Airborne magnetic and radiometric survey, Elk Creek region, Nebraska and Kansas, 2024-2025

This data release provides digital flight line data for a high-resolution airborne magnetic and radiometric survey over the Elk Creek region of Nebraska and Kansas. The airborne survey was funded by the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI). The survey was designed by the USGS in collaboration with the Nebraska Conservation and Survey Division and the Kansas Geological Survey, and contracted by the USGS. The survey was designed to meet complementary needs related to geologic mapping and characterization of mineral resource potential. A total of ca. 95,400 line km of magnetic and radiometric data were acquired over areas totaling ca. 34,800 km2. Data were collected from a fixed-wing aircraft flown at a nominal terrain clearance of 100 meters (m) above topography along N-S flight lines spaced at 400 m intervals. Tie lines were flown in an E-W direction every 4000 m. Data were collected by Fugro USA Land, Inc. and Xcalibur Multiphysics under contract to the USGS using aircraft with magnetometers mounted in stingers and fully calibrated gamma-ray spectrometers. The survey operated out of airports in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, and Manhattan, Kansas, from November of 2024 to April of 2025. Files that are available in this publication include flight line data for the magnetic and radiometric survey, and a report describing the survey parameters, field operations, quality control and data reduction procedures. A zip file is provided that contains the contractor's deliverable products that includes Geosoft databases and grids for the magnetic and radiometric survey and the report describing the survey and data reduction.