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Descriptions of Datasets and Categories in the NGS.

All datasets and categories are described below, with information given on how many samples are contained within each dataset, the density of the geochemical sampling networks, and references to documentation on sampling methods. Also included below are index maps showing the sampling coverage of each dataset, and links to download individual datasets as Excel tables or as "shape files" compatible with GIS software. Limitations: (1) These downloadable versions of datasets do not contain any original NURE data, only reanalyses of NURE samples done by the NGS. (2) Each dataset has been reduced to the set of database fields that are actually populated with values. Therefore, the files cannot easily be appended together. Both of these limitations may be avoided by downloading data from the primary repository.

I) Category=SW-ALASKA.

Data set	N samps	Description	Sampling method	Sample spacing (km)	Index map	Shape	Excel
SWAK 2001	485	Samples collected in southwestern Alaska during the summer of 2001. The sampling teams included staff from the USGS, industry, and Alaskan Native corporations (BBNC and Calista). All analyzed by ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods, and many samples have supplemental analysis for Au, Pt, and Pd.	State survey	17
Calista	228	Samples from Calista Corporation’s archive of stream sediment samples collected in southwest Alaska by Resource Associates of Alaska (RAA). Collected in 1974.	Inherited	~10

II) Category=NURE.

Data set	N samps	Description	Sampling method	Sample spacing (km)	Index map	Shape	Excel
NURE 800	800	A suite of samples from the southeastern US, pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 1998. This was the first set of NURE samples reanalyzed by the NGS in order to compile a regional geochemical dataset in the southeastern US. Most were analyzed by the ICP40, ICP10, As, Se, Hg, INAA, and XRF methods.	NURE-Targeted	30
NURE 2000	19,695	A suite of samples from across the entire US, pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 2000. Four week-long forays to the warehouse by 5-10 person teams were required to identify and package the samples. In doing these analyses, the NGS extended work done at a regional scale in the southeastern US to a national scale effort. Most were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods. ~10% were also analyzed by INAA.	NURE-Systematic	17
NURE 2000NE	1597	A suite of samples from New England, pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 2000 for a USGS project by Robinson and others (2004). All samples were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods plus the ICP16 (fusion/ICP-AES) method for major and trace elements.	NURE-Systematic	10
NURE 2002	1069	A suite of samples from across the entire US, pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 2002. Included in these are samples from 9 quadrangles already covered in the NURE 2000 forays, comprising an analysis-of-variance study. Samples in the eastern US were chosen to fill in gaps in the coverage provided by the NURE 2000 dataset. All were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods.	NURE-Systematic	17(W), 30(E)
NURE Alabama I	234	A suite of samples from east-central Alabama, pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 1998. This was a pilot study to evaluate analytical methods to be used in future NGS work on NURE sample reanalyses. Most were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and INAA methods PLUS the ICP16 (fusion/ICP-AES) method for major and trace elements. Most were not analyzed for Hg.	NURE-Targeted	6
NURE Alabama II	1690	A suite of samples from northern Alabama (excluding the northeast corner), was pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 1998 for a project by M. Goldhaber (Goldhaber and others, 2001). Most were analyzed by the ICP40 and As methods only.	NURE-Other	5
NURE Alaska 99	385	A suite of samples from the coastal plain of northeast Alaska, pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 1999. This dataset was selected to examine geochemical gradients within Cretaceous-age sedimentary deposits, as well as gradients between Cretaceous and adjacent geologic units. All were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods, and ~1/3 were analyzed by ICP10 (partial extraction ICP-AES).	NURE-Targeted	8
NURE Cannon	400	A suite of samples from the Ashland and Rice Lake 1x2 degree quadrangles in northern Wisconsin, pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 1998 for a project by W. Cannon (Cannon and others, 2003). All were analyzed by the ICP40 and As methods, and ~1/4 were also analyzed for Hg.	NURE-Other	9
NURE Coastal 98 NURE Coastal 99	1920	Two suites of samples from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain Province of the US, pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 1998 and 1999. The region was chosen to further characterize goechemical trends observed in previous studies done by the NGS in the southeastern US. Most were analyzed by the ICP40, ICP10, As, Se, and Hg methods, and 3/4 were analyzed by INAA.	NURE-Targeted	17
NURE Folger	2163	A suite of samples from northern Nevada was pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 1998 for a study of the Humboldt Basin by Helen W. Folger (Folger, 2000). Most were analyzed by the ICP40 and ICP10 methods, and a small percentage were analyzed by the Hg and Se atomic absorption methods.	NURE-Other	4-5
NURE Kentucky	1280	A suite of samples from eastern Kentucky was pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 2000 for a project by M. Goldhaber and M. Tuttle (see Tuttle and others, 2002). All were analyzed by the ICP40 and As methods, and ~1/8 were also analyzed by the Hg and Se atomic absorption methods.	NURE-Other	4
NURE PLUTO	11,941	A large number of samples from the NURE archive were pulled in the 1990s, and analyzed by the ICP40 method at the USGS. Many samples were analyzed by one or more atomic-absorption methods, especially for Au. ~20% of these samples were reanalyzed a second time (1998-2000) by the ICP10, As, Se, and Hg methods. The samples are all from the western conterminous US, principally from California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Montana. Part of these samples were from the Winnemucca-Surprise study area, described in King and others (1996) and Folger (2000). Analytical data for the samples were extracted from the report of Folger (2000), and from the PLUTO component of the National Geochemical Database (Baedecker and others, 1998).	NURE-Other	4-5
NURE RASS	809	A group of samples from the Reno quadrangle in west-central Nevada was pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed for Hg, Au, W, and other trace elements in 1985-1986 (Kilburn and others, 1990). No ICP analyses were done on the samples. Analytical data for the samples was extracted from the RASS component of the National Geochemical Database (Carl Abston, written comm. 2000).	NURE-Other	4-5
NURE Resampled	1	A single NURE stream-sampling site in northern Virginia was re-occupied, and a new sediment sample was collected for ICP40, Hg, Se, and As analysis in 2001. The goal was to check whether the high Hg concentration found in the original NURE sample was due to high Hg in the stream, or if it was an artifact of sample preparation/handling. (The new sample was not high in Hg, although it was apparently greatly enriched in magnetite.)	n/a	n/a
NURE South Carolina	436	A set of stream-sediment samples from the coastal plain of South Carolina was pulled from the NURE archive in 1999 and analyzed by the ICP40, ICP10, As, Se, and Hg methods. ~40% of the samples were also analyzed by INAA. These samples complement the soil dataset South Carolina II, described below. These two datasets allow a comparison of soil and stream-sediment geochemical baselines in the South Carolina coastal plain.	NURE-Targeted	9
NURE West Virginia	253	A suite of samples from north-central West Virginia was pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed in 2001 for a project by M. Goldhaber to study the distribution of metals in the Appalachian Coal Basin. All were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods.	NURE-Other	4.5
NURE Midwest	975	A suite of samples from the Great Plains plus parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri was pulled from the NURE archive and analyzed by INAA in 2003. The goal was to further characterize Cretaceous and younger sedimentary sequences in the central US.	NURE-Targeted	~15

