OFR 97-492: Limon 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: Limon Quadrangle
Totals of 363 sediment and 1,416 water samples were collected from 1,765 locations in the Limon quadrangle between July and October 1977 by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL). The sediment samples were analyzed by LASL for uranium content and reanalyzed by multielement methods for up to 43 additional elements. The sediment data were released in the LASL Limon Quadrangle NURE HSSR GJBX-378(81) report.
ORGDP: Limon Quadrangle
LASL sent all of the water samples to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) for analyses of uranium and up to 29 additional elements. These data were released in the ORGDP Limon Quadrangle NURE HSSR GJBX-367(81) report.
Summary Tables
The following is a list of NURE sample types collected in the Limon quadrangle.
Summary of Limon quadrangle sample types.
| Wet Streams |
13 |
Streams |
14 |
| Dry Streams |
347 |
Wells |
1,396 |
| Wet Springs |
3 |
Springs |
6 |
| Total Sediments |
363 |
Total Waters |
1,416 |
These Limon 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.
- LA3: Los Alamos Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of sediments for Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Nb, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, W, and Zr.
- 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
- 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.)
Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Limon Quadrangle
Sediment Records
The Limon quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted records from the LASL Limon Quadrangle NURE HSSR GJBX-378(81) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Limon quadrangle sediment data:
- 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.
- No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Limon quadrangle sediment samples. The 6-digit LASL Identification Number found in LASLID was also added to the SITE field. Therefore, the value found in the LASLID and SITE fields is same LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers as well as the value published in LASL Limon Quadrangle NURE HSSR GJBX-378(81) report.
- Twelve sediment records with a STATE value of 'CO' had coordinates that plotted in Kansas. These STATE values were changed and a comment was added to the REFORMAT field for each record.
- One dry stream-sediment sample record contained values for Well Pump Type(WELLPUMP) or Well Use(WELLUSE). These parameters were not normally recorded for sediment sample records. The values were removed and added as a comment to the corresponding REFORMAT field.
Water Records
The Limon quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the ORGDP Limon Quadrangle NURE HSSR GJBX-367(81) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Limon quadrangle water data:
- No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Limon quadrangle water samples. The 6-digit LASL Identification Number found in LASLID was also added to the SITE field. Therefore, the value found in the LASLID and SITE fields is same LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers as well as the value published in ORGDP Limon Quadrangle NURE HSSR GJBX-367(81) report.
- Thirty water records with a STATE value of 'CO' had coordinates that plotted in Kansas. These STATE values were changed and a comment was added to the REFORMAT field for each record.
- 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.
- Two records in the digital data files for this quadrangle had at least one analytical result value of 99999. These values were confirmed in the published quadrangle report. It is not clear if these values represent a valid value, a null value, or a value indicating that the analytical result was greater than the upper limit of determination. These values were left in the data record and noted in the REFORMAT comment field.
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).
Limon Quadrangle Sediment Data - 363 records
Limon Quadrangle Water Data - 1,416 records
Notes for Data Users
None at this time.
Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Limon Quadrangle
None found.
Limon Quadrangle NURE Bibliography
- Hardy, L.C., D'Andrea, R.F., Jr., Zinkl, R.J., Shettel, D.L., Jr., Langfeldt, S.L., Minor, M.M., McInteer, C., Hansel, J.N., and Broxton, D.E., 1981, Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance of the Limon NTMS quadrangle, Colorado: U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-378(81), 54 p.
- Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1981, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Limon quadrangle, Colorado: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-372, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-367(81), 129 p.
Links Within Open-File Report 97-492
Back to Colorado NURE data
Back to Kansas NURE data
Back to Nebraska 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 1.10: July 29, 1999
Version 1.20: August 07, 2000
Version 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006
