OFR 97-492: Johnson City 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.]

Tennessee
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 3,309 stream-sediment, 1,584 surface-water, and 3,574 ground-water samples within 58 counties from the eastern half and the northwestern corner of Tennessee as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The samples were collected during June - December, 1976 and March - November, 1978 and included portions of the Blytheville, Chattanooga, Columbia, Corbin, Dyersburg, Gadsden, Johnson City, Knoxville, Nashville, Rome, and Winston-Salem 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 606 stream-sediment, 171 surface-water, 629 ground-water samples were collected within the Johnson City quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters). SRL was able to analyze 2,450 sediments and 5,149 waters from Tennessee; this includes 599 of the sediment and 799 water samples from the Johnson City quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all Tennessee samples were released in the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio Data Report [GJBX-105(82)].

SRL sent 248 sediment samples from Tennessee to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 247 of these samples in the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio Data Report [GJBX-105(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report includes Supplemental Analyses records for 125 of the sediment samples from Tennessee within the Johnson City quadrangle.

Virginia
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 5,667 stream-sediment, 2,598 surface-water, and 4,834 ground-water samples within 96 counties from Virginia as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sediment samples were collected during July - October 1976; August - September 1977; and April - November 1978, and water samples were collected during December 1976 - September 1977; April - October 1978; and June - August 1979. Sample coverage included portions of the Baltimore, Bluefield, Charlottesville, Chincoteague, Cumberland, Currituck Sound, Greensboro, Jenkins, Johnson City, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Salisbury, Washington, and Winston-Salem 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 183 stream-sediment, 116 surface-water, and 268 ground-water samples were collected within the Johnson City quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters). SRL was able to analyze 5,522 sediments and 7,416 waters from Virginia; this includes 183 sediment and 383 water samples from the Johnson City quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all Virginia samples were released in the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia Data Report [GJBX-103(82)].

SRL sent 2,719 sediment samples from Virginia to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 2,711 of these samples in the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia Data Report [GJBX-103(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report includes Supplemental Analyses for 64 Virginia sediment samples within the Johnson City quadrangle.

Kentucky
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 4,901 stream-sediment, 3,966 surface-water, and 6,408 ground-water samples within 90 counties from the state of Kentucky as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sediment samples were collected during May - November, 1978; August 1979 - January 1980; and April 1980 and water samples were collected during May - June, 1978; September 1978 - March 1979; August - November 1979; and May - June 1980. Sample coverage included portions of the Corbin, Dyersburg, Evansville, Huntington, Jenkins, Johnson City, Louisville, Nashville, Paducah, Vincennes, and Winchester 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 125 stream-sediment, 125 surface-water, and 201 ground-water samples were collected within the Johnson City quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters). SRL was able to analyze 982 sediments and 10,365 waters from Kentucky; this includes 124 sediment and 321 water samples from the Johnson City quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all Kentucky samples were released in the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio Data Report [GJBX-105(82)].

North Carolina
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 6,666 stream-sediment, 295 surface-water, and 5,778 ground-water samples within 100 counties from North Carolina as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sediment samples were collected during June - December 1976; July - August 1977; and April - May 1978, and water samples were collected during December 1976 - August 1977 and June - July 1978. Sample coverage included portions of the Beaufort, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Currituck Sound, Florence, Georgetown, Greensboro, Greenville, Johnson City, Knoxville, Manteo, Norfolk, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Rome, Spartanburg, and Winston-Salem 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 47 stream-sediment and 9 ground-water samples were collected within the Johnson City quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters). SRL was able to analyze 6,597 sediments and 6,040 waters from North Carolina; this includes 46 sediment and 7 water samples from the Johnson City quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all North Carolina samples were released in the North and South Carolina Data Report [GJBX-102(82)].

SRL sent 4,677 sediment samples from North Carolina to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 4,660 of these samples in the North and South Carolina Data Report [GJBX-102(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report include Supplemental Analyses for 43 North Carolina sediment samples within the Johnson City quadrangle.

SRL: Johnson City Quadrangle
SRL also compiled the data from Johnson City quadrangle samples collected in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The SRL Neutron Activation Analysis data for 959 stream-sediment, 1,099 ground-water, and 412 surface-water samples were released as the Abbreviated Johnson City Quadrangle GJBX-26(81) Data Report.

ORGDP: Corbin, Johnson City, and Nashville Quadrangles
SRL sent several Tennessee and Kentucky sediment samples to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) for analysis of uranium and 31 additional elements. ORGDP released the analytical data for 435 samples in the Corbin, Johnson City, and Nashville Quadrangles GJBX-75(82) Data Report. Despite the title, this report does not include any sediment samples from the Johnson City 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.

