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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 650 sediment and 62 water samples were collected in the Death Valley quadrangle (except for areas within the Nevada Test Site and the Death Valley National Monument) during May and September of 1979 as part of the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) Death Valley 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 Death Valley NURE HSSR quadrangle GJBX-135(80) report. The water samples were then sent to other laboratories including Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant for "supplemental analyses." SRL did not release the supplemental analytical data, with results for 31 elements in waters, as a separate report.

In 1982, the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant released supplemental data for a selection of the SRL water samples from the Fresno and Death Valley quadrangles in the GJBX-167(82) abbreviated report (on microfiche only). This report includes the supplemental data for 3 of the Death Valley water samples. The site coding information for this data set was summarized in the GJBX-164(82) report.

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 Death Valley quadrangle but the concentration values often differ from those reported in the GJBX-135(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 several major differences were discovered between the two data sets for the water samples.

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 51 of the Death Valley 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 general listing of all sample types collected and reported for NURE studies in the Death Valley 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 Death Valley 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-135(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.

For the sediment data file, the SRL analyses and the supplemental analyses were combined into a single record for each sample. Unfortunately, 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. Occasionally, an additional supplemental analysis record may also exist for some samples.

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-135(80) quadrangle report.

1. Most of the analytical values given in the quadrangle report are double the corresponding values given in the western summary report.
2. Most of the Al and Dy values were missing in the western summary report. The missing values were added to the water file from the published appendices in the quadrangle report.
3. The values given for V in the western summary report differ significantly from the values given in the quadrangle report. No consistent pattern of differences was noted between values in the two reports.
4. Most of the values in the quadrangle digital file are double the values published in the hardcopy appendices of the GJBX-135(80) report. Also, values for Al, F, and V differ significantly between the quadrangle digital file and the corresponding GJBX-135(80) report. In these cases, three different values may exist for any element within the same sample - the hardcopy appendix (GJBX-135(80)) value, the digital file (released with GJBX-135(80)) value, and the western U.S. digital file (released with GJBX-132(82)) value.

These problems could not be satisfactorily resolved during the reformatting process. Note: the unused water data from the GJBX-135(80) quadrangle report were saved as an extra data file for water 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).

Death Valley Quadrangle Sediment Data - 649 records
Death Valley Quadrangle Water Data - 122 records
Unused set of quadrangle sediment records - deathvsx.dbf.gz
Unused set of quadrangle water records - deathvwx.dbf.gz

Notes for Data Users

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 Death Valley Quadrangle

A summary evaluation report was prepared for the Death Valley quadrangle by the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation of Grand Junction, Colorado [PGJ/F-083(82)]. Additional samples of 366 rocks (including drill cuttings) and 45 waters were collected in the quadrangle to aid in the interpretation of uranium anomalies. All samples were analyzed for uranium oxide by fluorometry and for up to 29 other elements by semi-quantitative emission spectrography; 125 of the rock samples were analyzed in the field for equivalent K, U, and Th; 81 of the rock samples underwent rapid rock analysis for major element oxides; and 56 of the rock samples underwent semi quantitative modal analyses. These data were released only as microfiche appendices accompanying the summary report.

Death Valley Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• Berridge, W.C., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Death Valley quadrangle, California and Nevada: Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-083(82), 50 p.
• Cook, J.R., 1980, Death Valley 1° x 2° NTMS Area, California and Nevada: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-79-146-16, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-135(80), 92 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.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1982, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Fresno and Death Valley quadrangle, California; Nevada: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-447, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-167(82), 68 p.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1982, Supplement to HSSR basic data reports K/UR-445 through K/UR-457 [GJBX-165(82) through GJBX-177(82)]: Union Carbide Corporation-Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-458, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-164(82), 25 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/ofr-97-0492/quad/q_deathv.htm Questions or Assistance: USGS Web Contact Page Last Modified: Wed Dec 7 16:11 EDT 2016