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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 260 stream-sediment and 149 ground-water samples were collected within the Knoxville 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 260 of the sediment and 148 water samples from the Knoxville 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 does not include any Supplemental Analyses records for the sediment samples from Tennessee within the Knoxville quadrangle.

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 1,056 stream-sediment and 585 ground-water samples were collected within the Knoxville 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 1,051 sediment and 562 water samples from the Knoxville 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 includes Supplemental Analyses for 239 North Carolina sediment samples within the Knoxville quadrangle.

South Carolina
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 3,618 stream-sediment and 3,945 ground-water samples within 46 counties from South Carolina as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sediment samples were collected during June - October 1976; April 1977; and January - April 1978, and water samples were collected during December 1976 - July 1977 and January - September 1978. Sample coverage included portions of the Athens, Augusta, Charlotte, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, James Island, Knoxville, Savannah, and Spartanburg 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 120 stream-sediment and 58 ground-water samples were collected within the Knoxville 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 3,581 sediments and 3,941 waters from South Carolina; this includes 118 sediment and 58 water samples from the Knoxville quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all South Carolina samples were released in the North and South Carolina Data Report [GJBX-102(82)].

SRL sent 2,483 sediment samples from South Carolina to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 2,476 of these samples in the North and South Carolina Data Report [GJBX-102(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report includes one Supplemental Analyses for South Carolina sediment samples within the Knoxville quadrangle.

SRL: Knoxville Quadrangle
SRL released a separate quadrangle report for the Knoxville NTMS quadrangle, which includes data for 1,430 stream-sediment and 791 ground-water samples. With minor differences, these sample data are the same as the that for corresponding samples found in the North and South Carolina State reports. SRL released the analytical data as the Knoxville Quadrangle GJBX-75(79) Preliminary Basic Data Report. The site coding information for this data set is summarized within the text of this 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 Knoxville quadrangle samples.

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

These Knoxville 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.)
• SR2-A: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for Al, Ce, Dy, Eu, Fe, Hf, Mn, Sc, Th, Ti, and V. This method also may contain data for Cs, F, La, Lu, Na, Sm, Ta, Tb, or Yb.
• SR3-AA: Savannah River (Supplemental Analysis by contract Laboratory) Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of sediments for Ag, Ba, Be, Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sn, Sr, Y, and Zn.
• SR3-CA: Savannah River (Supplemental Analysis by contract Laboratory) Colorimetric Analysis of sediments for Nb, P, and W.
• SR3-FE: Savannah River (Supplemental Analysis by contract Laboratory) Flame Emission Analysis of sediments for K and Li.
• SR3-XU: Savannah River (Supplemental Analysis by contract Laboratory) Analysis of sediments for hot acid extractable U. (Exact method undetermined)
• SR3-XX: Savannah River (Supplemental Analysis by contract Laboratory) Analysis of sediments for As, Se, and Ca. (Exact method undetermined)

Water Samples

• SR4: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis - Neutron Counting of waters for U.
• SR5: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis of waters for Al, Br, Cl, Dy, F, Mn, Na, and V. (Note: Mg may also be reported by this method.)

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Knoxville Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Knoxville quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted records from the Knoxville Quadrangle GJBX-75(79) Data Report. These records were compared with corresponding sample records from the North and South Carolina portions of the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report and sample records from the Tennessee portion of the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio [GJBX-105(82)] Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Knoxville quadrangle sediment data:

1. The analytical values for many U, Dy, Eu, Fe, Lu, and V determinations differed slightly between the Knoxville quadrangle files and the North and South Carolina 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 some records, analytical values for Ce, Eu, Fe, La, Lu, Na, and Sm were found in the North and South Carolina and Tennessee State files but were missing in the corresponding records from the Knoxville quadrangle files. These values were added and that change was noted for each affected record in the REFORMAT comment field.
3. For some records, analytical values for Al, Ce, Dy, Eu, Fe, La, Na, Sm, Th, and Ti were found in the Knoxville quadrangle files but were missing in the corresponding records from the North and South Carolina and Tennessee State files. These missing values were noted for each affected record in the REFORMAT comment field.
4. For 8 records, Knoxville quadrangle Neutron Activation Analytical values were significantly different from that found in the corresponding records from the North and South Carolina and Tennessee State files. For all of these affected records, the differences between Knoxville quadrangle files and North and South Carolina and Tennessee State files required the creation of two separate records for each sample to preserve all the data.
5. Two stream-sediment samples were collected at a latitude of exactly 35°N, the dividing line between the Greenville and Knoxville quadrangles and reported in the North and South Carolina State files. The 4 data records for these two samples were assigned to the Knoxville quadrangle.
6. The date on which a sample was analyzed by Neutron Activation Analysis was only recorded in the State digital data files from the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report and the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio [GJBX-105(82)] Data Report. This information was added to each of combined sediment data records.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. One stream-sediment sample was identified with a SRLID in the 300's. This sample was missing latitude and longitude coordinates. Evidence from original sample site field notes strongly suggests that this is a duplicate sample collected later from a previously sampled 000's series site (i.e. SRLID site number ABCD318S1 is the same location as ABCD018S1). The coordinates from the original 000's series site were added to the matching 300's record and this change was noted in the REFORMAT and COORDPRB comment fields.
10. 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 Cherokee, Graham, Henderson, and Jackson Counties, North Carolina 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.
11. After re-digitizing, one stream-sediment sample from Cherokee County, North Carolina originally located in the Chattanooga quadrangle now plots in the adjacent Knoxville quadrangle.
12. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 3 stream-sediment samples collected within Macon(1), Madison(1), and Rutherford(1) Counties in North Carolina were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The records for these 3 samples cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.
13. 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 Knoxville quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the Knoxville Quadrangle GJBX-75(79) Data Report. These records were compared with corresponding sample records from the the North and South Carolina portions of the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report and sample records from the Tennessee portion of the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio [GJBX-105(82)] Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Knoxville quadrangle water data:

