OFR 97-492: Spartanburg 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.]

South Carolina
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 3,618 stream-sediment and 3,945 ground-water samples within 46 counties from South Carolina as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sediment samples were collected during June - October 1976; April 1977; and January - April 1978, and water samples were collected during December 1976 - July 1977 and January - September 1978. Sample coverage included portions of the Athens, Augusta, Charlotte, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, James Island, Knoxville, Savannah, and Spartanburg 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 1,114 stream-sediment and 715 ground-water samples were collected within the Spartanburg quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters). SRL was able to analyze 3,581 sediments and 3,941 waters from South Carolina; this includes 1,098 sediment and 715 water samples from the Spartanburg quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all South Carolina samples were released in the North and South Carolina Data Report [GJBX-102(82)].

SRL sent 2,483 sediment samples from South Carolina to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 2,476 of these samples in the North and South Carolina Data Report [GJBX-102(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report include Supplemental Analyses for 1,098 South Carolina sediment samples within the Spartanburg quadrangle.

North Carolina
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 6,666 stream-sediment, 295 surface-water, and 5,778 ground-water samples within 100 counties from North Carolina as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sediment samples were collected during June - December 1976; July - August 1977; and April - May 1978, and water samples were collected during December 1976 - August 1977 and June - July 1978. Sample coverage included portions of the Beaufort, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Currituck Sound, Florence, Georgetown, Greensboro, Greenville, Johnson City, Knoxville, Manteo, Norfolk, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Rome, Spartanburg, and Winston-Salem 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 92 stream-sediment and 57 ground-water samples were collected within the Spartanburg quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters). SRL was able to analyze 6,597 sediments and 6,040 waters from North Carolina; this includes all 92 sediment and 57 water samples from the Spartanburg quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all North Carolina samples were released in the North and South Carolina Data Report [GJBX-102(82)].

SRL sent 4,677 sediment samples from North Carolina to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 4,660 of these samples in the North and South Carolina Data Report [GJBX-102(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report include Supplemental Analyses for all 92 North Carolina sediment samples within the Spartanburg quadrangle.

SRL: Spartanburg Quadrangle
SRL released a separate quadrangle report for the Spartanburg NTMS quadrangle, which includes data for 1,202 stream-sediment and 771 ground-water samples. With only a few exceptions, these analytical data are different than those found for corresponding sample records in the North and South Carolina State reports. SRL released the analytical data as the Spartanburg Quadrangle GJBX-9(78) Preliminary Basic Data Report. The site coding information for this data set is summarized within the text of this report.

SRL: Athens, Charlotte, Greenville, and Spartanburg Quadrangles
SRL released a separate report for supplemental analyses of 5,068 sediment samples from the Athens, Charlotte, Greenville, and Spartanburg quadrangles. Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 19 elements were reported for 5,032 of these samples in the Athens, Charlotte, Greenville, and Spartanburg NTMS Quadrangle Areas, Supplemental Data Release [GJBX-73(79)]. The digital data file accompanying this report includes supplemental analyses records for all 1,190 sediment samples collected within the Spartanburg quadrangle.

Aiken County Gorceixite Area
Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) conducted a detailed study of the Aiken and Lexington County areas within the Augusta 1:250,000-scale quadrangle. During the Spring and Summer of 1979, 702 stream-sediment, 545 ground-water, and 804 surface-water samples were collected from Aiken County as part of that detailed survey. This survey was undertaken in order to determine the origin, abundance, and areal extent of uraniferous gorceixite deposits in the Aiken and Lexington Counties, South Carolina. Gorceixite is a hydrated barium aluminum phosphate mineral that occurs in Aiken County as thin seams and nodules. All of the samples collected for this survey were analyzed by SRL and the data released in the NURE Detailed Sampling in Aiken County, South Carolina GJBX-33(83) report. (Note: One sediment and one water sample collected at a single stream site during this study appears to be located just north of the Augusta quadrangle border inside the Spartanburg quadrangle).