IIa) Category=NURE SIEVED.

III) Category=PLUTO.

Data set	N samps	Description	Sampling method	Sample spacing (km)	Index map	Shape	Excel
PLUTO	161	A set of stream sediment samples in southeastern Oregon was analyzed by the ICP40 and Hg methods in 1993. Samples were submitted by Greg Lee, and data were retrieved from the PLUTO component of the National Geochemical Database (Baedecker and others, 1998).	Inherited	4
PLUTO Chicago	644	A series of stream sediments from the upper Illinois River basin was collected in the late 1980's, and most were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods. Reports on these samples were published by Colman and Sanzolone (1990, 1992) and Sanzolone and Ryder (1989).	Inherited	3-8
PLUTO SJV	328	In the early 1980's, the USGS collected a large suite of stream sediment samples on a 10x10 km grid across the entire southern half of California (the "CALMAP" project). In the San Joaquin Valley, soils were collected due to the absence of suitable streams, with most of the sampling being done in 1983. This dataset comprises analyses of these soils from 1985, done by Wilson and others (1990), using the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods. Data were retrieved from the PLUTO component of the National Geochemical Database (Baedecker and others, 1998).	Inherited	10
PLUTO King	321	A suite of 321 stream-sediment samples was collected in 1993 for the study of King and others (1996). Collection was done in northwest Nevada and northeast California, mostly along range fronts. Samples were sieved to <2 mm grain size in the field, and then to -80 mesh in the laboratory. All samples were analyzed by the ICP40 and ICP10 methods, many were analyzed for Au, and a few for Hg. Subsequently, 73 of these samples were reanalyzed by Folger (2000) for As, Se, Te, and Tl. Data were retrieved from the PLUTO component of the National Geochemical Database (Baedecker and others, 1998; Abston, unpublished CD-ROM, 2000). Note: these data sources contain corrupted data for some of these samples, and manual corrections needed to be made using the King and others (1996) report.	Inherited	~6

