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ORGDP: Seguin Quadrangle
Totals of 591 stream-sediment, 1,252 water and 142 plant samples were collected from the Seguin quadrangle by Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) personnel for the ORGDP Seguin Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. Sampling took place intermittently between March and October of 1976, May and September of 1977, and January and June of 1978. These samples were analyzed by the ORGDP for uranium and other elements. The analytical data were released as the Seguin Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-116(78) report.

Texas Gulf Coast Detailed Geochemical Survey
Between May and June of 1979, ORGDP conducted a detailed study along the outcrop of Lower Tertiary sediments of the Wilcox and Claiborne Groups in the Texas Gulf Coast area. A total of 125 stream-sediment samples and 821 ground-water samples were collected from the San Antonio, Seguin, Crystal City, and Del Rio quadrangles by ORGDP personnel. Of these samples, 74 sediments and 165 waters were collected within the Seguin quadrangle. ORGDP analyzed these samples for uranium and several additional elements. Some ground-water samples were also shipped to Furman University, Greenville, S.C. for helium and neon analyses. The analytical data were released with the Texas Gulf Coast Detailed Study GJBX-34(80) report.

Summary Tables
Because of the various analytical methods used, some ORGDP samples may have been analyzed once, twice, or not at all. The following table summarizes the analysis of Seguin quadrangle samples.

The following is a list of sample types collected for both NURE studies in the Seguin quadrangle.

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

Sediment Samples

• OR1: Oak Ridge Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of sediments for U.
• OR2: Oak Ridge Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for U.
• OR4: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of sediments for Ag, B, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Pt, Sc, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.
• OR5: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of sediments for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Sc, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr (Only one sample was analyzed by this method).
• OR6: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of sediments for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Sc, Sr, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.
• OR8: Oak Ridge Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of sediments for As and Se.

Water Samples

• OR9-FL: Oak Ridge Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of waters for U.
• OR9-MS: Oak Ridge Mass Spectrometry Analysis of waters for U.
• OR9-DN: Oak Ridge Neutron Activation Analysis-Neutron Counting of waters for U (1 sample only).
• OR10: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of waters for Ag, Au, Al, B, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Sc, Th, Ti, V, Zn, and Zr. (Note: Au values were only reported in the data tables on microfiche. All reported values were below the detection limit of 4 ppb (-4).)
• OR11: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of waters for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Sc, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.
• 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.)
• OR15: Oak Ridge Anion Optical Absorption (Technicon AutoAnalyzer) Analysis of waters for Sulfate only.
• OR16: Oak Ridge Anion Optical Absorption (Technicon AutoAnalyzer) Analysis of waters for Cl and Sulfate.
• OR17: Oak Ridge Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of waters for As and Se.
• OR-HN: Furman University Analysis of waters for He and Ne, reported as a ratio.

Plant Samples

• OR1-P: Oak Ridge Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of plants for U.
• OR2-P: Oak Ridge Neutron Activation Analysis of plants for U.
• OR4-P: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of plants for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Sc, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.
• OR6-P: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of plants for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Sc, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Seguin Quadrangle

The Seguin quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Seguin Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-116(78) report plus reformatted records from the Texas Gulf Coast Detailed Study GJBX-34(80) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Seguin quadrangle data:

Sediment Records

1. One sediment record was found in the digital data file that was missing in the Seguin Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-116(78) report. A comment noting this problem was added to the REFORMAT field for this record.
2. Eighty-six sediment samples from the Seguin Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-116(78) report were apparently analyzed by two different ORGDP multielement analysis methods. Because of overlapping data fields, it was necessary to create two data records for each sample to preserve all the data. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies each of these records.
3. 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.
4. One sample record contained an impossible values for the concentrations of aluminum (AL_PCT = 1500%) and iron (FE_PCT = 1000%). Although the most likely source of these errors is a missing decimal point, this could not be confirmed in published sources. These values were removed from the AL_PCT and FE_PCT fields and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
5. Four separate stream-sediment samples in this quadrangle have the same two latitude-longitude coordinates. It is unclear whether this represents two pairs of samples collected at the same sites or samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish.
6. One stream-sediment sample (represented by 2 records) originally had a latitude of exactly 29°N, the dividing line between the Seguin quadrangle and the Beeville quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Seguin Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-116(78) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Seguin quadrangle.
7. One stream-sediment sample (represented by 2 records) originally had a longitude of exactly 96°W, the dividing line between the Seguin quadrangle and the Houston quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Seguin Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-116(78) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Seguin quadrangle.
8. One stream-sediment sample originally had a longitude of exactly 98°W, the dividing line between the Seguin quadrangle and the San Antonio quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly based on values found in tables on microfiche within the Texas Gulf Coast Detailed Study GJBX-34(80) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Seguin quadrangle.