In addition, 1,306 water samples collected for the Aiken County Gorceixite Area detailed survey were sent to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) for supplemental analyses. The supplemental data were released as the Aiken County Detailed Survey GJBX-175(82) abbreviated report (on microfiche only). The site coding information for this data set was summarized in the GJBX-164(82) report. One of these water samples was apparently collected in the Spartanburg quadrangle.

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 Spartanburg quadrangle samples.

Combination of laboratories that analyzed samples for the Spartanburg quadrangle.
Laboratory Analysis Sediments Waters
Only SRL 16 772
Both SRL and Supplemental Labs 1,190 0
Both SRL and ORGDP (2 records per sample) 0 1
Second SRL analysis on sample 1,187 0
None 1 0
Total Samples 1,207 773
Total Data Records 2,394 774

The following is a list of all sediment and water sample types collected and reported for NURE studies in the Spartanburg quadrangle.

Summary of Spartanburg quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type Number of Samples Water Sample Type Number of Samples
Wet Streams 1,207 Streams 1
    Wells 743
    Springs 29
Total Sediments 1,207 Total Waters 773

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

Sediment Samples

Water Samples



Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Spartanburg Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Spartanburg quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted records from the North and South Carolina portions of the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report These records were compared with corresponding sample records from the Spartanburg quadrangle GJBX-9(78) Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Spartanburg quadrangle sediment data:

  1. For 14 records, NAA analytical values were not present in the South Carolina State Files, but were present in the Spartanburg quadrangle files. These records were added from the to the database from the Spartanburg quadrangle files.
  2. For 1,187 records, Spartanburg quadrangle Neutron Activation Analytical values were significantly different from those found in the corresponding records from the North and South Carolina State files. For all of these affected records, the differences between Spartanburg quadrangle files and North and South Carolina State files required the creation of two separate records for each sample to preserve all the data.
  3. During the comparison phase, one sample was found that had different values for uranium in the U_DN_PPM field. Since this was the only difference between corresponding records in the State files and in the quadrangle file, the two records were combined into a single record for this sample. The extra U_DN_PPM value from the Spartanburg quadrangle file was added to the U_XX_PPM field.
  4. The date on which a sample was analyzed by Neutron Activation Analysis was only recorded in the State digital data files from the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report. This information was added to each of combined sediment data records.
  5. During reformatting, contamination codes for "residential" and "recreation" were found to be missing from the state CONTAMC field. These codes were present in the quadrangle format and were added to the final digital data file.
  6. The coordinates for one stream sediment sample from the Augusta quadrangle-Aiken County Gorceixite Area Study located the sample within the Spartanburg quadrangle. The record for this sample was assigned to the Spartanburg quadrangle.
  7. Two stream-sediment samples were identified with a SRLID in the 300's. All of these samples were missing latitude and longitude coordinates. Evidence from original sample site field notes strongly suggests that these are duplicate samples collected later from a previously sampled 000's series site (i.e. SRLID site number ABCD318S1 is the same location as ABCD018S1). The coordinates from the original 000's series sites were added to the matching 300's records and this change was noted in the REFORMAT and COORDPRB comment fields.
  8. An analysis of latitude-longitude site coordinates identified several stream-sediment samples that were missing coordinates, did not plot within expected state, county, or map boundaries, or had differing coordinates in corresponding records. To correct or confirm sample coordinates, the original field collection maps for Union County, South Carolina were obtained and re-digitized. The newly re-digitized coordinates were added to the database and the coordinates from the original file(s) were recorded in the COORDPRB comment field. When the newly re-digitized coordinates were not significantly different, that confirmation of the site location was also noted in the COORDPRB comment field.
  9. 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.

