Reanalysis of Additional Selected Archived NURE-HSSR Sediment Samples from Idaho and Montana

Dates

Publication Date: 2021-03-02
Start Date: 1976
End Date: 2020

Citation

Smith, S.M., Azain, J.S., Bueghly, Z.C., and Ingraham, A.D., 2021, Reanalysis of Additional Selected Archived NURE-HSSR Sediment Samples from Idaho and Montana: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9XFFORC.

Summary

In December of 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) signed a Technical Assistance Agreement with a third party to reanalyze 2,324 archived sample splits collected as part of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) project from selected areas in Idaho and Montana. A small amount (approximately 0.25 grams [g]) of sieved <75-micron sample material was retrieved from the USGS National Geochemical Sample Archive for geochemical analysis. These samples were analyzed for 48 elements by ALS Global laboratories using their ultra-trace four-acid-digestion dual-mode inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) (ALS ME-MS61L) method (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, [...]

Summary

In December of 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) signed a Technical Assistance Agreement with a third party to reanalyze 2,324 archived sample splits collected as part of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) project from selected areas in Idaho and Montana. A small amount (approximately 0.25 grams [g]) of sieved <75-micron sample material was retrieved from the USGS National Geochemical Sample Archive for geochemical analysis. These samples were analyzed for 48 elements by ALS Global laboratories using their ultra-trace four-acid-digestion dual-mode inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) (ALS ME-MS61L) method (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, Hf, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Re, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Ta, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Zn, Zr). These data are comparable to those reported by Smith and others (2018, 2019). A subset of these samples, as identified by the collaborating party, was additionally analyzed by ALS Global laboratories for stable lead isotopes (²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁶Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb, and ²⁰⁸Pb).

Blind standard reference materials (SRM) and sample duplicates were inserted by the USGS into every job of 36 samples to ensure the quality of the data. The results from these quality control (QC) samples, along with QC samples inserted by the laboratory, were evaluated for every job by a QC Manager. Only data that passed these checks were approved for release. Samples with analytical results that failed to pass the QC checks were reanalyzed and re-evaluated before the data were approved for release.

The archived sample splits came from the NURE program, which began in 1973 with a primary goal of identifying uranium resources in the U.S. As one of nine components of the NURE program, the HSSR project systematically sampled the U.S. between 1976 and 1980 under the direction of four U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories. Although there was some collaboration, each DOE laboratory developed its own sample collection, analytical, and data management methodologies, and hired contractors to do much of the actual work.

Initially, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) was responsible for the western states of Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington; Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) was responsible for the Rocky Mountain States (Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming) as well as Alaska; the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) was responsible for 12 central Plains and upper Great Lakes States; and Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) was responsible for the remaining 23 states along the Eastern Seaboard, lower Great Lakes, Appalachians, and Gulf Coast. However, by 1979 the areas of responsibility had changed from state lines to 2-degree quadrangle boundaries and SRL had taken over the responsibility for completing the seven western states formerly assigned to LLL. Thus, quadrangles in the western third of the U.S. were variously sampled and analyzed by LLL, LASL, and SRL. Due to the enormous number of samples collected by these laboratories, some were sent to ORGDP for additional chemical analyses (Information Systems Programs, 1985; Smith, 1997).

Geochemical samples were collected from multiple sources (78 percent stream-, 8 percent lake-, and 2 percent spring-sediments, and 12 percent soils). Analytical methods differed between laboratories and evolved over time so that 29 single- and multi-element analytical procedures, or variations thereof, were used during the project. The NURE-HSSR sediment and soil database compiled by Smith (1997) provides analytical results for 54 different elements (Ag, Al, As, Au, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Eu, F, Fe, Hf, Hg, K, La, Li, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Pt, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, Ti, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn, and Zr). However, no sample was analyzed for more than 46 elements, some were analyzed for uranium only, and a few samples were never analyzed at all. Funding cuts after 1980 curtailed the NURE-HSSR sampling efforts and left the project incomplete with only 65% coverage of the U.S. The NURE program effectively ended about 1983-84. Out of a total of 625 quadrangles that cover the entire lower 48 States and Alaska, only 307 quadrangles were completely sampled, and another 86 quadrangles were partially sampled. In 1984, all of the NURE-HSSR data, maps, field notes, and archived samples splits were transferred to the USGS (Grimes, 1984).

