OFR 97-492: Providence Quadrangle NURE HSSR Study
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[See History of NURE HSSR Program for a summary of the entire program.]
Rhode Island
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 81 stream-sediment, 81 surface-water, and 77 ground-water samples from Rhode Island as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. Samples were collected on a county-by-county basis from the entire state during October and November of 1977 for stream sediments and waters and during March, 1978, for ground waters. This area included portions of the Boston and Providence 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. The samples were sent to SRL for determinations of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters) by Neutron Activation Analysis. SRL was able to analyze all of the sediments and 157 waters from Rhode Island. The analytical and site location data for all Rhode Island samples were released in the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. A total of 81 stream-sediment, 81 surface-water, and 74 ground-water samples were collected within the Rhode Island portion of the Providence quadrangle. SRL was able to analyze all of the sediment and 154 water samples from the Rhode Island portion of the Providence quadrangle.
SRL sent 80 sediment samples from Rhode Island to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 74 of these samples in the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report includes Supplemental Analyses for 74 Rhode Island sediment samples from the Providence quadrangle.
Massachusetts
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 1,331 stream-sediment, 1,302 surface-water, and 657 ground-water samples from Massachusetts as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. Samples were collected on a county-by-county basis from the entire state between August 1977 and April 1979 for sediments, and between January and March of 1978 for ground waters. This area included portions of the Albany, Boston, and Providence 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. The samples were sent to SRL for determinations of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters) by Neutron Activation Analysis. SRL was able to analyze 1,315 sediments and 1,953 waters from Massachusetts. The analytical and site location data for all Massachusetts samples were released in the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. This report listed 173 stream-sediment, 173 surface-water, and 130 ground-water samples from the Massachusetts portion of the Providence quadrangle. SRL was able to analyze 160 sediment and all water samples from the Massachusetts portion of the Providence quadrangle.
SRL sent 1,149 sediment samples from Massachusetts to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 1,141 of these samples in the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report includes Supplemental Analyses for 8 Massachusetts sediment samples from the Providence quadrangle.
Connecticut
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 635 stream-sediment, 656 surface-water, and 798 ground-water samples from Connecticut as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. Samples were collected on a county-by-county basis from the entire state between July and October, 1977 for sediments, and between December 1977 and February 1978 for ground-waters. This area included portions of the Albany, Boston, Hartford, and Providence 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. The samples were sent to SRL for determinations of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters) by Neutron Activation Analysis. SRL was able to analyze 634 sediments and 1,453 waters from Connecticut. The analytical and site location data for all Connecticut samples were released in the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. A total of 52 stream-sediment, 59 surface-water, and 53 ground-water samples were collected within the Connecticut portion of the Providence quadrangle. SRL was able to analyze all Connecticut sediment and water samples from the Providence quadrangle.
SRL sent the 635 sediment samples from Connecticut to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 632 of these samples in the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report includes Supplemental Analyses for 52 Connecticut sediment samples within the Providence quadrangle.
New York
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 5,696 stream-sediment, 5,047 surface-water, and 4,829 ground-water samples from New York as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. Samples were collected on a county-by-county basis from the eastern two-thirds of the state between July 1977 and August 1980. The sampled area included portions of the Albany, Binghamton, Elmira, Glens Falls, Hartford, Kingston, Lake Champlain, Ogdensburg, Rochester, Scranton, and Utica 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. The samples were sent to SRL for determinations of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters) by Neutron Activation Analysis. SRL was able to analyze 2,899 sediments and 9,863 waters from New York. The analytical and site location data for all New York samples were released in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York Data Report [GJBX-106(82)]. No samples were collected within the New York state portion of the Providence quadrangle.
SRL: Providence Quadrangle
SRL released a separate quadrangle report for the Providence NTMS quadrangle, which includes data for 318 stream-sediment, 324 surface-water, and 250 ground-water samples. With some differences, these sample data are the same as that for corresponding samples found in the Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York State reports. SRL released the analytical data as the Providence Quadrangle GJBX-15(81) Data Release. 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 Providence quadrangle samples.
Laboratory Analysis | Sediments | Waters |
---|---|---|
Only SRL | 159 | 569 |
Both SRL and Supplemental Labs | 134 | 0 |
Supplemental Lab only | 0 | 0 |
Second SRL analysis | 3 | 0 |
None | 13 | 1 |
Total Samples | 306 | 570 |
Total Data Records | 309 | 570 |
The following is a list of all sample types collected and reported for NURE studies in the Providence quadrangle.
Sediment Sample Type | Number of Samples | Water Sample Type | Number of Samples |
---|---|---|---|
Wet Streams | 306 | Streams | 313 |
Wells | 254 | ||
Springs | 3 | ||
Total Sediments | 306 | Total Waters | 570 |
These Providence quadrangle samples were analyzed by one or more of the following methods:
Sediment Samples
Water Samples
Sediment Records
The Providence quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted records from the Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut portions of the New England GJBX-107(82) Data Report. These records were compared with corresponding records from the SRL Providence Quadrangle GJBX-15(81) Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Providence quadrangle sediment data:
Water Records
The Providence quadrangle water data consist primarily of reformatted records from the Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut portions of the New England GJBX-107(82) Data Report. These records were compared with corresponding records from the SRL Providence Quadrangle GJBX-15(81) Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Providence quadrangle water 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).
Providence Quadrangle Sediment Data - 309 records
Providence Quadrangle Water Data - 570 records
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 Providence quadrangle is not complete. Stream-sediment and stream-water samples were collected from New London and Windham Counties, Connecticut; Barnstable, Bristol, Norfolk, and Plymouth Counties, Massachusetts; and Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, and Washington Counties, Rhode Island. Ground-water samples were collected from New London and Windham Counties, Connecticut; Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, and Plymouth Counties, Massachusetts; and Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, and Washington Counties, Rhode Island. No samples were collected in the urban area of Providence or the tiny portion of New York State that falls within the Providence quadrangle. The laboratory and analytical methods used also may vary by county such that adjacent counties often have very different analytical coverage.
One water and thirteen sediment samples collected within the Providence quadrangle were not analyzed by any of the various laboratories. The following table summarizes the locations of those unanalyzed samples.
State | County | Sample Media | Unanalyzed Samples | Total Samples |
---|---|---|---|---|
Massachusetts | Plymouth | Sediment | 13 | 64 |
Rhode Island | Providence | Water | 1 | 66 |
Geology and Mineral Resources Study
A summary of the geology and mineral resources of the Baltimore, Boston, Lake Champlain, and Providence quadrangles prepared for the Savannah River Laboratory can be found in the GJBX-8(83) report. No geochemistry accompanies this report.
Providence Quadrangle NURE Summary
A NURE summary evaluation report was prepared for the Providence quadrangle by the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation [PGJ/F-101(82)]. An additional 240 rock samples were collected from the quadrangle in areas with potential for uranium occurrences. Some samples were analyzed for uranium by fluorometry and 29 other elements by emission spectrography. Some samples were analyzed for eU, eTh, and eK by gamma-ray spectrometry. These data were released only as appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report.
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Home Page: USGS National Geochemical Database - NURE HSSR data
Page written by Steven M. Smith.
Contact: Steven M. Smith (smsmith@usgs.gov)
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006
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