Mineral Resources On-Line Spatial Data
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U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, Geochemistry of soils in the US from the PLUTO database: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.This is part of the following larger work.
Baedecker, Philip A., Grossman, Jeffrey N., and Buttleman, Kim P., 1998, National Geochemical data base: PLUTO geochemical data base for the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS-47.
This is a vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest Variable, generally a few thousandths of a degree.. Longitudes are given to the nearest Variable, generally a few thousandths of a degree.. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| 2-letter state abbreviation; for example CO, CA, VA, etc. |
| Range of values | |
|---|---|
| Minimum: | 19.3997 |
| Maximum: | 71.05 |
| Units: | Decimal degrees |
| Range of values | |
|---|---|
| Minimum: | -179.1833 |
| Maximum: | -67.2833 |
| Units: | Decimal degrees |
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| F | Soil |
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| YYYYMMDD | 4-digit year followed by 2-digit month and 2-digit day |
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| A | Single sample (e.g., hand specimen, grab sample) typical of a larger body or population at the sample site. |
| B | Single sample (e.g., hand specimen, grab sample) atypical of a larger body or population from which the sample was taken. (Sample was selected for some special attribute and is not intended to be typical. |
| C | Single sample (e.g., hand specimen, grab sample); typicality unknown or uncertain. |
| D | Composite sample (e.g., chip sample) typical of a larger body or population at the sample site. |
| E | Composite sample (e.g., chip sample) atypical of the larger body or population from which the sample was taken. (Sample was selected for some special attribute and is not intended to be typical.) |
| F | Composite sample (e.g., chip sample); typicality unknown or uncertain. |
| G | Channel sample typical of a larger body or population at the sample site. |
| H | Channel sample atypical of the larger body or population from which the sample was taken. (Sample was selected for some special attribute and is not intended to be typical.) |
| I | Channel sample; typicality unknown or uncertain. |
| J | Single, composite, channel, or any other type sample processed in the field or laboratory (e.g., panned concentrate, mineral separate, purified, leached, ashed, evaporated, etc.) typical of a larger body or population at the sample site. |
| K | Single, composite, channel, or any other type sample processed in the field or laboratory (e.g., panned concentrate, mineral separagte, purified, leached, ashed, evaporated, etc.) atypical of the larger body or population from which the sample was taken. (Sample was selected for some special attribute and is not intended to be typical.) |
| L | Single, composite, channel, or any other type sample processed in the field or laboratory (e.g., panned concentrate, mineral separate, purified, leached, ashed, evaporated, etc.) whose typicality is unknown or uncertain. |
| X | Other type of sample typical of a larger body or population at the sample site. |
| Y | Other type of sample atypical of the larger body or population from which the sample was taken. (Sample was selected for some special attribute and is not intended to by typical.) |
| Z | Other type of sample whose typicality is unknown or uncertain. |
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| A | Natural outcrop (or surface layer) |
| B | Road cut |
| C | Float |
| D | Open pit mine or quarry |
| E | Prospect pit |
| F | Underground mine |
| G | Mine dump |
| H | Mill product (smelter, tailings) |
| I | Refinery product |
| J | Drill core or auger sample |
| K | Drill cutting, sludge |
| L | Produced from well (oil, water, etc.) |
| M | marine |
| Z | Other |
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| A | Top Soil (A horizon) |
| B | Intermediate zone (B horizon) |
| C | Bottom zone (C horizon) |
| E | Composite (mixture of zones) |
| F | No zoning apparent |
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| A | Saline soil |
| B | High sesquioxide (ferritic) soil (red to reddish-brown in some or all horizons) |
| C | Organic soil (highly organic throughout profile; peat,bog) |
| D | Well-drained non-saline, non-ferritic, calcareous soil with well-marked soil horizons (strong profile development) |
| E | Well-drained non-saline, non-ferritic, non-calcareous soil with well-marked soil horizons |
| F | Poorly drained non-saline, non-ferritic, calcareous soil with well-marked soil horizons |
| G | Poorly drained non-saline, non-ferritic, non-calcareous soil with well-marked soil horizons |
| H | Soil with poorly defined soil horizons (weak profile development) caused by climate (e.g., some desert soils, some arctic soils) |
| I | Soil with poorly defined soil horizons caused by youth of soil (e.g., soil derived from recent alluvium, colluvium, residual bedrock) |
| J | Humus (forest litter, etc.) |
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cultivated land (including orchards, pastures) |
| 2 | Native grassland |
| 3 | Scattered timber land |
| 4 | Forest |
| 5 | Swamp (including bog) |
| 6 | Desert |
| 7 | Tundra (including alpine tundra) |
| 8 | Shrub or brush covered (chaparral, sagebrush) |
| Z | Other |
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| SQ | Semi-quantitative spectro-analysis |
| WX | Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis |
| IN | Instrumental neutron activation analysis |
| QS | Quantitative spectro-analysis |
| CH | Miscellaneous chemical methods |
| DN | Delayed neutron analysis for U and Th |
| AA | Flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption analysis |
| EX | Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescense analysis |
1-303-236-1849 (voice)
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<dsmith@usgs.gov>
The PLUTO data base is comprised of inorganic geochemical data obtained by the analytical laboratories of the Geologic Division of the U.S. Geological Survey for samples collected throughout the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, in support of USGS research.
