USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

Analytical Chemistry

Project Objectives

The Central Mineral Resources Team (CMRT) Analytical Chemistry project combines and coordinates the chemistry functions that are necessary for research and assessment projects within the USGS Geologic Discipline. Recurring efforts include: maintaining equipment and methods of analysis for in-house analytical chemistry work; offering a mechanism to prepare samples; contracting routine chemical requests to an outside laboratory; providing data quality control for both in-house and contract generated data; providing Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), delayed neutron, X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and single element analysis. Long term efforts include continued support to the Geologic Discipline by providng these services and the modification of these analytical methods or administrative procedures to better meet the needs of the users in the Geologic Discipline.

Relevance & Impact

The Geologic Discipline in all three USGS regions require that several functions for chemistry be conducted across theme boundaries. Most of these single efforts are not large enough to support the instrumentation or the expertise needed to work on these tasks. However, when the entire Discipline is considered, then a chemistry support function that combines these efforts results in a cost efficient and necessary endeavor. This project provides chemical analysis services that support the efforts of the entire Geologic Discipline.