Chandeleur Islands radiochemistry data from USGS field activities 12BIM01, 12BIM02, and 12BIM05

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Chandeleur Islands radiochemistry data from USGS field activities 12BIM01, 12BIM02, and 12BIM05
Abstract:
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted a time-series collection of shallow sediment cores from the back-barrier environments along the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana from March 2012 through July 2013. The sampling efforts were part of a larger USGS study to evaluate the effects on the geomorphology of the Chandeleur Islands following the construction of an artificial sand berm in response to the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of the back-barrier tidal and wetland environments to the berm. This report serves as an archive for sedimentological, radiochemical, and microbiological data derived from the sediment cores. Data is available for a time-series of four sampling periods: March 2012, July 2013, September 2012, and July 2013. Data is available in downloadable spreadsheet, Joint Photographic Experts Group and Portable Document File formats. Additional files included: ArcGIS shape files of the study sites, detailed results of sediment grain size analyses, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FDGC) metadata.
Supplemental_Information:
This publication contains data for each of three field activities that were conducted in 2012: 12BIM01 March 24-26, 12BIM02 July 10, and 12BIM05 September 10. As part of this project, sediment cores were also collected July 15-17, 2013 (13BIM06) but radiochemical analyses were not performed on that sample set.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Marot, Marci E., Smith, Christopher G., and U.S. Geological Survey, 20131201, Chandeleur Islands radiochemistry data from USGS field activities 12BIM01, 12BIM02, and 12BIM05: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1079.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Marot, Marci E., Adams, C. Scott, Richwine, Kathyrn A., Smith, Christopher G., and Osterman, Lisa E., 20131201, Temporal Changes in Lithology and Radiochemistry from the Back-barrier Environments along the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana: March 2012–July 2013: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1079, U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -88.835832
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -88.825012
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 29.969498
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 29.895495
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 24-Mar-2012
    Ending_Date: 10-Sep-2012
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    12BIM**-^^ Radiochemistry Data.xlxs (** is the field activity number during 2012, ranging from 01 to 05, and ^^ is the site location type, where B are back-barrier sites and M are tidal marsh sites)
    Gamma spectroscopy radiochemistry results of sediment push cores collected on the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana. (Source: USGS)
    Core ID
    Back-barrier or marsh sediment core site number (Source: USGS) Core site identification number assigned by USGS scientist
    Date Collected
    The calendar date that the core was collected in the field. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:20120324
    Maximum:20130910
    Depth (cm)
    Sample interval depth measured from top of the core (cm) (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:16
    Initial/Aged
    Identifies whether the data is from the initial gamma spectroscopy analysis or whether the sample had been re-analyzed after a minimum of 5 months (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:I (Initial)
    Maximum:A (Aged)
    Be-7 Activity (pCi/g)
    Beryllium-7 specific activity measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:Not detected
    Maximum:1.52
    Be-7 Error (+/- pCi/g)
    Beryllium-7 specific activity counting error measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:Null
    Maximum:0.45
    Be-7 Inventory (pCi/cm^2)
    Beryllium-7 activity inventory measured in picocuries per square centimeter of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:Not detected
    Maximum:3.92
    Be-7 Invetory Error (+/- pCi/cm^2)
    Beryllium-7 activity inventory error measured in picocuries per square centimeter of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:Null
    Maximum:0.55
    Cs-137 Activity (pCi/g)
    Cesium-137 specific activity measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:Not detected
    Maximum:0.20
    Cs-137 Error (+/- pCi/g)
    Cesium-137 specific activity counting error measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:Null
    Maximum:0.03
    Pb-210 Activity (pCi/g)
    Lead-210 specific activity measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.39
    Maximum:2.07
    Pb-210 Error (+/- pCi/g)
    Lead-210 specific activity counting error measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.06
    Maximum:0.25
    Ra-226 Activity (pCi/g)
    Radium-226 specific activity measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.33
    Maximum:0.90
    Ra-226 Error (+/- pCi/g)
    Radium-226 specific activity counting error measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.02
    Maximum:0.09
    Th-234 Activity (pCi/g)
    Thorium-234 specific activity measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.41
    Maximum:1.59
    Th-234 Error (+/- pCi/g)
    Thorium-234 specific activity counting error measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.08
    Maximum:0.29
    K-40 Activity (pCi/g)
    Potassium-40 specific activity measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:10.92
    Maximum:18.71
    K-40 Error (+/- pCi/g)
    Potassium-40 specific activity counting error measured in picocuries per gram of dry sediment at the date of field collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.47
    Maximum:2.44