USGS DDS-47 was used to generate the sediment data set. The GSSEARCH software accompanying DDS-47 was used to retrieve all sample media labeled as "unconsolidated sediment" from the CD and was stored in ASCII format. Another program contained on DDS-47 was used to convert the ASCII file to a .dbf file. This file contains data for a total of 79,709 sediment samples. However, the total number of records in the file is 127,288. This is because each sediment sample analyzed by more than one analytical technique has a separate record for each technique. Thus, one sediment sample may be listed several times.
The following codes are used to represent the analytical methods:
WX = wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis EX = energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis SQ = semiquantitative spectro-analysis QS = quantitative spectro-analysis IN = instrumental neutron activation analysis AA = flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption analysis CH = miscellaneous chemical analysis DN = delayed neutron anaysis MS = inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrographic analysisNote that many of the samples have no analytical method identified. This is a shortcoming of the PLUTO database.The PLUTO DBF file was imported into ArcView 3.2 and an ArcView shapefile was generated which contained 127,288 sample locations.
The samples in this dataset were chemically analyzed by a variety of techniques over a period of time from the early 1960's to the mid-1990's. The accuracy of the data varies with the analytical methodology and with the concentration of the element being analyzed. A qualifier such as "<" (less than) or ">" (greater than) accompanies some analytical data values. These qualifiers are defined as follows:
Sumbol < = the element was detected by the technique but at a level below the lower limit of determination for the method. The value of the lower limit of determination is given in the accompanying data field.
Symbol > = the element was measured at a concentration greater than the upper limit of determination for the method. The value of the upper limit of determination is given in the accompanying data field.
Symbol N = the element was measured at a concentration less than the lower limit of determination for the method. The value of the lower limit of determination is given in the accompanying data field.
Symbol B = the element was requested for analysis by the sample submitter, but for some reason the laboratories did not analyze for this element.
When appropriate, these qualifying values appear in this dataset as a separate field preceding each element. The attribute, or field name, for the qualifying values field are always labelled Q. For example, "<" in the "Si_Q" field preceding an analytical data field labelled Si would indicate the actual concentration of silicon is less than the data value listed.
Sample locations were determined from USGS topographic maps of various scales. The accuracy is dependant on the scale of the map from which the determination was made as well as the care taken by the individual who made the determination. When submitters reported locations as degrees, minutes, and seconds of latitude and longitude the accuracy should be within a few seconds. When submitters only reported locations as degrees and minutes the accuracy is only to the nearest minute. The latitude and longitude degrees, minutes, and seconds have been converted to decimal degrees for this dataset. The base maps, from which latitude and longitude coordinates were determined, use the 1927 North American Datum (NAD27) based on the Clarke 1866 ellipsoid.
This dataset provides chemcial data for Si, Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Ti, P, Ag, As, Au, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, La, Mo, Nb, Ni, Pb, Pd, Pt, Sb, Sn, Sr, U, V, W, Y, Zr, Ce, Li, Th, Tl, Rh, Ru, Rb, Zn, F, Hg, S, Te, Se, organic carbon and FeO. In addition, the dataset provides location and descriptive information for each sample. Not all the descriptive fields contain information for a particular sample because it was not recorded by the submitter or because it was never entered into the PLUTO database. The analytical methods used were selected by the sample submitter based on the goals of the project and will vary throughout the data set. The analytical methods used are documented in the following publications:
Arbogast, B.F., editor, 1990, Quality assurance manual for the Branch of Geochemistry: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 90-668.
Baedecker, P.A., editor, 1987, Methods of geochemical analysis: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1770.
More than one analytical technique may have been used to produce data for a given sample. In these cases, more than one record will be listed for one sample with each record representing a different analytical method.
Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
- Access_Constraints: None
- Use_Constraints: None
1-303-236-1849 (voice)
1-303-236-3200 (FAX)
dsmith@usgs.gov
These data are released on the condition that neither the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) nor the United States Government may be held liable for any damages resulting from authorized or unauthorized use. The USGS provides these data "as is" and makes no guarantee or warranty concerning the accuracy of information contained in the data. The USGS further makes no warranties, either expressed or implied as to any other matter, whatsoever, including, without limitation, the condition of the product, or its fitness for any particular purpose. The burden for determining fitness for use lies entirely with the user.
| Data format: | Geochemical sample analysis in format ESRI shapefile (version 1.0) Size: 3 megabytes |
|---|---|
| Network links: |
<http://tin.er.usgs.gov/pluto/soil/plutosoil.zip> |
1-303-236-1849 (voice)
1-303-236-3200 (FAX)
dsmith@usgs.gov
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://tin.er.usgs.gov/metadata/plutosoil.faq.html
Page Contact Information: Peter Schweitzer
Page Last Modified: Thursday, 18-Oct-2007 13:17:59 EDT
