The National Geochemical Data Base (NGDB)

The National Geochemical Data Base (NGDB) "http://minerals.cr.usgs.gov/projects/geochem_database/index.html" The NGDB consists of 1) the original RASS and PLUTO data from the USGS labs, which are now stored in a common format under the ORACLE relational database management system; 2) the NURE data, which have been reformatted and reside currently on the following web site: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/ where downloads may be made on the basis of 1:250000-scale quadrangles; and 3) the newly generated data (approximately 1996 - present) which reside on the Laboratory Information Management System. The enhancements to the NGDB will enable both USGS scientists and external customers to more easily extract immediately useable data on a national, regional, and local scale to help establish a baseline for the abundance and spatial distribution of chemical elements in the Earth's surficial materials. The National Geochemical Data Base (NGDB) contains more than two million data records for samples of stream sediment, soil, rock, water, panned concentrate, drill core, and vegetation collected during geochemical surveys conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other Federal Government agencies. The data are from samples collected in the United States and foreign countries. The NGDB includes data from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Mineral Resource Assessment Program (NMRAP) and the Department of Energy's National Uranium Resourse Evaluation Hydrogeo-chemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (NURE HSSR) program. Data from the Rock Analysis Storage System (RASS) are also included. Samples collected by USGS scientists were subjected to a variety of analytical techniques depending on the research project being conducted. Some of the methods applied were emission spectroscopy, neutron activation, x-ray emission, atomic adsorption, and several wet chemical and other instrumental methods. Further, most of the samples from which the NGDB was generated are held in archival storage and are available for further analysis. This data set includes the location name, latitude/longitude, rock name, formation, geologic age, material class, sample source, sample type, and chemical analyses information on rocks, soils, sediments, minerals, and plants. The part of the NGDB containing the NURE HSSR data for the conterminous United States has been published as a CD-ROM as USGS Digital Data Series DDS-18-A and 18-B. Data may be searched and retrieved by sample type, 1 X 2 quadrangle name, latitude and longitude, element concentration range, or any combination of these criteria. CD-ROMs are being developed for additional parts of the NGDB. Other data in the NGDB are available by writing the Data Center Contact above.