OFR 97-492: Lund 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)
Under Construction 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 2,022 sediment and 295 water samples were collected in the Lund quadrangle between April and July, 1980 as part of the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) Lund Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. The water samples and 34 of the sediment samples were analyzed by SRL for uranium and other elements (16 additional elements in sediments and 9 in waters). These SRL results were not released in an individual quadrangle report for Lund.

A total of 1,795 sediment samples from SRL were sent to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) and analyzed for uranium and up to 31 additional elements. These data were released by Oak Ridge in the GJBX-21(82) report. (Note: The "Explanation of Codes Used" appendix to this report gives the SRL eastern U.S. site description coding scheme but all other indications suggest that the samples were actually collected and described using the SRL western U.S. site description coding scheme.)

In 1982, ORGDP released the data from supplementary analyses of a selection of the SRL water samples from 4 eastern Nevada quadrangles in the GJBX-169(82) abbreviated report (on microfiche only). This report includes the supplemental data for up to 29 elements in 294 of the Lund 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 the analytical data from the Lund water samples and the 34 Lund sediment samples that were analyzed by SRL. The report contains only site information for the remainder of the Lund sediment samples. 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."

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 Lund 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.

Summary of Lund quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type Number of Samples Water Sample Type Number of Samples
Wet Streams 22 Streams 21
Dry Streams 1,801 Wells 86
Soils 136 Springs 188
Talus 22
Other (may include mine tailings) 41
Total Sediments 2,022 Total Waters 295

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

Sediment Samples

Water Samples



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. The site information for every record in the GJBX-21(82) and GJBX-169(82) quadrangle reports was checked against the "equivalent" record in the GJBX-132(82) western U.S. summary report and any major differences were noted in the REFORMAT comment field.

In the sediment data file, the analytical data for the 34 sediment samples analyzed by both SRL and ORGDP could not be combined into a single record for each sample. Also, in the water data file the SRL analyses and supplemental analyses could NOT be combined because of overlapping determinations for 5 elements. Therefore each sample that was analyzed by both labs has two separate records - one for the SRL analysis and one for the ORGDP analysis.

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).

Lund Quadrangle Sediment Data - 2,054 records
Lund Quadrangle Water Data - 589 records



Notes for Data Users

Many records contain analytical values with insignificant digits. Most data should only have 2 or 3 significant digits. Differences after the second or third digit should be ignored.



Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Lund Quadrangle

In August and September of 1975 and June of 1976, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory conducted the Cave Valley Basin Pilot/Orientation Study in the Lund quadrangle. Results were reported in the GJBX-43(76) and GJBX-19(78) reports. Totals of 15 rock, 67 sediment, and 12 water samples were included in the earlier GJBX-43(76) report. These samples were analyzed by neutron activation for uranium and other elements (22 additional elements in rocks and sediments, and 17 in waters). These data were only released as tables accompanying the report.

The follow-up Cave Valley Basin Pilot/Orientation Study GJBX-19(78) report lists analytical results for totals of 17 rock, 120 sediment, and 15 water samples. These data were only released as tables and on microfiche accompanying the report. Although the follow-up report contains results for more samples (uranium and 22 additional elements in rocks and sediments, and 14 additional elements in waters), the earlier GJBX-43(76) report has a few additional elements. Analytical values for some elements also differ between reports.



Lund Quadrangle NURE Bibliography



Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Nevada NURE data
Back to Utah 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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