Water Records
The Spartanburg quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the Spartanburg Quadrangle GJBX-9(78) Data Report. These records were compared with corresponding sample records from the the North and South Carolina portions of the North and South Carolina [GJBX-102(82)] Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Spartanburg quadrangle water data:

  1. The analytical values for many U, Al, Br, Dy, and Mn determinations differed slightly between the Spartanburg quadrangle files and the North and South Carolina State files. These variations are apparently due only to differences in rounding versus truncation of reported values or to differences in the number of recorded significant digits. Since the variation was insignificant, only one set of the values was retained for the affected elements.
  2. For 8 records, analytical values for Mn were found in the Spartanburg quadrangle file but were missing in the corresponding records from the North Carolina State files. These missing values were noted for each affected record in the REFORMAT comment field.
  3. The coordinates for one stream water sample from the Augusta quadrangle-Aiken County Gorceixite Area Study located the sample within the Spartanburg quadrangle. Two records for this sample were assigned to the Spartanburg quadrangle; one record of the SRL analytical data and one record containing the ORGDP Supplemental analytical data. These records could not be combined due to overlapping determinations for five elements.
  4. The original NURE format for surface-water files did not include much information about the character of the sample location. This missing information includes observations taken at each site on the stream width, depth, and flow, water color, surrounding vegetation, local relief, weather, and possible contaminants. This information is given in records for stream-sediment samples that were collected at the same locations. The available site descriptive information for stream-water sites were compared with the corresponding stream-sediment site records. The missing site descriptive data were then added to stream-water records from the corresponding stream-sediment sample records. Sources of data and any problems found are described in the REFORMAT comment field.
  5. The original ORGDP files for the Aiken County Gorceixite Area Study did not include all of the information about the character of the sample location. This missing information includes observations taken at each site on the stream width, depth, and flow, water color, surrounding vegetation, local relief, weather, and possible contaminants. In addition, the longitude coordinate reported in the ORGDP file only had 3 decimal places instead of the 4 decimal places found in the corresponding records from SRL files. The missing site descriptive data and the complete longitude value were added to ORGDP records from the corresponding SRL file records. Sources of data and any problems found are described in the REFORMAT comment field.
  6. An analysis of latitude-longitude site coordinates identified several ground-water samples that were missing coordinates, did not plot within expected state, county, or map boundaries, or had differing coordinates in corresponding records. To correct or confirm sample coordinates, the original field collection maps for Anson County, North Carolina; and Cherokee, Darlington, Greenwood, Kershaw, Laurens, Lee, Spartanburg, Sumpter, and York Counties, South Carolina were obtained and re-digitized. The newly re-digitized coordinates were added to the database and the coordinates from the original file(s) were recorded in the COORDPRB comment field. When the newly re-digitized coordinates were not significantly different, that confirmation of the site location was also noted in the COORDPRB 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).

Spartanburg Quadrangle Sediment Data - 2,394 records
Spartanburg Quadrangle Water Data - 774 records



Notes for Data Users

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 Spartanburg quadrangle is complete and includes samples from Anson and Union Counties in North Carolina; and Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Darlington, Fairfield, Florence, Greenwood, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Newberry, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumpter, Union, and York Counties in South Carolina. The laboratory and analytical methods used also may vary by county such that adjacent counties often have very different analytical coverage.

One stream-sediment sample from Spartanburg County within the Spartanburg quadrangle was not analyzed by any of the various laboratories.



Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Spartanburg Quadrangle

Geochemical Anomaly Evaluation Studies
The University of Georgia, under subcontract to Bendix Field Engineering Corp., evaluated uranium anomalies in the Charlotte, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Winston-Salem quadrangles of the southeastern United States and in the Tallahassee Creek area of the Pueblo quadrangle in Colorado. During this study, 170 stream-sediment samples were collected at 26 sites. Up to four different subsets of these samples were analyzed: Fe, Mn, and U in oxalic acid residues derived from boulder coatings; U and Fe in oxalic acid residues derived from -80 mesh stream sediment; total U, Th, and Fe in -80 mesh stream sediments with heavy minerals removed; and total U and Th in -80 mesh stream sediments. The analytical data for these samples were released as appendices in the GJBX-114(80) report.

