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.

Science Issue and Relevance
The USGS Soil Geochemical Landscapes of the Conterminous United States Project (2011-2015) published national-scale geochemical and mineralogical data and maps for soils of the conterminous U.S., published in USGS Data Series 801 (Smith and others, 2014; Smith and others, 2013) and available as an interactive mapping web site. Users can view all the maps and download them in a variety of formats, including KML files that can be opened directly into Google Earth. However, interpretive products to explain the major geochemical and mineralogical patterns observed for each element and mineral have not been published.
Methods to Address Issue
We plan to publish interpretive products based on the existing national-scale geochemical and mineralogical data and maps for soils of the conterminous U.S. In addition to these publications, we will add explanations of the major geochemical and mineralogical patterns observed for each element and mineral shown on this site.
These data and maps are a valuable tool in policy and decision-making. Possible interpretive products will show:
- the national-scale distribution of each element and mineral;
- the influence of glaciation on soil geochemistry and mineralogy of the upper Mid-West;
- the influence of climate, parent material, and human activities (agriculture, industry, and vehicular emissions) on soil geochemistry and mineralogy.
In addition, the Mexican Geological Survey is nearing completion of chemical analysis on soil samples collected throughout Mexico. We hope to merge our data sets to produce geochemical maps of the two countries combined.
Potential Impacts of Research
There are a variety of stakeholders who provided positive comments when the soil geochemical and mineralogical data and maps were published. The additional interpretive publications and resulting enhanced interactive data and map portal will facilitate the stakeholders' ability to understand the abundance and spatial distribution of chemical elements and minerals in soils of the conterminous U.S.
References
Smith, D.B., Cannon, W.F., Woodruff, L.G., Solano, Federico, and Ellefsen, K.J., 2014, Geochemical and mineralogical maps for soils of the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1082, 386 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141082.
Smith, D.B., Cannon, W.F., Woodruff, L.G., Solano, Federico, Kilburn, J.E., and Fey, D.L., 2013, Geochemical and mineralogical data for soils of the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 801, 19 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ds801.
Return to Mineral Resources Program
Below are publications associated with this project.
Soil mineralogy and geochemistry along a north-south transect in Alaska and the relation to source-rock terrane
Geochemical and mineralogical maps, with interpretation, for soils of the conterminous United States
Chemical elements in the environment: multi-element geochemical datasets from continental to national scale surveys on four continents
Manual hierarchical clustering of regional geochemical data using a Bayesian finite mixture model
User’s guide for GcClust—An R package for clustering of regional geochemical data
Surface-air mercury fluxes across Western North America: A synthesis of spatial trends and controlling variables
- Overview
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.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.Screenshot of Geochemical and Mineralogical Maps for Soils of the Conterminous U.S. data portal, https://mrdata.usgs.gov/soilgeochemistry/. Science Issue and Relevance
The USGS Soil Geochemical Landscapes of the Conterminous United States Project (2011-2015) published national-scale geochemical and mineralogical data and maps for soils of the conterminous U.S., published in USGS Data Series 801 (Smith and others, 2014; Smith and others, 2013) and available as an interactive mapping web site. Users can view all the maps and download them in a variety of formats, including KML files that can be opened directly into Google Earth. However, interpretive products to explain the major geochemical and mineralogical patterns observed for each element and mineral have not been published.
Methods to Address Issue
We plan to publish interpretive products based on the existing national-scale geochemical and mineralogical data and maps for soils of the conterminous U.S. In addition to these publications, we will add explanations of the major geochemical and mineralogical patterns observed for each element and mineral shown on this site.
These data and maps are a valuable tool in policy and decision-making. Possible interpretive products will show:
- the national-scale distribution of each element and mineral;
- the influence of glaciation on soil geochemistry and mineralogy of the upper Mid-West;
- the influence of climate, parent material, and human activities (agriculture, industry, and vehicular emissions) on soil geochemistry and mineralogy.
In addition, the Mexican Geological Survey is nearing completion of chemical analysis on soil samples collected throughout Mexico. We hope to merge our data sets to produce geochemical maps of the two countries combined.