IV) Category=RASS.

Data set	N samps	Description	Sampling method	Sample spacing (km)	Index map	Shape	Excel
RASS CA	823	The samples in this dataset are a subset of the stream sediments collected across southern California by the CALMAP project (see the description of the PLUTO SJV set). Sediments collected along the original 10x10 km grid were resampled using a 17x17 km grid, resulting in the analysis of ~1/3 of the available samples. Analyses were done in 2002 using the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods. None of the original semiquantitative data for these samples, listed in the RASS component of the National Geochemical Database (Carl Abston, written comm. 2000), are used in this compilation, although the original laboratory "tag" numbers are preserved.	Inherited	17
RASS Cannon	256	This group of soil samples from the upper peninsula of Michigan was collected by William F. Cannon and Henry Alminas in 1974. Analyses for a few trace elements may be found in the RASS component of the National Geochemical Database (job numbers 60107, 60111, 60114-60116; Carl Abston, written comm. 2000, 2003), although none of these data are in the present database. In 2001, these samples were reanalyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods as part of an ongoing project by W. Cannon to study the distribution of arsenic in black shales and slates of the northern peninsula of Michigan and dispersal of arsenic from bedrock into glacial materials derived from it.	Inherited	0.5 along linear traverses
RASS AK	677	A diverse group of stream sediment samples from across Alaska, with many from the Alaska Peninsula, were extracted from the RASS sample archive at the Denver Federal Center for reanalysis. These samples were originally submitted for analysis by 35 different USGS scientists during the period 1967-1992; original publications for these samples are unknown to the authors of the present report. Original analyses, many of which are by semiquantitative methods, may be found in the RASS component of the National Geochemical Database, but are not included in this database. All were reanalyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods in 2001 as part of the National Geochemical Survey project, to fill in areas of Alaska not covered by NURE samples. In addition, several quadrangles in north-central Alaska (Survey Pass, Wiseman, and Chandalar) were included in order to duplicate areas covered by the NURE program.	USGS Resampling	17

V) Category=STATE.