Water Records

1. One water record was found in the digital data file that was missing in the Seguin Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-116(78) report. A comment noting this problem was added to the REFORMAT field for this record.
2. 180 water samples from the Seguin Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-116(78) report were apparently analyzed by two different ORGDP multielement analysis methods. Because of overlapping data fields, it was necessary to create two data records for each sample to preserve all the data. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies each of these records.
3. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for 9 samples represented by 13 records. 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.
4. One water sample record contained an invalid value of 'G' for the well depth confidence (WLDPTCNF). It appears that the column was miscoded with values from an adjacent field on the original field note sample sheet. The correct value was not found. This value was removed from the WLDPTCNF field and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
5. One stream-water sample (represented by 2 records) originally had a latitude of exactly 29°N, the dividing line between the Seguin quadrangle and the Beeville quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Seguin Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-116(78) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Seguin quadrangle.
6. One stream-water sample originally had a longitude of exactly 96°W, the dividing line between the Seguin quadrangle and the Houston quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Seguin Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-116(78) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Seguin quadrangle.

Plant Records

1. The Seguin Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-116(78) report includes data for 142 plant samples collected in the Seguin quadrangle.
2. At the time of this Open-File release (v. 1.41), the ORGDP plant data have not been completely reformatted and released for downloading. See the ORGDP Plant Data page for a more detailed description of the data format and plant data availability.

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).

Seguin Quadrangle Sediment Data - 751 records
Seguin Quadrangle Water Data - 1,597 records

Notes for Data Users

The ORGDP water samples were reportedly collected in the field without any filtering or acidification. (See the SAMPTYP coding explanation in the On-Line Manual for USGS-Reformatted NURE HSSR Data Files for descriptions of different Sample Types). However, the samples were filtered later in the laboratory through a 0.45 micron membrane filter before analysis. Therefore, the samples were not true "untreated water" samples and the analytical data may not be directly comparable for other quadrangle water samples of the same SAMPTYP when collected by a different laboratory. Since this was the standard procedure for Oak Ridge, water data from other Oak Ridge quadrangles should be comparable.

Latitude-longitude coordinates were reported in the original data files, as decimal degrees, to only 3 decimal places. Therefore, the precision of these coordinates is limited to +/- 0.001 degrees or +/- 3.6 seconds. This translates to a minimum precision of +/- 363 feet (111 m) for latitude values and between +/- 343 feet (101 m) to +/- 331 feet (97 m) for longitude values (calculated at latitudes of 25° and 30°N, respectively.)

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Seguin Quadrangle

Karnes County, Texas Orientation Study
The Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) conducted a NURE Orientation Study in Karnes County, Texas (located within the Beeville, Crystal City, San Antonio and Seguin quadrangles). This study targeted an area that contains known classic roll-front deposits that had been drilled but not yet mined at the time of the survey. A total of 51 ground-water, 16 stream-water, 16 suspended-sediment, and 38 stream-bed sediment samples were collected in Karnes County. Ground-water samples were analyzed for U by fluorometry and for an additional 30 elements; sediments samples were also analyzed for U and for 5 other elements. Some samples were also analyzed by the ORGDP for uranium by fluorometry and the results match closely with those obtained by SRL. The data (both SRL and ORGDP) are found as tables within the Karnes County, Texas Orientation Study GJBX-130(82) report.

Seguin Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation of the Seguin quadrangle was prepared by Bendix Field Engineering Corporation [PGJ/F-072(82)] As part of this process, 17 rock samples were collected and analyzed for U by fluorometry and for an additional 34 elements. An additional 45 well-water and 33 stream-water samples were collected and analyzed for U by fluorometry. Data are only found as tables in the appendices on microfiche accompanying the report. The results of this study suggest that there are 27 areas favorable for Texas roll-type uranium deposits within the Seguin quadrangle. These areas include locations within the Catahoula Formation and the Oakville Sandstone.

Seguin Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• Butz, T.R., Putney, T.R., Bard, C.S., Helgerson, R.N., and Grimes, J.G., 1980, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment detailed geochemical survey for Texas Gulf Coast: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-30, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-34(80), 193 p.
• Droddy, M.J., and Havorka, S., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Seguin quadrangle, Texas: Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-072(82), 23 p.
• Steele, K.F., 1982, Karnes County, Texas, Area hydrogeochemical and stream uranium orientation study: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-141-18, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-130(82), 14 p.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1978, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Seguin NTMS quadrangle, Texas: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-108, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-116(78), 175 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Texas NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE HSSR Data
Home Page: USGS National Geochemical Database - NURE HSSR data

Page written by Bryan G. Moravec and Steven M. Smith
Contact: Steven M. Smith (smsmith@usgs.gov)
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_seguin.htm Questions or Assistance: USGS Web Contact Page Last Modified: Wed Dec 7 16:15 EST 2016