USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

National Geochemical Database II

Project Objectives

Over approximately the past 40 years, the chemical laboratories of the U.S. Geological Survey's Geologic Discipline have analyzed over 1.4 million samples of geologic material such as soils, stream sediments, and rocks, and continue to analyze several thousand samples annually. The database representing these analyses contains in excess of 50 million analytical determinations and is growing daily. In addition, in 1985 the USGS Mineral Resources Program (MRP) inherited management responsibilities for the geochemical data generated on over 500,000 samples of stream sediments, soils, and waters by the Department of Energy's National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) Program, which was conducted during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The problem addressed by this project is one of preserving all the archival chemical data and all the newly generated data in perpetuity in an accurate, easily accessible, user-friendly, secure database. These data can then be distributed both via the World Wide Web and on CD/DVD.

During the past 10 years, the two former National Geochemical Database projects have succeeded in converting, reformatting, combining, and preserving disparate geochemical data stored in RASS (the geochemical database maintained by the former Branches of Regional Geochemistry and Exploration Research from 1968-1987); archive PLUTO (the archive geochemical database maintained by the former Branches of Analytical Laboratories and Geochemistry from 1979-1995); and ATHENA (the active geochemical database maintained by the Mineral Resources Team within the former in-house Laboratory Information Management System (PLUTO/LIMS) from 1995-1997. All of these data are now housed in the ORACLE relational database management system as the National Geochemical Database (NGDB). In addition, the NGDB has been integrated with the current ORACLE-based LIMS. A Microsoft Access-based Sample Submittal Form application was created to collect the required sample information from submitters and to feed the appropriate information to both the LIMS and the NGDB. Links and procedures have also been developed for periodically retrieving the chemical determinations data from the LIMS and merging it with the sample information in the NGDB.

The broad objective of this project is to maintain and enhance the NGDB. The NGDB consists of 1) the original RASS and PLUTO data from the USGS labs, which are now stored in a common format under the ORACLE relational database management system; 2) the NURE data, which have been reformatted and reside currently on the following web site: see http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/ where downloads may be made on the basis of 1:250,000-scale quadrangles; and 3) the newly generated data (approximately 1996 - present) which reside on the Laboratory Information Management System. The enhancements to the NGDB will enable both USGS scientists and external customers to more easily extract immediately useable data on a national, regional, and local scale to help establish a baseline for the abundance and spatial distribution of chemical elements in the Earth's surficial materials. Specific short-term objectives include:

1. Linking the newly developed ORACLE-based database to the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to provide for the smooth transfer of newly generated data from the LIMS to the NGDB.
2. Implement the new Sample Submittal Information procedure on a nationwide basis throughout the USGS. This procedure has only been implemented at this time (June 2002) in the Central Region. Without this new system in place, it is possible that more errors and omissions regarding the nature and location of samples may be generated.
3. Complete the re-formatting of the NURE HSSR database based on 1:250,000-scale quadrangles, compile the quadrangle-based data into one large data set, and provide these data to the public via a web site and CD/DVD.
4. Complete the upgrading of archival USGS geochemical data for Alaska and release these to the public via a web site and CD/DVD.
5. Initiate the upgrading of the remainder (non-Alaska) portion of the USGS-generated data.
6. Generate subsets of the master databases containing data in a format more useful to geochemists so they do not have to wade through the process of extracting the data they need from the entire database.
7. Communicate and coordinate the work within this Project with other data delivery efforts within the Bureau such as NatWeb, GEODE, and Spatial Data Delivery.
8. Produce map representations of the database showing the spatial variation of chemical species throughout the nation and within sub-regions that are of priority to the USGS.

Relevance & Impact

An accurate, easily accessible geochemical database containing multi-element information on the surficial materials of the nation is vital if the USGS is to respond quickly to earth science issues raised by Congress and land management and environmental protection agencies. A nationally consistent geochemical database provides baseline information on the natural abundance and spatial variation of chemical elements to which changes caused by agricultural and irrigation practices, waste disposal, urbanization, industrial pollution, mineral exploration and mining activities, environmental remediation and restoration activities, and other land-use practices can be compared. Human-induced chemical changes to the environment are superimposed on a variable natural geochemical background where trace-element abundances can range over several orders of magnitude within short distances. These variations are inadequately documented and their existence is often overlooked in the setting of public policy. Important aspects of change cannot be measured, or their consequences anticipated, unless the present composition of the earth's surface materials is known. In her 2000 Presidential address to the Geological Society of America, Mary Lou Zoback identified six "grand challenges in earth and environmental science". The first of these was "recognizing the signal within the natural variability". Zoback stated that "documenting and understanding natural variability is a vexing topic in almost every environmental problem. How do we recognize and understand changes in natural systems if we don't understand the range of baseline values?" Preserving and enhancing the vast amount of geochemical data within MRP's databases will provide a powerful tool for addressing this "grand challenge". The ultimate goal of producing and electronically disseminating the vast amount of geochemical data within MRP's databases directly supports many of the goals and objectives as stated in the 1999 Science Strategy of the Geologic Division. These databases are essential for understanding the relationship between geologic processes and human health, ecosystem structure and function, and the distribution of energy and mineral resources. This project also serves as the focal point of requests for geochemical data from outside customers. From June 2001 through May 2002, the predecessor project (National Geochemical Database Project) received over 100 requests for data from Federal, state, and local government clients; private sector clients; and internal USGS clients.

References to non-USGS products and services are provided for information only and do not constitute endorsement or warranty, express or implied, by the USGS, USDOI, or U.S. Government, as to their suitability, content, usefulness, functions, completeness, or accuracy.