OFR 97-492: Valdez Quadrangle NURE HSSR Study
 |
| About USGS / Science Topics / Maps, Products & Publications / Education / Publication: FAQ |
|
>> Pubs Warehouse > OF 97-492 > State Coverage > Alaska NURE data > Valdez Quadrangle
[See History of NURE HSSR Program for a summary of the entire program.]
During the summer of 1975, the Alaska State Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS), conducted a uranium reconnaissance study within 13 Alaska quadrangles. Totals of 644 sediment and 601 water samples from 694 locations from this study were sent to LASL for analysis. LASL analyzed these samples for uranium and the analytical data were released in the GJBX-79(78) report. This report includes results for 43 sediment samples and 36 water samples collected from 45 locations within the Valdez quadrangle.
Totals of 971 sediment and 1,187 water samples were collected from 1,198 locations between June and July of 1977 within the Valdez quadrangle as part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Valdez Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. All samples were analyzed by LASL for uranium. The sediment samples were additionally analyzed for up to 43 more elements. LASL was unable to complete the Valdez quadrangle data release report. The data were sent to the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation in Grand Junction, Colorado and subsequently published on the microfiche GJBX-90(81) report. This report does not give any details on the sample collection or analytical methods used for these samples.
The following is a list of NURE sample types collected in the Valdez quadrangle.
| Sediment Sample Type | Number of Samples | Water Sample Type | Number of Samples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet Streams (< 100 mesh) | 448 | Streams | 520 |
| Wet Streams (< 80 mesh) | 36 | Lakes | 685 |
| Dry Streams (< 100 mesh) | 9 | Springs | 18 |
| Dry Streams (< 80 mesh) | 7 | ||
| Wet Lakes (< 100 mesh) | 500 | ||
| Wet Springs (< 100 mesh) | 14 | ||
| Total Sediments | 1,014 | Total Waters | 1,223 |
These Valdez quadrangle samples were analyzed by one or more of the following methods:
Sediment Samples
Water Samples
The data in the NEW-FORMAT NURE data files consist of 971 reformatted sediment records and 1,187 reformatted water records from the GJBX-90(81) report, and 43 sediment records and 36 water record from the GJBX-79(78) report. Any changes in the data or problems found are noted in the REFORMAT comment field.
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).
Valdez Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,013 records
Valdez Quadrangle Water Data - 1,222 records
Water samples from this quadrangle are reported to have been acidified with nitric acid but NOT filtered in the field.
Some of the reconnaissance survey data given in the LASL GJBX-79(78) report were previously published by the Alaska State Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) in the GJBX-28(77) Part 1 report. In order "to aid in determining the uranium potential of the state," DGGS conducted a "reconnaissance program in west-central Alaska and in the Copper River Basin-Chitina River Valley" that included parts of the Valdez quadrangle. In GJBX-28(77) Part 1, DGGS reports tabulated analytical results for 916 stream-sediment samples, 427 bedrock samples, and 565 water samples that were collected for the study. The stream-sediment and bedrock samples were analyzed for U by LASL and Resource Associates of Alaska (RAA), and for Th and potassium-oxide by DGGS using undetermined methods. The water samples were analyzed for U by LASL using a neutron counting method. This earlier report contains more samples and additional analyses that were not included in the later LASL GJBX-79(78) report. In addition, the sample identifier numbers were changed between publications. These data are only found in tabulated appendices within the GJBX-28(77) Part 1 report. The results that were published in the later GJBX-79(78) LASL report can be found in the NEW-FORMAT NURE data files as noted above.
Part 2 of the same DGGS reconnaissance survey report also includes the U, Th, and potassium-oxide values for 119 of the rock samples described above. These data appear to be the same as the values given in Part 1. In addition, Part 2 tabulates results of modal analyses for 109 of the rock samples. These data can be found in the appendices to the GJBX-28(77) Part 2 DGGS report.
LASL compiled all of the regional HSSR data from Alaskan NURE studies and produced a report [GJBX-32(83] that graphically displays the distribution of selected elements for most of the State. No additional geochemical data were released with this report.
Back to Alaska 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
| AccessibilityFOIAPrivacyPolicies and Notices | |
 |
|