Data set	N samps	Description	Sampling method	Sample spacing (km)	Index map	Shape	Excel
Alabama	533	This group of soils and stream sediments was collected and analyzed as part of a joint USGS-Geological Survey of Alabama project in 1997-1998. The samples come from southern Alabama, an area not covered by the NURE program. Most samples were analyzed by the ICP40, ICP10, As, Se, Hg, and INAA methods.	SE US States	10
Florida I	1557	This group of soils and stream sediments was collected in 1997-1998 as part of a joint USGS-Florida Geological Survey project. Sampling covered the entire state, and most were analyzed in 1998 by all of the major methods used in the National Geochemical Survey project: ICP40, ICP10, As, Se, Hg, XRF, and INAA.	SE US States	10
Florida II	732	This group of soils and stream sediments was collected in 1998-1999 as part of a joint USGS-Florida Geological Survey project. The set includes 43 samples from the southern and western parts of the state that complete the Florida-I study described above. The remaining 689 are a high-density collection of soils and a small number of stream sediments in the Apalachee Bay-St. Marks watershed, spanning the area from the Florida-Georgia border to the Gulf of Mexico, and including the municipality of Tallahassee (Leon, Wakulla, and Gadsden counties). Most samples from this group were analyzed by the ICP40, ICP10, As, Se, Hg, and INAA methods, and ~1/6 were also analyzed by XRF.	Special	1.5
Georgia	566	This group of stream sediments plus a few soils was collected and analyzed as part of a joint USGS-Georgia Geologic Survey project in 1997-1998. Sample collection covered southern Georgia, an area not covered by the NURE program. Most samples were analyzed by the ICP40, ICP10, As, Se, Hg, and INAA methods, and ~60% were analyzed by XRF.	SE US States	10
Louisiana	261	A group of soils and stream sediments was collected and analyzed as part of a joint USGS-Louisiana Geological Survey project in 2000. Samples were collected in northern and southern Louisiana, avoiding the central part of the state that was covered by the NURE program. Most samples were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, Hg, and INAA methods.	State Survey	17
Michigan	458	This group of samples was collected as part of a joint USGS-Michigan Department of Environmental Quality project in 2001. Samples were collected across the entire lower peninsula and the eastern upper peninsula, areas not covered by the NURE program. Most samples were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, Hg, and INAA methods.	State Survey	17
Mississippi I	1421	A suite of stream sediments and soils was collected as part of a joint USGS-Mississippi Geological Survey project (Thompson and others, 1998, 2002). Samples were collected in 1998, covering the entire state. Most Mississippi samples were analyzed by the ICP40, ICP10, As, Se, Hg, and INAA methods, and ~half were also analyzed by XRF.	SE US States	10
Mississippi II	116	A suite of stream sediments and soils was collected as part of a joint USGS-Mississippi Geological Survey project (Thompson and others, 1998, 2002). The Mississippi II set is a group of 116 samples, 97 of which are mainly soils collected near the planned Red Hills lignite mine site. The objective of this study was to establish pre-mining geochemical baseline values for the area. All samples were analyzed by the ICP40, ICP10, As, Se, and Hg methods, and ~3/4 were also analyzed by INAA.	Special	1.5
South Carolina II	588	A set of soil samples was collected in 1999-2000 as part of a joint USGS-South Carolina Geological Survey project to characterize the geochemistry of the Ap horizon of residual soils, and to compare the chemistry of soils and stream sediments in the coastal plain. See the NURE-South Carolina set above for a description of the stream sediment part of the study. Most samples were analyzed by the ICP40, ICP10, As, Se, Hg, and INAA methods.	SE US States	10
States 2002	690	Five different field parties collected samples in 2002, and all were analyzed together, in random order, in 2002-2003. (a) 134 samples were collected in southwest Alaska by a team of USGS and Calista Corporation geologists, in an area not covered previously by the USGS or NURE programs; (b) 62 samples were collected by A. Grosz and D. Bickerstaff (USGS) in Hawai`i, covering the islands of Hawai`i, O`ahu, Maui, Kaua`i, Moloka`i, and Läna`i; (c) 340 samples were collected across Illinois as part of a joint USGS-Illinois Geological Survey project; (d) 107 samples were collected across Indiana as part of a joint USGS-Indiana Geological Survey project; 18 samples were collected in central South Dakota by a joint USGS, North Dakota Geological Survey, and South Dakota Geological Survey team as part of a field orientation study. All samples were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods, as well as by a fire-assay method for Au, Pd, and Pt.	State Survey	17
State stragglers	24	A small group of samples from the Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Mississippi sets (see above) that were omitted from previous analytical runs were grouped together, and analyzed in 1999.	SE US States	n/a
