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Alaska Annual Data Report 2005

EXPLANATION OF GROUND-WATER-QUALITY DATA

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Data Collection and Computation

The ground-water-quality data in this report were obtained as a part of special studies in specific areas. Consequently, a number of chemical analyses are presented for some wells within a county but not for others. As a result, the records for this year, by themselves, do not provide a balanced view of ground-water quality statewide.

Most methods for collecting and analyzing water samples are described in the TWRIs, which may be accessed from https://pubs.usgs.gov/twri/. Procedures for onsite measurements and for collecting, treating, and shipping samples are given in TWRI, Book 1, Chapter D2; Book 5, Chapters A1, A3, and A4; and Book 9, Chapters A1-A6. Also, detailed information on collecting, treating, and shipping samples may be obtained from the USGS Water Science Center (see the address shown in the ACCESS section of this report).

The values in this report represent water-quality conditions at the time of sampling, as much as possible, and that are consistent with available sampling techniques and methods of analysis. These methods are consistent with ASTM standards and generally follow ISO standards. Trained personnel collected all samples. The wells sampled were pumped long enough to ensure that the water collected came directly from the aquifer and had not stood for a long time in the well casing where it would have been exposed to the atmosphere and to the material, possibly metal, comprising the casings.


Laboratory Measurements

Analysis for sulfide and measurement of alkalinity, pH, water temperature, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen are performed onsite. All other sample analyses are performed at the USGS laboratory in Lakewood, Colorado, unless otherwise noted. Methods used by the USGS laboratory are given in TWRI, Book 1, Chapter D2 and Book 5, Chapters A1, A3, and A4, which may be accessed from https://pubs.usgs.gov/twri/.


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