Geochemical Soil and Sediment Data from Coeur d'Alene Drainage Basin

Over 1100 geochemical analyses of soil and sediment samples document metal content in the Coeur d'Alene drainage basin in northern Idaho. The USGS report, published in 2000, includes sample location, lithological description, and laboratory analytical data from five different laboratories. Data is provided in seven Excel and seven dBase4 tables to facilitate GIS integration.

Use Cases

• Analyze relationships between sample location (3D coordinates in AppendixB) and concentrations of specific metals (e.g., from ICP-MS data in AppendixE) to map contamination plumes.
• Compare analytical results for standard reference materials across the five contributing laboratories (described in the report) to assess data accuracy and precision.
• Join lithologic descriptions (AppendixC) with geochemical results (Appendices D-H) using the Site ID column to correlate soil/sediment type with elemental composition.
• Model the potential for human and wildlife health impacts by correlating high metal content data points with known mining activity locations over the 100+ year period.

Strengths

• Over 1100 geochemical analyses provide a substantial sample size for the region.
• Data from five different laboratories with described quality control procedures allows for cross-validation.
• Includes 3D location data and lithological descriptions for each sample, enabling spatial and geological context.

Limitations

• Column headers in the dBase4 files are truncated to 10 ASCII characters, making them cryptic without reference to the Excel files.
• Data is from the year 2000 and may not reflect current environmental conditions.
• The specific number of rows and columns per table is not provided in the description.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Open-File Report 00-139.

Collection Method

Field sampling of soils and sediments followed by laboratory geochemical analysis at five different facilities.

Time Range

Sample collection timeframe not specified; report published in 2000.

Freshness

Data was last updated in 2000.

Geography

Coeur d'Alene drainage basin in northern Idaho, USA.