Geochemical and mineralogical maps for soils of the conterminous United States
The U.S. Geological Survey began sampling in 2007 for a low-density (1 site per 1,600 square kilometers, 4,857 sites) geochemical and mineralogical survey of soils in the conterminous United States as part of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project. 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 horizon or, if the top of the C horizon was at a depth greater than 1 meter, a sample from a depth of approximately 80–100 centimeters. The <2-millimeter fraction of each sample was analyzed for a suite of 45 major and trace elements by methods that yield the total or near-total elemental content. The major mineralogical components in the samples from the soil A and C horizons were determined by a quantitative X-ray diffraction method using Rietveld refinement. Sampling in the conterminous United States was completed in 2010, with chemical and mineralogical analyses completed in May 2013. The resulting data set provides an estimate of the abundance and spatial distribution of chemical elements and minerals in soils of the conterminous United States and represents a baseline for soil geochemistry and mineralogy against which future changes may be recognized and quantified. This report releases geochemical and mineralogical maps along with a histogram, boxplot, and empirical cumulative distribution function plot for each element or mineral.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Title | Geochemical and mineralogical maps for soils of the conterminous United States |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20141082 |
| Authors | David B. Smith, William F. Cannon, Laurel G. Woodruff, Federico Solano, Karl J. Ellefsen |
| Publication Type | Report |
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Series Title | Open-File Report |
| Series Number | 2014-1082 |
| Index ID | ofr20141082 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center; Eastern Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center |
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David B Smith
Scientist Emeritus
William F. Cannon
Scientist Emeritus
Laurel G. Woodruff
Research Geologist
Federico Solano
Research Geologist
Karl J Ellefsen
Scientist Emeritus
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David B Smith
Scientist EmeritusEmailPhoneWilliam F. Cannon
Scientist EmeritusEmailPhoneLaurel G. Woodruff
Research GeologistEmailPhoneFederico Solano
Research GeologistEmailPhoneKarl J Ellefsen
Scientist EmeritusEmailPhone