As part of the development program to support interpretation of the geochemical data, SRL conducted a series of "anomaly verification" field studies. These studies areas were chosen based on a geochemical anomaly found in reconnaissance data. A synthesis of published data and the results of a four-channel gamma spectrometer survey of an area near Pacolet Mills, South Carolina was published as GJBX-350(81). This area is located in the northwestern corner of the Spartanburg NTMS quadrangle and includes portions of the Spartanburg, Union, and Cherokee Counties.

Spartanburg Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation report was prepared for the Spartanburg quadrangle by the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation [GJQ-004(80)]. As part of the evaluation, an additional 1,259 samples of rock, sand, and mineral were collected from selected areas of the quadrangle. Radiometric measurements were taken from these samples, 225 were submitted for petrographic, heavy-mineral, and X-ray diffraction analysis, and 217 samples were submitted for emission spectrometry, fluorometric uranium, and gamma-ray spectrometric analysis. A total of 256 ground-water samples were analyzed for uranium with a Scintrex UA-3 Uranium Analyzer. The analytical data for these samples were released only as appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report.

Wadesboro Triassic Basin Detailed Study
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, under subcontract to Savannah River Laboratory, conducted a preliminary study of the Wadesboro Triassic Basin, North Carolina, to evaluate the potential for uranium deposits [GJBX-32(82)]. This area occupies parts of the Charlotte, Florence, Raleigh, and Spartanburg 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. A total of 216 gamma-ray spectrometric measurements were taken at 165 sites in the Wadesboro Basin and at 37 sites in the adjacent Piedmont. Data tables of analytical results are included within the report. No digital data files were available for reformatting.

Mineral Chemistry of the Southeastern Piedmont
SRL conducted an analysis of monazite, zircon, and apatite in the Southeastern Piedmont [GJBX-101(82)]. SRL collected 263 monazite, 191 zircon, and 16 apatite grains from 52 stream-sediment locations and analyzed them by electron microprobe for one of the two following suites of elements: Ca, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Er, Dy, Y, Th, U, and F, or Ca, La, Ce, Fe, Er, Hf, Y, Th, U, P, Zr, Mg, Al, and Si. Samples were collected along eight traverses where reconnaissance data had previously revealed high concentrations of uranium, thorium, and cerium in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina (Athens, Augusta, Charlotte, Greenville, Knoxville, and Spartanburg 1:250,000-scale quadrangles). Data tables of analytical results are included within the report. No digital data files were available for reformatting.

North America and Africa Plutonic Rocks Special Study
The SRL in contract with the Department of Geology of the University of North Carolina conducted a special study to investigate the association of uranium deposits with granitic source or host rocks. The analytical results from 441 samples of 92 plutons were released in the North America and Africa Plutonic Rocks Special Study GJBX-221(82) report. See the North America and Africa Plutonic Rocks Special Study for the data and a more detailed description of this study. Plutons that were apparently sampled in the Spartanburg quadrangle include the Catawba (7 samples); Clouds Creek(6); Clover(1); Edgemoor(5); Great Falls(6); Lancaster Co. Gabbro(1); Lexington(4); Liberty Hill(6); Lowrys(6); Pageland(4); Winnsboro(9); and York Co. Gabbro(1).

Characteristics of the Southeastern Piedmont
Bendix Field Engineering Corporation released a report that contains stream-sediment, hydrogeochemical, and aeromagnetic data for 16 contiguous NTMS quadrangles in the eastern United States [GJBX-40(83)]. This compilation report is limited in scope to features that have specific interest to the geoscience community. Included in the report are aeromagnetic and geochemical maps, and tectonic and igneous rock distribution maps. When used together, these maps show geochemical, tectonic, and magnetic features unique to many of the geologic and physiographic provinces in the region. This report primarily covers the Southeastern Piedmont region and includes the Athens, Augusta, Bluefield, Charlotte, Florence, Georgetown, Greensboro, Greenville, Knoxville, Norfolk, Raleigh, Richmond, Roanoke, Rocky Mount, Spartanburg and Winston-Salem 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. The color maps are in 35mm-slide format. No digital data files accompany this report.



Spartanburg Quadrangle NURE Bibliography



Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to South Carolina NURE data
Back to North Carolina NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE 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 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006

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