Potential Impacts of Research
There are a variety of stakeholders who provided positive comments when the soil geochemical and mineralogical data and maps were published. The additional interpretive publications and resulting enhanced interactive data and map portal will facilitate the stakeholders' ability to understand the abundance and spatial distribution of chemical elements and minerals in soils of the conterminous U.S.
References
Smith, D.B., Cannon, W.F., Woodruff, L.G., Solano, Federico, and Ellefsen, K.J., 2014, Geochemical and mineralogical maps for soils of the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1082, 386 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141082.
Smith, D.B., Cannon, W.F., Woodruff, L.G., Solano, Federico, Kilburn, J.E., and Fey, D.L., 2013, Geochemical and mineralogical data for soils of the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 801, 19 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ds801.
Soil sample collection site 8436, just south of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Soil sample collection site 2472 near Rantoul, Illinois. Scientists from the Mexican Geological Survey (Servicio Geológico Mexicano), Geological Survey of Canada, and the USGS at a soil sample pit in Mexico. Soil sample pit at site 29_1_A, South Dakota. Return to Mineral Resources Program
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Soil mineralogy and geochemistry along a north-south transect in Alaska and the relation to source-rock terrane
Soils collected along a predominately north-south transect in Alaska were used to evaluate regional differences in the soil mineralogy and geochemistry in the context of a geotectonic framework for Alaska. The approximately 1,395-kilometer-long transect followed the Dalton, Elliott, and Richardson Highways from near Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. Sites were selected with a site spacing of approximately 10AuthorsBronwen Wang, Chad P. Hults, Dennis D. Eberl, Laurel G. Woodruff, William F. Cannon, Larry P. GoughGeochemical and mineralogical maps, with interpretation, for soils of the conterminous United States
Between 2007 and 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a low-density (1 site per 1,600 square kilometers, 4,857 sites) geochemical and mineralogical survey of soils in the conterminous United States. The sampling protocol for the national-scale survey included, at each site, a sample from a depth of 0 to 5 centimeters, a composite of the soil A horizon, and a deeper sample from the soil C horAuthorsDavid B. Smith, Federico Solano, Laurel G. Woodruff, William F. Cannon, Karl J. EllefsenChemical elements in the environment: multi-element geochemical datasets from continental to national scale surveys on four continents
During the last 10-20 years, Geological Surveys around the world have undertaken a major effort towards delivering fully harmonized and tightly quality-controlled low-density multi-element soil geochemical maps and datasets of vast regions including up to whole continents. Concentrations of between 45 and 60 elements commonly have been determined in a variety of different regolith types (e.g., sedAuthorsPatrice de Caritat, Clemens Reimann, David B. Smith, Xueqiu WangManual hierarchical clustering of regional geochemical data using a Bayesian finite mixture model
Interpretation of regional scale, multivariate geochemical data is aided by a statistical technique called “clustering.” We investigate a particular clustering procedure by applying it to geochemical data collected in the State of Colorado, United States of America. The clustering procedure partitions the field samples for the entire survey area into two clusters. The field samples in each clusterAuthorsKarl J. Ellefsen, David SmithUser’s guide for GcClust—An R package for clustering of regional geochemical data
GcClust is a software package developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for statistical clustering of regional geochemical data, and similar data such as regional mineralogical data. Functions within the software package are written in the R statistical programming language. These functions, their documentation, and a copy of the user’s guide are bundled together in R’s unit of sharable code, whichAuthorsKarl J. Ellefsen, David B. SmithSurface-air mercury fluxes across Western North America: A synthesis of spatial trends and controlling variables
Mercury (Hg) emission and deposition can occur to and from soils, and are an important component of the global atmospheric Hg budget. This paper focuses on synthesizing existing surface-air Hg flux data collected throughout the Western North American region and is part of a series of geographically focused Hg synthesis projects. A database of existing Hg flux data collected using the dynamic fluxAuthorsChris S. Eckley, Michael T. Tate, Che-Jen Lin, Mae S. Gustin, Stephen Dent, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Michelle A. Lutz, Kimberly Wickland, Bronwen Wang, John E. Gray, Grant Edwards, David P. Krabbenhoft, David B. Smith