings Quadrangle NURE HSSR Study
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: Billings Quadrangle
Totals of 1,424 sediment and 1,665 water samples were collected from the Billings quadrangle between May and October 1978 and in January 1979 as part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Billings Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. The samples were analyzed by LASL for uranium and up to 43 additional elements and the analytical data were released in the Billings Quadrangle NURE HSSR GJBX-150(79) report.
Summary Tables
The following is a list of NURE sample types collected for the Billings quadrangle study.
Summary of Billings quadrangle sample types.
| Wet Streams |
898 |
Streams |
904 |
| Dry Streams |
321 |
Wells |
504 |
| Wet Springs |
205 |
Springs |
257 |
| Total Sediments |
1,424 |
Total Waters |
1,665 |
These Billings quadrangle samples were analyzed by one or more of the following methods:
Sediment Samples
- LA1: Los Alamos Delayed-Neutron Counting Analysis of sediments for U.
- LA2: Los Alamos Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of sediments for Ag, Bi, Cd, Cu, Nb, Ni, Pb, Sn, and W.
- LA4: Los Alamos Arc-Source Emission Spectrography Analysis of sediments for Be and Li.
- LA5: Los Alamos Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for Al, Au, Ba, Ca, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Dy, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Lu, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, Ti, V, Yb, and Zn.
Water Samples
- LA6-DN: Los Alamos Delayed-Neutron Counting Analysis of waters for U.
- LA6-FL: Los Alamos Fluorometry Analysis of waters for U.
- LA7: Los Alamos Plasma-Source Emission Spectrography Analysis of waters for Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Ti, and Zn.
Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Billings Quadrangle
The Billings quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Billings Quadrangle NURE HSSR GJBX-150(79) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Billings quadrangle data:
Sediment Records
- 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.
- A LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Billings quadrangle sediment samples. The 1-letter+5-digit LASL Identification Number was saved in the LASLID field and the corresponding 6-digit site number was manually added to the SITE field. Therefore, the LASLID field contains the Identification Number found in the Billings Quadrangle NURE HSSR GJBX-150(79) report. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
- 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.
- Five sediment records with a STATE value of 'MT' had coordinates that plotted in Wyoming. These STATE values were changed and a comment was added to the REFORMAT field for each record.
- Two separate sediment samples in this quadrangle have the same latitude-longitude coordinates. It is unclear whether this represents a pair of samples collected at the same site or samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish.
Water Records
- A LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Billings quadrangle water samples. The 1-letter+5-digit LASL Identification Number was saved in the LASLID field and the corresponding 6-digit site number was manually added to the SITE field. Therefore, the LASLID field contains the Identification Number found in the Billings Quadrangle NURE HSSR GJBX-150(79) report. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
- Unlikely sample collection dates were found for five 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.
- Five water records with a STATE value of 'MT' had coordinates that plotted in Wyoming. These STATE values were changed and a comment was added to the REFORMAT field for each record.
- Two separate water samples in this quadrangle have the same latitude-longitude coordinates. It is unclear whether this represents a pair of samples collected at the same site or samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish.
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).
Billings Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,424 records
Billings Quadrangle Water Data - 1,665 records
Notes for Data Users
None at this time.
Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Billings Quadrangle
Billings Quadrangle NURE Summary
Morris & Warchola, Inc. of Casper, Wyoming released a summary report for the Billings quadrangle (PGJ/F-015(82)). An additional 120 rock, 14 soil, 25 stream sediment, and 80 water samples were collected and analyzed for the report. The multielement analytical data were released only as appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report.
Billings Quadrangle Geochemical Data Evaluation
A report was prepared by researchers from the Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology (GJBX-120(80)) that evaluates the geochemical data collected for the LASL Billings Quadrangle NURE HSSR study. No additional geochemical data accompany this report.
Uranium Anomalies in Wyoming
The Bendix Field Engineering Corporation identified and ranked 269 uranium anomalies from 23 quadrangles in and adjacent to Wyoming. These anomalies were based on an evaluation of the NURE HSSR data, aerial radiometric reconnaissance surveys, and to a lesser extent, geologic evaluations. This report [GJBX-3(83)] lists 12 uranium anomalies that were identified in the Billings quadrangle. No additional geochemical data accompany this report.
Billings Quadrangle NURE Bibliography
- Broxton, D.E., Sandoval, W.F., Trujillo, L.A., Minor, M.M., Steinhaus, D.W., Martell, C.J., Hensley, W.K., and Mills, C.F., 1979, Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance data release for the Billings NTMS quadrangle, Montana, including concentrations of forty-three additional elements: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory informal report LA-7669-MS, Los Alamos, N.M., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-150(79), 200 p.
- Goodknight, C.S., Ludlam, J.R., Burger, J.A., Dickson, R.E., Dayvault, R.D., Dexter, J.J., and Anderson, J.R., 1982, Uranium anomalies in Wyoming and parts of adjacent states: U.S. Department of Energy, Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-3(83), 11 p.
- Warchola, R.J., and Stockton, T.J., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Billings Quadrangle, Montana: Morris & Warchola, Inc., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-015(82), 33 p.
- Whitlock, J.D., and Van Eeckhout, E.M., 1980, Utilizing the geochemical data from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Program: A case study of the Billings quadrangle, Montana/Wyoming: U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-120(80), 99 p.
Links Within Open-File Report 97-492
Back to Montana NURE data
Back to Wyoming 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 1.00: September 11, 1998
Version 1.10: July 29, 1999
Version 1.20: August 07, 2000
Version 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006
