Backgrounds and Baselines Completed
This project developed a geochemical information base through studies ranging in scale from site-specific to regional and national.
Overview
A geochemical base of information is required to define the natural abundance and spatial distribution of chemical elements in the Earth's surface and subsurface environment to which changes caused by human activities (for example, urbanization, agriculture, mining, waste disposal and industrial pollution) or natural processes (for example, volcanic eruptions, floods, hurricanes, and dust storms) can be compared. This project developed this information base through studies ranging in scale from site-specific to regional and national. The resulting databases and interpretive products (including geochemical maps) are available for use by Federal, State, and local land management and environmental protection agencies to determine predevelopment geochemical backgrounds and current geochemical baselines for various sample media both at the surface (soils, stream sediment, and water) and in the subsurface (water and rocks). The information is available for use to detect and measure the magnitude of change in the chemistry of these materials caused by anthropogenic or natural processes. The preparation of these multi-element, multi-media geochemical baselines and their representation as geochemical maps was an essential first step for assessing and monitoring the state of the Earth's land surface.
Project Tasks
- Baseline Characterization and Monitoring of Minerals-Related Mitigation Sites and Undeveloped Mineral Deposits
- Leadership in IUGS/IAGC Working Group on Global Geochemical Baselines
- Three Dimensional Backgrounds and Baselines
- Environmental Behavior of Mineral Deposits in Alaska's National Parks
- Regional Geoscience Baseline Studies of the Fortymile and Goodpasture River Watershed, Alaska
- Sources and Cycling of Hg in Lakes and Reservoirs in the Central Region, USA
- Environmental Geochemistry in Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP), California
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Application of the National-Scale Soil Geochemical and Mineralogical Data for the Conterminous U.S.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Spatial databases for the geology of the northern Rocky Mountains — Idaho, Montana, and Washington
Role of large-scale fluid-flow in subsurface arsenic enrichment
Platinum-group element mineralization in the Stillwater Complex, Montana
Geochemical baseline studies and relations between water quality and streamflow in the Upper Blackfoot watershed, Montana: Data for July 1997-December 1998
The distribution of MVT-related metals in acid-insoluble residues of Paleozoic rocks in the Ozark Plateaus region of the United States
An overview of mercury transport, cycling, and environmental effects of mercury
Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1999
Environmental geochemistry at the global scale
Geochemical characterization of surface water and streambed sediment of the Blackfoot River, Montana, during low flow conditions, August 16-20, 1998
Environmental impact of elevated arsenic in Southern Appalachian Basin coals
Environmental geochemical studies of selected mineral deposits in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Regional geochemical results from the analyses of rock, water, soil, stream sediment, and vegetation samples : Fortymile River Watershed, east-central, Alaska, 1998 sampling
- Overview
This project developed a geochemical information base through studies ranging in scale from site-specific to regional and national.
Overview
A geochemical base of information is required to define the natural abundance and spatial distribution of chemical elements in the Earth's surface and subsurface environment to which changes caused by human activities (for example, urbanization, agriculture, mining, waste disposal and industrial pollution) or natural processes (for example, volcanic eruptions, floods, hurricanes, and dust storms) can be compared. This project developed this information base through studies ranging in scale from site-specific to regional and national. The resulting databases and interpretive products (including geochemical maps) are available for use by Federal, State, and local land management and environmental protection agencies to determine predevelopment geochemical backgrounds and current geochemical baselines for various sample media both at the surface (soils, stream sediment, and water) and in the subsurface (water and rocks). The information is available for use to detect and measure the magnitude of change in the chemistry of these materials caused by anthropogenic or natural processes. The preparation of these multi-element, multi-media geochemical baselines and their representation as geochemical maps was an essential first step for assessing and monitoring the state of the Earth's land surface.
Project Tasks
- Baseline Characterization and Monitoring of Minerals-Related Mitigation Sites and Undeveloped Mineral Deposits
- Leadership in IUGS/IAGC Working Group on Global Geochemical Baselines
- Three Dimensional Backgrounds and Baselines
- Environmental Behavior of Mineral Deposits in Alaska's National Parks
- Regional Geoscience Baseline Studies of the Fortymile and Goodpasture River Watershed, Alaska
- Sources and Cycling of Hg in Lakes and Reservoirs in the Central Region, USA
- Environmental Geochemistry in Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP), California
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Application of the National-Scale Soil Geochemical and Mineralogical Data for the Conterminous U.S.