Despite inconsistencies in sample media, elements analyzed, and analytical methods used, the original data, and particularly data from reanalysis of archived NURE-HSSR samples, have been very useful for a variety of USGS studies ranging from regional-scale mineral resource assessments to environmental investigations (Smith and others, 2013). Due to the number of different DOE laboratories, analytical methods, and sample media used, the NURE-HSSR data from the western third of the United States have the largest number of inconsistencies and are the most difficult to use on a regional basis. This area contains several large mining districts and continues to be an area of exploration interest for undiscovered mineral resources.

References cited

Grimes, J.G., 1984, NURE HSSR geochemical sample archives transfer report-Part 3, Geochemical Analysis: Oak Ridge, Tenn., Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant K/UR-500, Part 3, 154 p., https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/pubs/kur-500.pdf.

Information Systems Programs, Energy Resources Institute, 1985, A technical history of the NURE HSSR program: Report of University of Oklahoma prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-2(85), 58 p., https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/pubs/gjbx_2(85).pdf.

Smith, D.B., Smith, S.M., and Horton, J.D., 2013, History and evaluation of national-scale geochemical data sets for the United States: Geoscience Frontiers, v.4, n.2, p. 167-183, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2012.07.002.

Smith, S.M., 1997 National Geochemical Database; Reformatted data from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) Program, Version 1.41 (2006): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 97-492, http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/index.html.

Smith, S.M., Azain, J.S., Bueghly, Z.C., and Olinger, D.A., 2018, Reanalysis of Selected Archived NURE-HSSR Sediment and Soil Samples from Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah (ver. 7.0, October 2020): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7765DHF.

Smith, S.M., Johnson, M.R., Azain, J.S., Bueghly, Z.C., and Ingraham, A.D., 2019, Reanalysis of Selected Archived NURE-HSSR Sediment and Soil Samples from Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9PS1KSK.

Contacts

Point of Contact :: Steven M Smith
Originator :: Steven M Smith, Jaime S Azain, Zachary C Bueghly, Andrew D Ingraham
Process Contact :: Steven M Smith
Metadata Contact :: Steven M Smith, GS GGGSC DM Team
Publisher :: U.S. Geological Survey
Data Owner :: Mineral Resources Program
SCD Data Owner :: Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Distributor :: U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase
SDC Data Owner :: Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
USGS Mission Area :: Energy and Minerals

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MetaData_Reanalyzed_NURE-HSSR_IDMT.xml Original FGDC Metadata	View	76.06 KB	application/fgdc+xml
Reanalyzed_NURE-HSSR_IDMT.accdb		3.5 MB	application/x-msaccess
Reanalyzed_NURE-HSSR_IDMT.csv		1.12 MB	text/csv
NURE_Reanalysis_DataDictionary.csv		19.28 KB	text/csv
MetaData_Reanalyzed_NURE-HSSR_IDMT.docx		51.3 KB	application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document

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Reanalyzed_NURE-HSSR_IDMT.shp		63.64 KB
Reanalyzed_NURE-HSSR_IDMT.shx		18.25 KB

Related External Resources

Type: Citation

NURE HSSR geochemical sample archives transfer report-Part 3, Geochemical Analysis: Oak Ridge, Tenn., Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant K/UR-500, Part 3	https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/pubs/kur-500.pdf
A technical history of the NURE HSSR program	https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/pubs/gjbx_2(85).pdf
History and evaluation of national-scale geochemical data sets for the United States	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2012.07.002
National Geochemical Database; Reformatted data from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) Program, Version 1.41 (2006)	http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/index.html
Reanalysis of Selected Archived NURE-HSSR Sediment and Soil Samples from Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah (ver. 7.0, October 2020)	https://doi.org/10.5066/F7765DHF
Reanalysis of Selected Archived NURE-HSSR Sediment and Soil Samples from Alaska	https://doi.org/10.5066/P9PS1KSK

Type: Web Link

Mineral Resources Program National Geochemical Database web page	https://www.usgs.gov/energy-and-minerals/mineral-resources-program/science/national-geochemical-database?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

Purpose

The purpose of this data release is to make the reanalyzed NURE-HSSR data publicly available. The data from this effort complements the NURE-HSSR database (Smith, 1997) and analytical data from other existing USGS data sets. These data may be useful for facilitating geologic mapping, mineral resource assessments and favorability, definition of geochemical baseline values and statistics, environmental impact assessments, and studies in medical geology.

Reanalysis of Additional Selected Archived NURE-HSSR Sediment Samples from Idaho and Montana

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