States 2003	2628	Field parties from 7 states collected samples in 2001-2003, and all were analyzed together, in random order, in 2004-2005. (a) 190 samples were collected in southwest Alaska by USGS geologists, in an area not covered previously by the USGS or NURE programs; (b) 14 samples were collected by A. Grosz and D. Bickerstaff (USGS) in Hawai`i, covering the islands of Hawai`i, O`ahu, Maui, Kaua`i, Moloka`i, and Läna`i; (c) 423 samples were collected across Illinois as part of a joint USGS-Illinois Geological Survey project; some of these samples were also analyzed above in the States 2002 dataset; (d) 250 samples were collected across Indiana as part of a joint USGS-Indiana Geological Survey project; some of these samples were also analyzed above in the States 2002 dataset; (e) 2 samples were collected in central South Dakota by a joint USGS, North Dakota Geological Survey, and South Dakota Geological Survey team as part of a field orientation study; (f) 654 soil samples were collected in North Dakota by the North Dakota Geological Survey as part of a statewide study; (g) 1095 soil samples were collected in Iowa by the Iowa Geological Survey as part of a statewide study; All samples were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods, as well as by a fire-assay method for Au, Pd, and Pt.	State Survey	17
States 2004	3750	Field parties from 13 states collected samples in 2003-2004, and all were analyzed together, in random order, in 2005. (a) 56 samples were collected on Kodiak Island, Alaska, by USGS geologists, in an area not covered previously by the USGS or NURE programs; (b) 362 samples were collected across Arkansas as part of a joint USGS, Arkansas Geological Commission study; (c) 186 samples were collected across northern California as part of a joint USGS, California Geological Survey project; (d) 38 samples were collected in an area of northern Kentucky not covered by the NURE program as part of a joint USGS, Kentucky Geological Survey study; (e) 57 samples were collected in an area of northern Maine not covered by the NURE program as part of a joint USGS, Maine Geological Survey study; (f) 379 samples were collected across Minnesota as part of a joint USGS, Minnesota Geological Survey study; (g) 780 soil samples were collected in North Dakota by the North Dakota Geological Survey as part of a statewide study (see the States 2003 dataset); (h) 581 samples were collected across Ohio as part of a joint USGS, Ohio Geological Survey study; (i) 125 samples were collected across Oregon as part of a joint USGS, Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries study; (j) 125 samples were collected in western Pennsylvania as part of a joint USGS, Pennsylvania Geological Survey study; (k) 42 samples were collected in central Texas as part of a joint USGS, Texas Bureau of Economic Geology study; (l) 782 samples were collected across Washington State as part of a joint USGS, Washington DNR Division of Geology & Earth Resources study; (m) 260 samples were collected across Wisconsin as part of a joint USGS, Wisconsis Geological & Natural History Survey study; All samples were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods, as well as by a fire-assay method for Au, Pd, and Pt.	State Survey	17
States 2005	2209	Field parties from 8 states collected samples in 2003-2005, and all were analyzed together, in random order, in 2006. (a) 599 samples (533 soils and 66 sediments) were collected across northern California as part of a joint USGS, California Geological Survey project; (b) 33 samples left over from the States 2002 and 2003 datasets (above), collected across Indiana as part of a joint USGS-Indiana Geological Survey project, were analyzed; (c) 170 samples (126 soils and 44 stream sediments) were collected from Kansas as part of a joint USGS, Kansas Geological Survey project; (d) 242 stream sediment samples were collected across Missouri and part of a joint USGS, Missouri Dept. Natural Resources study; (e) 294 soil samples were collected in North Dakota by the North Dakota Geological Survey as part of a statewide study (see the States 2003 and 2004 datasets); (f) 65 stream sediment samples were collected in western New York by a USGS team; (g) 446 samples (half soils, half stream sediments) were collected across Oregon as part of a joint USGS, Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries study; (h) 360 samples (309 soils, 51 stream sediments) were collected in central Texas as part of a joint USGS, Texas Bureau of Economic Geology study; All samples were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods, as well as by a fire-assay method for Au, Pd, and Pt.	State Survey	17
