Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Skip to content

Geochemical Data for Bulk Samples and Their Derivative Size and Density Fractions from Placer Tailings in Alaska

Metadata Updated: December 11, 2025

This data release contains elemental concentration data from geochemical analysis of eight bulk placer tailing sediment samples and of size and density fractions derived from those eight samples. All placer tailing material collected for this data release originated from samples that were collected in Alaska. The samples collected from one fifth yard of tailings material, sieved to -1/4 inch (6.35 mm). Small scoops of this material were collected at intervals during the sieving process to accrue a seven kilogram “bulk” sample for geochemical analysis. Approximately seventy kilograms of -1/4 inch sediment per sample were shipped to the Colorado School of Mines and processed in the Kroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy (KIEM) laboratories. The 70 kg samples were weighed and classified into size fractions, and the size fractions were separated by gravity methods into light tail, middling, and concentrate fractions and weighed, as recorded in the sample descriptions in the data files. The size and density fractions prepared in the KIEMS labs were submitted to the US Geological Survey Geochemistry Laboratory in Lakewood, Colorado. Sample splitting was performed in the USGS Mineral Program's sample preparation facilities in Lakewood. The seven kg bulk samples and the size and density fractions from the 70 kg samples were analyzed in USGS contract chemistry labs by the same methods and for the same elements. The analytical methods include: 1) mercury by Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, 2) gold, palladium and platinum by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical emission Spectroscopy and Inductively coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy after collection by fire assay, 3) sixty elements by sodium peroxide fusion and ICP-OES and ICP-MS, 4) major elements by wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry, 5) fluoride by Ion-Selective Electrode, and 6) total carbon and total sulfur by combustion and infrared detections. All contract analyses were performed in 2023 and 2024 by SGS laboratories: SGS was the USGS contract laboratory during the period of analysis.

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

Downloads & Resources

No file downloads have been provided. The publisher may provide downloads in the future or they may be available from their other links.

Dates

Metadata Created Date September 13, 2025
Metadata Updated Date December 11, 2025

Metadata Source

Harvested from DOI USGS DCAT-US

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date September 13, 2025
Metadata Updated Date December 11, 2025
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Maintainer
Identifier http://datainventory.doi.gov/id/dataset/usgs-680bc60cd4be02201034d582
Data Last Modified 2025-04-25T00:00:00Z
Category geospatial
Public Access Level public
Bureau Code 010:12
Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Metadata Catalog ID https://ddi.doi.gov/usgs-data.json
Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id 9e5b665e-1d9a-4c72-9d43-9a6667200b64
Harvest Source Id 2b80d118-ab3a-48ba-bd93-996bbacefac2
Harvest Source Title DOI USGS DCAT-US
Metadata Type geospatial
Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash f09a01fb783a90d793dbb17f81c7017102d8c6cfdfd0e971a63e08f08add9450
Source Schema Version 1.1

Didn't find what you're looking for? Suggest a dataset here.