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

Combination of laboratories that analyzed samples for the Johnson City quadrangle.
Laboratory Analysis Sediments Waters
Only SRL 725 1,510
Only ORGDP 0 0
Only Supplemental Lab 5 0
Both SRL and Supplemental Labs 227 0
None 4 9
Total Samples 961 1,519
Total Data Records 961 1,519

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

Summary of Johnson City quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type Number of Samples Water Sample Type Number of Samples
Wet Streams 961 Streams 412
    Wells 715
    Springs 392
Total Sediments 961 Total Waters 1,519

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

Sediment Samples

Water Samples



Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Johnson City Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Johnson City quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted records from the Johnson City Quadrangle GJBX-26(81) Data Report. These records were compared with corresponding sample records from the Kentucky and Tennessee portions of the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio [GJBX-105(82)] Data Report, records from the Virginia portion of the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia [GJBX-103(82)] Data Report, and records from the North Carolina portion of the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Johnson City Quadrangle sediment data:

  1. Five stream-sediment records in the Johnson City Quadrangle GJBX-26(81) Data Report were to determined to actually be stream water records. These records were removed from the sediment data file after they were confirmed to exist in the water data file.
  2. The analytical values for many U, Ce, Dy, Eu, Fe, Lu, and V determinations differed slightly between the Johnson City Quadrangle files and the various Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky State files. These variations are apparently due only to differences in rounding versus truncation of reported values or to differences in the number of recorded significant digits. Since the variation was insignificant, only one set of the values was retained for the affected elements.
  3. Occasionally, analytical values for Ce, Fe, or Lu were found in the Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky State files but were missing in the corresponding records from the Johnson City Quadrangle files. These values were added and that change was noted for each affected record in the REFORMAT comment field.
  4. For some records, analytical values for Ce, Dy, Eu, La, Lu, Mn, Na, Sm, Th, U, and Yb were found in the Johnson City quadrangle files but were missing in the corresponding records from the Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky State files. These values were kept but the difference was noted for each affected record in the REFORMAT comment field.
  5. The date on which a sample was analyzed by Neutron Activation Analysis was only recorded in the State digital data files from the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio [GJBX-105(82)] Data Report, from the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia [GJBX-103(82)] Data Report, and from the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report. This information was added to each of combined sediment data records.
  6. During reformatting, contamination codes for "residential" and "recreation" were found to be missing from the state CONTAMC field. These codes were present in the quadrangle format and were added to the final digital data file.
  7. The original ORGDP file for the Corbin, Johnson City, and Nashville 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.
  8. An analysis of latitude-longitude site coordinates identified several stream-sediment samples that were missing coordinates, did not plot within expected state, county, or map boundaries, or had differing coordinates in corresponding records. To correct or confirm sample coordinates, the original field collection maps for Clay and Leslie Counties, Kentucky; Anderson County, Tennessee; and Lee County, Virginia were obtained and re-digitized. The newly re-digitized coordinates were added to the database and the coordinates from the original file(s) were recorded in the COORDPRB comment field. When the newly re-digitized coordinates were not significantly different, that confirmation of the site location was also noted in the COORDPRB comment field.
  9. After re-digitizing, one stream-sediment sample from Clay County, Kentucky originally located in the Jenkins quadrangle now plots in the adjacent Johnson City quadrangle.
  10. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 2 sediment samples collected within Sullivan County, Tennessee were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The records for these 2 samples cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.
  11. 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.

Water Records
The Johnson City quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the Johnson City Quadrangle GJBX-26(81) Data Report. These records were compared with corresponding sample records from the Kentucky and Tennessee portions of the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio [GJBX-105(82)] Data Report, records from the Virginia portion of the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia [GJBX-103(82)] Data Report, and records from the North Carolina portion of the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Johnson City Quadrangle water data:

  1. The analytical values for many Al, Br, Dy, and Mn determinations differed slightly between the Johnson City Quadrangle files and the various Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee State files. These variations are apparently due only to differences in rounding versus truncation of reported values or to differences in the number of recorded significant digits. Since the variation was insignificant, only one set of the values was retained for the affected elements.
  2. For many records, analytical values for Br, Dy, or Mg were found in the Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky State files but were missing in the corresponding records from the Johnson City Quadrangle files. These values were added and that change was noted for each affected record in the REFORMAT comment field.
  3. The original NURE format for surface-water files did not include much 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. This information is given in records for stream-sediment samples that were collected at the same locations. The available site descriptive information for stream-water sites were compared with the corresponding stream-sediment site records. The missing site descriptive data were then added to stream-water records from the corresponding stream-sediment sample records. Sources of data and any problems found are described in the REFORMAT comment field.
  4. An unlikely sample collection date was found for one sample. This date was removed from the SAMPDAT field and the original SAMPDAT value with the most likely correct value was added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
  5. An analysis of latitude-longitude site coordinates identified several stream-water samples that were missing coordinates, did not plot within expected state, county, or map boundaries, or had differing coordinates in corresponding records. To correct or confirm sample coordinates, the original field collection maps for Clay and Leslie Counties, Kentucky; Anderson County, Tennessee; and Lee County, Virginia were obtained and re-digitized. The newly re-digitized coordinates were added to the database and the coordinates from the original file(s) were recorded in the COORDPRB comment field. When the newly re-digitized coordinates were not significantly different, that confirmation of the site location was also noted in the COORDPRB comment field.
  6. After re-digitizing, one stream-water sample from Clay County, Kentucky originally located in the Jenkins quadrangle now plots in the adjacent Johnson City quadrangle.
  7. An analysis of latitude-longitude site coordinates identified several stream-water samples that were missing coordinates, did not plot within expected state, county, or map boundaries, or had differing coordinates in corresponding records. To correct or confirm sample coordinates, the original field collection maps for Bell, Clay, Laurel, and Washington Counties, Kentucky were obtained and re-digitized. The newly re-digitized coordinates were added to the database and the coordinates from the original file(s) were recorded in the COORDPRB comment field. When the newly re-digitized coordinates were not significantly different, that confirmation of the site location was also noted in the COORDPRB comment field.
  8. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 8 water samples collected within Harlan(1) County in Kentucky; and Greene(3), Union(2), and Washington(2) Counties in Tennessee were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The records for these 8 samples cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.


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).

Johnson City Quadrangle Sediment Data - 959 records
Johnson City Quadrangle Water Data - 1,511 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. Sample coverage in the Johnson City quadrangle is complete and includes samples from Anderson, Bell, Clay, Harlan, Knox, Leslie, Letcher, Laurel, and Whitley Counties in Kentucky; and Avery, Madison, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties in North Carolina; and Anderson, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hanblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Knox, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, and Washington Counties in Tennessee; and Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Washington, and Wise Counties in Virginia. The laboratory and analytical methods used also may vary by county such that adjacent counties often have very different analytical coverages.

Four stream-sediment samples and 9 water samples within the Johnson City quadrangle were not analyzed by any of the various laboratories. The following table summarizes the locations of those unanalyzed samples.

General locations of unanalyzed samples.
State County Sample Media Unanalyzed Samples Total Samples
Kentucky Bell Water 5 82
Kentucky Knox Sediment 1 35
North Carolina Madison Water 2 2
Tennessee Claiborne Water 1 110
Tennessee Jefferson Sediment 3 35
Virginia Scott Water 1 145



Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Johnson City Quadrangle

Crystalline Rock Areas of Southeastern United States
A study of the Crystalline Rock Areas of Southeastern United States [GJBX-9(76)] was undertaken as part of a series of orientation studies conducted by SRL in the Eastern States. In 1975, SRL collected stream-sediment, suspended sediment, ground-water, and stream-water samples from Lamar County Area in Georgia (Athens, Atlanta, Macon and Phenix City quadrangles), Oconee County Area in South Carolina (Greenville and Knoxville quadrangles), and the Brush Creek and North Harper Areas in North Carolina (Charlotte, Johnson City, Knoxville, and Winston-Salem quadrangles). These four areas were selected for orientation studies to aid in the design of the geochemical reconnaissance program for uranium being conducted in the eastern United Sates by SRL. Water samples were analyzed by Neutron Activation for uranium. Sediment samples were analyzed for uranium by Neutron Activation and for Ag, Ba, Be, Co, Cr, Cu, La, Nb, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn by semi-quantitative emission spectroscopy. Data tables of analytical results are included within the report. No digital data files were available for reformatting.

Radiometric Survey Pilot Study
SRL conducted a pilot radiometric survey on three drainage basins in North Carolina [GJBX-30(78)] to evaluate the areal extent of uranium dispersion halos and to develop the technical expertise for reconnaissance sampling. Three basins (Big Crabtree, Brush, and North Harper Creeks) were surveyed. These drainage basins are underlain by Precambrian and lower Paleozoic metamorphic and igneous rocks of the Blue Ridge province and contain known occurrences of uranium mineralization. The study included a field survey of total gamma radioactivity and laboratory studies of selected rock samples. These rocks were also analyzed for uranium, thorium, and potassium with a low-level gamma-ray spectrometer. The data results are recorded in tables and appendices within the report.

Geology and Mineral Resources Study
A report on the geology and mineral resources of the Johnson City quadrangle was prepared for the Savannah River Laboratory [GJBX-33(82)]. No geochemical data accompany this report.



Johnson City Quadrangle NURE Bibliography



Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Tennessee NURE data
Back to Virginia NURE data
Back to Kentucky NURE data
Back to North Carolina NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE 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 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006

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