States 2006a	1739	Field parties from 16 states collected samples between 2001 and 2006, and all were analyzed together, in random order, in 2006. (a) 88 samples (85 soils, 3 stream sediments) were collected across Arkansas as part of a joint USGS, Arkansas Geological Commission study; (b) 59 soil samples were collected from wetlands in Iowa by the Iowa Geological Survey; (c) 7 samples left over from the States 2002 and 2003 datasets (above) from Illinois were analyzed; (d) 88 samples (half soils and half stream sediments) were collected from Kansas as part of a joint USGS, Kansas Geological Survey project; (e) 1 stream sediment from Maine was analyzed, beginning a joint USGS, Maine Geological Survey project; (f) 583 samples (all but 2 are soils) were collected across Minnesota as part of a joint USGS, Minnesota Geological Survey study; (g) 309 stream sediment samples were collected across Missouri and part of a joint USGS, Missouri Dept. Natural Resources study; (h) 11 soil samples were collected in North Dakota by the North Dakota Geological Survey as part of a statewide study (see the States 2003 and 2004 datasets); (i) 80 soils and 5 stream sediments were collected in Nebraska as part of a joint USGS-State of Nebraska project; (j) 24 stream sediment and soil samples were collected in Long Island, New York by a USGS team; (k) 35 soils plus 1 stream sediment were collected in Ohio as part of a joint USGS, Ohio DNR study; (l) 308 samples (76 soils, 308 stream sediments) were collected across Oregon as part of a joint USGS, Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries study; (m) 78 stream sediments were collected in Pennsylvania as part of a joint USGS, Penn. Geological Survey study; (n) 38 soils and stream sediments were collected in Tennessee as part of a joint USGS, Tenn. Division of Geology study; (o) 22 samples were collected across Washington State as part of a joint USGS, Washington DNR Division of Geology & Earth Resources study; (p) 3 samples were collected from Wisconsin, completing a joint USGS, Wisconsis Geological & Natural History Survey study (see States 2004); All samples were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods, as well as by a fire-assay method for Au, Pd, and Pt.	State Survey	17
States 2006b	1112	Field parties from 16 states collected samples between 2001 and 2006, and all were analyzed together, in random order, in 2006. (a) 42 samples (39 soils, 3 stream sediments) were collected across Arkansas as part of a joint USGS, Arkansas Geological Commission study; (b) 20 samples (17 soils and 3 sediments) were collected across northern California as part of a joint USGS, California Geological Survey project; (c) 351 samples (312 soils and 39 stream sediments) were collected from Kansas as part of a joint USGS, Kansas Geological Survey project; (d) 76 samples were collected in an area of northern Kentucky not covered by the NURE program as part of a joint USGS, Kentucky Geological Survey study; (e) 165 stream sediments from northern Maine were analyzed, completing a joint USGS, Maine Geological Survey project; (f) 230 samples (all but 3 are soils) were collected across Minnesota, mostly completing a joint USGS, Minnesota Geological Survey study; (g) 24 stream sediment samples were collected across Missouri and part of a joint USGS, Missouri Dept. Natural Resources study, were analyzed; (h) 10 remaining soil samples collected in North Dakota by the North Dakota Geological Survey as part of a statewide study (see the States 2003 and 2004 datasets); (i) 95 soils and 1 stream sediment were collected in Nebraska as part of a joint USGS-State of Nebraska project; (j) 49 samples (9 soils, 40 stream sediments) were collected across Oregon as part of a joint USGS, Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries study; (k) 30 samples (29 soils, 1 stream sediment) were collected in central Texas as part of a joint USGS, Texas Bureau of Economic Geology study; (l) 18 soil samples were collected across Washington State as part of a joint USGS, Washington DNR Division of Geology & Earth Resources study; (m) 1 stream sediment sample was collected from Wisconsin, completing a joint USGS, Wisconsis Geological & Natural History Survey study (see States 2004); All samples were analyzed by the ICP40, As, Se, and Hg methods, as well as by a fire-assay method for Au, Pd, and Pt.	State Survey	17
States 2007	1789	Field parties in 9 states plus Guam, the Northern Marianas Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia collected samples between 2004 and 2007, and all were analyzed together, in random order, in 2008. (a) 19 sediment and soil samples were collected in the Bristol Bay area, Alaska, by USGS geologists; (b) 36 soil samples were collected in southern Louisiana by USGS geologists; (c) 269 samples of glacial till were collected across Minnesota, with a few in adjacent parts of Manitoba and Ontario, Canada, as part of a joint USGS, Minnesota Geological Survey study; (d) 239 soils and 3 stream sediment samples were collected in Nebraska as part of a joint USGS-State of Nebraska project; (e) 159 soils plus 8 stream sediment samples were collected in Ohio as part of a joint USGS, Ohio DNR study; (f) 213 soils plus 14 stream sediments were collected in Pennsylvania as part of a joint USGS, Penn. Geological Survey study; (g) 584 soils samples were collected in South Dakota as part of a joint USGS-South Dakota Geological Survey project; (h) 6 soils and 119 stream sediments were collected in Tennessee as part of a joint USGS, Tenn. Division of Geology study; (i) 28 soils and 33 stream sediments were collected in northeastern Utah by a team of USGS geologists; (j) 59 samples, mostly soils, were collected by USGS geologists on Pacific islands: 46 were from the territory of Guam; 4 were from Saipan, 3 from Tinian, and 3 from Rota in the Northern Marianas Islands; 4 were from Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.	State Survey	17