Project goals were to produce interpretive products based on the existing national-scale geochemical and mineralogical data and maps for soils of the conterminous U.S. - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 31Spatial databases for the geology of the northern Rocky Mountains — Idaho, Montana, and Washington
No abstract available.AuthorsMichael L. Zientek, Pamela D. Derkey, Robert J. Miller, J. Douglas Causey, Arthur A. Bookstrom, Mary H. Carlson, Gregory N. Green, Thomas P. Frost, David E. Boleneus, Karl V. Evans, Bradley S. Van Gosen, Anna B. Wilson, Jeremy C. Larsen, Helen Z. Kayser, William N. Kelley, Kenneth C. AssmusRole of large-scale fluid-flow in subsurface arsenic enrichment
No abstract available.AuthorsMartin B. Goldhaber, R. Lee, Joseph R. Hatch, J.C. Pashin, J.D. TreworgyPlatinum-group element mineralization in the Stillwater Complex, Montana
No abstract available.AuthorsMichael L. Zientek, Roger W. Cooper, Sam R. Corson, E. P. GeraghtyGeochemical baseline studies and relations between water quality and streamflow in the Upper Blackfoot watershed, Montana: Data for July 1997-December 1998
We used ultraclean sampling techniques to study the solute (operationally defined asAuthorsSonia A. Nagorski, Johnnie N. Moore, David B. SmithThe distribution of MVT-related metals in acid-insoluble residues of Paleozoic rocks in the Ozark Plateaus region of the United States
No abstract available.AuthorsLopaka Lee, Martin B. GoldhaberAn overview of mercury transport, cycling, and environmental effects of mercury
No abstract available.AuthorsJohn E. GrayGeologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1999
The collection of nine papers that follow continue the series of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigative reports in Alaska under the broad umbrella of the geologic sciences. The series presents new and sometimes preliminary findings that are of interest to earth scientists in academia, government, and industry; to land and resource managers; and to the general public. Reports presented in GeolEnvironmental geochemistry at the global scale
Land degradation and pollution caused by population pressure and economic development pose a threat to the sustainability of the earth's surface, especially in tropical regions where a long history of chemical weathering has made the surface environment particularly fragile. Systematic baseline geochemical data provide a means of monitoring the state of the environment and identifying problem areaAuthorsJ. Plant, D. Smith, B. Smith, L. WilliamsGeochemical characterization of surface water and streambed sediment of the Blackfoot River, Montana, during low flow conditions, August 16-20, 1998
No abstract available.AuthorsSonia A. Nagorski, Temple E. McKinnon, J.N. Moore, D. B. SmithEnvironmental impact of elevated arsenic in Southern Appalachian Basin coals
No absstract available.AuthorsMartin B. Goldhaber, Elise R. Irwin, J. Brian Atkins, Robert Lopaka Lee, Humbert Zappia, Dee Dee Black, Robert B. FinklemanEnvironmental geochemical studies of selected mineral deposits in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Environmental geochemical investigations at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska, between 1994 and 1997 included studies of the Kennecott stratabound copper mines and mill area; historic mines and mill in the Bremner District, gold placer mines at Gold Hill; the undisturbed porphyry, Cu-Mo deposits at Orange Hill and Bond Creek, and the historic mines and mill at Nabesna, The studAuthorsRobert G. Eppinger, Paul H. Briggs, Danny Rosenkrans, Vanessa BallestrazzeRegional geochemical results from the analyses of rock, water, soil, stream sediment, and vegetation samples : Fortymile River Watershed, east-central, Alaska, 1998 sampling
No abstract available.AuthorsJ. G. Crock, L. P. Gough, R. B. Wanty, W. C. Day, B. Wang, B. M. Gamble, M. Henning, Z. A. Brown, A. L. Meier