Mineral Resources On-Line Spatial Data
| STYPE | This variable was originally derived from the SAMPTYP variable in the NURE database. In NURE, this two-digit code was used to describe the sample medium, whether the sample was collected wet or dry, the sieve-size used to collect the sample, and the conditions under which the sample was dried. The NURE scheme was extended for the purposes of the NGS in the STYPE field. Three digit codes are used to indicate new values created for the NGS. All of the codes in this field are fully expanded in the other fields listed immediately below, so no explanation of the new codes is necessary. A lookup table of all the codes is available here. This field is only included in this database release so that sample codes from the original NURE program would be available. |
| TYPEDESC | This is a "quick-reference" code to the general category of the sample. The most heavily used codes in the NGS are "STRM-SED-WET" (wet stream sediment), "STRM-SED-DRY" (dry stream sediment), and "SOIL". Most codes in the field are similar to these and self-explanatory. |
| MEDIUM | The nature of the sampled medium; most samples in the NGS are coded "sediment," which includes soils. A small number of samples are coded "rock," indicating that a composite sample of small rock chips was collected. Reference materials are coded "standard", and a few dozen samples are listed as "unknown". |
| SOURCE | The depositional setting of the sample. Allowed codes include "beach," "canal," "pond" (includes lakes), "spring," and "stream." Soils samples are coded as "soil." Seldom used settings include "lava flow," "playa," "talus," "volcanic neck," and "other" or "unknown". |
| SOURCE_MOD | Adjectives describing the SOURCE variable. The most common codes are "wet" and "dry", with minor usage of "artificial, wet", "natural, wet", and "surficial." |
| UPSIEVE | A sieve size (in micrometers) through which the sample was passed prior to analysis. This code does not discriminate between samples sieved in the field (possibly wet), and samples sieved in the laboratory prior to analysis. Both methods occur in the NGS. Most samples in the NGS were sieved to below 150 µm (100 mesh), with ~10% sieved to 180 µm (80 mesh) or other values. For NURE samples, sieving information was derived either from the SAMPTYP variable or from the NURE UPSIEVE variable. |
| DRIED | This field contains either a temperature at which the sample was dried, or the word "air" to indicate that the sample was dried in air at room temperature. |
| STYPENOTE | This field contains remarks pertaining to the collection and processing of the sample and to the assignment of the sample's medium and source. |
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
This page is part of U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1001
URL: http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geochem/doc/stype.htm
Maintained by Jeff Grossman
Last modified: 09:03:38 Wed 14 Mar 2012
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