1. The analytical values for many Al, Br, Dy, and Mn determinations differed slightly between the Knoxville quadrangle files and the North the South Carolina 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 3 records, analytical values for Mn were found in the Knoxville quadrangle file but were missing in the corresponding records from the North Carolina and Tennessee State files. These missing values were noted for each affected record in the REFORMAT comment field.
3. For 24 records, analytical values for U, Br, Dy, and V were found in the North and South Carolina and Tennessee State files but were missing in the corresponding records from the Knoxville quadrangle files. These values were added and that change was noted for each affected record 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 ground-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 Henderson, Jackson, Swain, and Transylvania Counties, North Carolina; Greenville, Pickens, and Spartanburg Counties, South Carolina; and Blount County, Tennessee 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 well water sample from Pickens County, South Carolina originally located in the Greenville quadrangle now plots in the adjacent Knoxville 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).

Knoxville Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,441 records
Knoxville Quadrangle Water Data - 792 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 Knoxville quadrangle is complete and includes samples from Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, and Yancey Counties in North Carolina; Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg Counties in South Carolina; and Blount, Cocke, Greene, Jefferson, Knox, Monroe, Sevier, and Unicoi Counties in Tennessee. The laboratory and analytical methods used also may vary by county such that adjacent counties often have very different analytical coverage.

Twenty-four well samples and four stream sediment samples within the Knoxville quadrangle were not analyzed by any of the various laboratories. The following table summarizes the locations of those unanalyzed samples.

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Knoxville 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.

Spruce Pine, Moore, and Johnston Areas Orientation Study
SRL conducted an orientation study in the Spruce Pine, Moore, and Johnston Areas in North Carolina in preparation for HSSR data collection in North Carolina [GJBX-17(78)]. This area occupies parts of the Knoxville and Raleigh 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. A total of 298 surface sites and 210 ground water sites were sampled over an 1,800 square-mile area. 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.

Mineral Chemistry of the Southeastern Piedmont
SRL also conducted an analysis of monazite, zircon, and apatite in the Southeastern Piedmont [GJBX-101(82)]. SRL collected 263 monazite, 191 zircon, and 16 apatite grains from 52 stream-sediment locations and analyzed them by electron microprobe for one of the two following suites of elements: Ca, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Er, Dy, Y, Th, U, and F, or Ca, La, Ce, Fe, Er, Hf, Y, Th, U, P, Zr, Mg, Al, and Si. Samples were collected along eight traverses where reconnaissance data had previously revealed high concentrations of uranium, thorium, and cerium in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina (Athens, Augusta, Charlotte, Greenville, Knoxville, and Spartanburg 1:250,000-scale quadrangles). Data tables of analytical results are included within the report. No digital data files were available for reformatting.

Characteristics of the Southeastern Piedmont
Bendix Field Engineering Corporation released a report that contains stream-sediment, hydrogeochemical, and aeromagnetic data for 16 contiguous NTMS quadrangles in the eastern United States [GJBX-40(83)]. This compilation report is limited in scope to features that have specific interest to the geoscience community. Included in the report are aeromagnetic and geochemical maps, and tectonic and igneous rock distribution maps. When used together, these maps show geochemical, tectonic, and magnetic features unique to many of the geologic and physiographic provinces in the region. This report primarily covers the Southeastern Piedmont region and includes the Athens, Augusta, Bluefield, Charlotte, Florence, Georgetown, Greensboro, Greenville, Knoxville, Norfolk, Raleigh, Richmond, Roanoke, Rocky Mount, Spartanburg and Winston-Salem 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. The color maps are in 35mm-slide format. No digital data files accompany this report.

Knoxville Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• Baucom, E.I., and Ferguson, R.B., 1979, Knoxville 1° x 2° NTMS Area, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee data release: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-78-146-5, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-75(79), 134 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.
• Fay, W.M., Sargent, K.A., and Cook, J.R., 1982, Data report: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-146-25, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-105(82), 41 p.
• Ferguson, R.B., Baucom, E.I., and Price, Van, 1977, Orientation studies in the Spruce Pine, Moore, and Johnson, North Carolina, Areas: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-77-141-1, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-17(78), 82 p.
• Galipeau, J.M., and Ragland, P.C., 1977, A Radiometric study of rocks in three selected drainage basins in the Spruce Pine Area, North Carolina: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DP-1454, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-30(78), 79 p.
• Karfunkel, B.S., Fay, W.F., and Price, Van, Jr., 1982, Analysis of monazite, zircon, and apatite from the southeastern Piedmont: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-141-8, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-101(82), 57 p.
• Madson, M.E., Rush, S.F., Hardy, L.C., LaBonte, N.E., and Ludlam, J.R., 1983, NURE stream-sediment, hydrogeochemical, and aeromagnetic data characteristics of the Piedmont Region, eastern United States: A data release: Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-40(83), 18 p.
• Price, Van, 1976, Raw data from orientation studies in crystalline rock areas of the southeastern United States: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-76-141-1, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-9(76), 123 p.
• Sargent, K.A., Cook, J.R., and Fay, W.M., 1982, Data report: North and South Carolina: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-146-22, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-102(82), 45 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

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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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