Uranium Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance data release for the New Mexico portions of the Hobbs and Brownfield NTMS quadrangles, New Mexico/Texas

Technical Report · Thu Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6568176· OSTI ID:6568176

Warren, R G; Nunes, H P

U concentrations in waters approximate a lognormal distribution with a mean of 4.73 parts per billion (ppB) for the combined water samples from the western halves of both quadrangles. The highest U concentration found in a water sample is 139.7 ppb. About 93% of these samples were collected from 1008 wells. Of the remainder, 1 sample was collected from a spring and 75 samples were collected from combined surface water sources of artificial and natural ponds. The mean U content of the samples from surface water sources (7.63 ppB) is higher than that of the samples from wells (4.50 ppB). The water samples having the highest U content are from wells and ponds in the western, and especially the northwestern, portion of the Brownfield quadrangle. Most waters containing less than 20 ppB U were collected from areas in which the Dockum group underlies a thin veneer of surficial deposits, near the edge of the caprock, or from saline ponds. The U concentrations in sediments approximate a normal distribution with a mean of 2.18 ppM for the 914 sediment samples collected from the western halves of both quadrangles. The highest U value found in a sediment sample is 19.3 ppM. Sediments were collected from 154 dry streams, 522 dry natural ponds, 166 dry artificial ponds, and a total of 72 wet natural ponds, wet artificial ponds, and springs. The mean U content for sediments derived from the wet sources (2.77 ppM) is noticeably higher than that from dry sources (2.11 ppM).The highest U contents within the report area generally are associated with sediments collected from locations in which the Dockum group underlies a thin cover of surficial deposits. A cluster of seven sediments containing more than 3.0 ppM U is centered at 33/sup 0/ 34'N, 103/sup 0/ 53'W, where a U occurrence is reported at the Hoffacker test hole in the middle Dockum group.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6568176
• Report Number(s): LA-7182-MS; GJBX-103(78)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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