Rock Springs Quadrangle NURE HSSR Study

OFR 97-492: Rock Springs 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.]

LASL: Rock Springs Quadrangle
Totals of 1,794 sediment and 397 water samples were collected from 1,830 locations in the Rock Springs quadrangle between July and September, 1977 as part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Rock Springs Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. Sediment samples were analyzed by LASL for uranium and up to 42 additional elements. Water samples were analyzed by LASL for uranium only. These data were released in the Rock Springs Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-126(81) report.

Summary Tables
The following is a list of NURE sample types collected for the Rock Springs quadrangle study.

*Summary of Rock Springs quadrangle sample types.*
Sediment Sample Type	Number of Samples	Water Sample Type	Number of Samples
Wet Streams	231	Streams	230
Dry Streams	1,389	Wells	28
Wet Springs	119	Springs	123
Dry Springs	8	Artificial Ponds	16
Wet Natural Ponds	2
Dry Natural Ponds	16
Wet Artificial Ponds	18
Dry Artificial Ponds	11
Total Sediments	1,794	Total Waters	397

These Rock Springs 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.
LA2: Los Alamos Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of sediments for Ag, Bi, Cd, Cu, Nb, Ni, Pb, Sn, and W.
LA4: Los Alamos Arc-Source Emission Spectrography Analysis of sediments for Be and Li.
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

LA6-DN: Los Alamos Delayed-Neutron Counting Analysis of waters for U.
LA6-FL: Los Alamos Fluorometry Analysis of waters for U.

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Rock Springs Quadrangle

The Rock Springs quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Rock Springs Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-126(81) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Rock Springs quadrangle data:

Sediment Records

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.
A LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Rock Springs quadrangle sediment samples. The 1-letter+5-digit LASL Identification Number was saved in the LASLID field and the corresponding 6-digit site number was manually added to the SITE field. Therefore, the LASLID field contains the Identification Number found in the Rock Springs Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-126(81) report. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
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 sediment sample records contained values for the well pump type(WELLPUMP). This parameter was not normally recorded for sediment sample records. The values were removed from each record and added as a comment to the corresponding REFORMAT field.

Water Records

A LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Rock Springs quadrangle water samples. The 1-letter+5-digit LASL Identification Number was saved in the LASLID field and the corresponding 6-digit site number was manually added to the SITE field. Therefore, the LASLID field contains the Identification Number found in the Rock Springs Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-126(81) report. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.

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).

Rock Springs Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,794 records
Rock Springs Quadrangle Water Data - 397 records

Notes for Data Users

Water samples from the Rock Springs quadrangle were collected by 3 different methods with respect to filtering and acidification. The SAMPTYP code in the database identifies the sample media, source, and collection methodology. (See the SAMPTYP coding explanation in the On-Line Manual for USGS-Reformatted NURE HSSR Data Files for descriptions of different Sample Types.) Analytical data may not be directly comparable for water samples collected by different methods. One water sample type is specifically discussed in the Rock Springs Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-126(81) report.

"During the sampling period, several heavy rainstorms resulted in the greater availability of surface water than in a year of normal rainfall. Many samplers' comments noted that, as a result of heavy rainfalls, many stream water samples collected were extremely muddy and difficult to filter. In many cases, these samples were acidified and then filtered the next day. Stream water samples so treated are designated as type [SAMPTYP] 98 in the data ...."

During the reformatting process, these samples were assigned a new SAMPTYP value of 56.

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Rock Springs Quadrangle

Rock Springs Quadrangle NURE Summary
Morris & Warchola, Inc. produced a summary evaluation report for the Rock Springs quadrangle [PGJ/F-080(82)]. During this evaluation an additional 180 rock and 21 spring water samples were collected and analyzed. These multielement analytical data were released only as appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report.

Uranium Anomalies in Wyoming
The Bendix Field Engineering Corporation identified and ranked 269 uranium anomalies from 23 quadrangles in and adjacent to Wyoming. These anomalies were based on an evaluation of the NURE HSSR data, aerial radiometric reconnaissance surveys, and to a lesser extent, geologic evaluations. This report [GJBX-3(83)] lists 13 uranium anomalies that were identified in the Rock Springs quadrangle. No additional geochemical data accompany this report.

Great Divide Basin Potential Tonnage Assessment
The Bendix Field Engineering Corporation conducted a study to determine tonnage of potential uranium resources in fine-grained carbonaceous rocks from the Great Divide Basin area, which includes parts of the Casper, Lander, Rawlins, and Rock Springs quadrangles. This assessment was based primarily on data from some 600 boreholes. The report of this study [GJBX-225(82)] also includes appendices on microfiche that list data for analyses of drill core or cuttings for uranium (231 samples by fluorometric chemical analysis) and 18 selected elements (160 samples by emission spectroscopy analysis).

Rock Springs Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

Burger, J.A., Roe, L.M., II, Hacke, C.M., and Mosher, M.M., 1982, Uranium resources in fine-grained carbonaceous rocks of the Great Divide Basin, south-central Wyoming: U.S. Department of Energy, Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-225(82), 45 p.
Goodknight, C.S., Ludlam, J.R., Burger, J.A., Dickson, R.E., Dayvault, R.D., Dexter, J.J., and Anderson, J.R., 1982, Uranium anomalies in Wyoming and parts of adjacent states: U.S. Department of Energy, Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-3(83), 11 p.
Morgan, T.L., George, W.E., Gallimore, D.L., Hansel, J.M., Hensley, W.K., Jackson, C.K., and Bunker, M.E., 1981, Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance data release for the Rock Springs NTMS quadrangle, Wyoming, including concentrations of forty-two additional elements: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory informal report LA-7543-MS, Los Alamos, N.M., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-126(81), 172 p.
Morris, A.V., and Stanley, D.R., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Rock Springs quadrangle, Wyoming and Colorado: Morris & Warchola, Casper, Wyo., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-080(82), 42 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Wyoming NURE data
Back to Colorado 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 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

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U.S. Department of the Interior \| U.S. Geological Survey URL: https://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/quad/q_rocksp.htm Questions or Assistance: USGS Web Contact Page Last Modified: Wed Dec 7 16:14 EST 2016

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)