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Marci E. Marot
    • Christopher G. Smith
    • U.S. Geological Survey
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    U.S. Geological Survey
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: Marci E. Marot
    Geologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    US

    (727) 502-8057 (voice)
    mmarot@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

The Radiochemistry_Data.zip file includes all radiochemistry analysis results from back-barrier wetlands collected on or around the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana from March 2012 to July 2013 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 2012 (process 1 of 3)
    In the field, the cores were sectioned at 2-cm intervals to a depth of 10–16 cm, placed in individual storage bags, and stored on ice. The only exception was the back-barrier marsh cores collected in March 2012 (12BIM01-M) that were subsampled at 1 cm intervals. The section core samples were transported to the USGS SPCMSC. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: Marci E. Marot
    Geologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    U.S.

    (727) 502-8057 (voice)
    mmarot@usgs.gov
    Date: 2012 (process 2 of 3)
    Each subsample (approximately 80 g of wet sediment) was oven-dried at 60°C for 48 hours. The dried sediment was homogenized to a fine powder using a porcelain mortar and pestle. Dried ground sediments (15 – 30 g) were sealed in airtight polypropylene containers. The sample weights and counting container geometries were matched to pre-made calibration standards. The sealed samples were allowed to sit for a minimum of 3 weeks to allow Ra-226 to come into secular equilibrium with its daughter isotopes Pb-214 and Bi-214. The sealed samples were then counted for 48-72 hours on a planar-style, low energy, high purity germanium, gamma-ray spectrometer. Sample count rates were corrected for detector efficiency (referenced to the IAEA RGU-1 standard), standard photopeak intensity, and self-absorption corrections using a U-238 sealed source. Samples collected in March and July 2012 (12BIM01, 12BIM02) were kept in their sealed counting containers for a minimum of 5 months following their initial count to allow for the decay of unsupported Th-234. The aged samples were recounted. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: Marci E. Marot
    Geologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    U.S.

    (727) 502-8057 (voice)
    mmarot@usgs.gov
    Date: 13-Oct-2020 (process 3 of 3)
    Added keywords section with USGS persistent identifier as theme keyword. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: VeeAnn A. Cross
    Marine Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2251 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    vatnipp@usgs.gov
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    The radioisotopic activities reported in the Excel spreadsheets include the counting error for all samples. The critical level is reported for each core set.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    This is a complete processed radiochemistry data file for the 12BIM01, 12BIM02, and 12BIM05 core time series archive.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    The data include sample depth interval in core (cm), date of collection, initial vs. aged count, Be-7 activity and error, Be-7 inventory and error, Cs-137 activity and error, Pb-210 activity and error, Ra-226 activity and error, Th-234 activity and error, K-40 activity and error.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
Access_Constraints: none
Use_Constraints:
The U.S. Geological Survey requests that it be referenced as the originator of this dataset in any future products or research derived from these data.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: Marci E. Marot
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    U.S.

    502-8057 (voice)
    mmarot@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? Downloadable data
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    This publication was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution imply any such warranty. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and (or) contained herein. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof.
  4. How can I download or order the data?
  5. Is there some other way to get the data?
    none
  6. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    These spreadsheets included in this .zip file were created for use with Microsoft Excel 2010. It may also be viewed with the Microsoft Excel viewer or by downloading a Microsoft Compatibility Pack to view with older versions of Microsoft Excel.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 22-Sep-2021
Metadata author:
U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Attn: Marci E. Marot
Geologist
600 4th Street South
St. Petersburg, FL
U.S.

(727) 502-8057 (voice)
mmarot@usgs.gov
Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/spcmsc/OFR20141079_Radiochemistry-met.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.50 on Wed Sep 22 17:19:08 2021