Natural Resources Canada
Government of Canada
NGR geochemical data
Format descriptor for regional stream water geochemical reconnaissance data

Table 1. Field observations legend
Field Definition Example
Uniq_ID A unique identifier for each sample site.Uniq_ID combines NTS mapsheet and sample number 105B781831
Province Abbreviated form of province or territory of Canada YUK
GSC_OF Original GSC open file release number 1289
Othr_OF Report number assigned by province/territory NB OFR 98-15
Medium Material selected for sampling and analysis Stream
NTS_Sht National Topographic System (NTS); lettered quadrangle (1:250 000 or 1:50 000 scale) 105B
Sample Remainder of sample number:  
  Year of collection 78
  Field crew 1
  Sample sequence number 831
Rep_Stat Replicate status; relationship of the sample to others within the survey:  
  Routine sample site 0
  First of a site duplicate pair 1
Latitud27 Latitude coordinate of sample site in decimal degrees (datum NAD 27). 60.22425
Longitude27 Longitude coordinate of sample site in decimal degrees (datum NAD 27). -130.26109
Sam_Type Sample material collected:  
  Stream bed sediment only Sed Only
  Spring or sediment seep Spring Sed Only
  Heavy mineral concentrate Hvv Min Conc
  Stream water only Water Only
  Natural groundwater, spring seep Groundwater
  Simultaneous stream sediment and water Sed and Water
  Simultaneous spring or seep water and sediment    Spg Sep/Sed
Stm_wdth Stream width in metres  
Stm_dpth Stream depth in decimetres or metres  
Contam Contamination, human or natural:  
  None None
  Possible Possible
  Probable Probable
  Definite Definite
  Mining activity Mining
  Industrial sources Industry
  Agricultural Agriculture
  Domestic or household Domestic
  Forestry activities Forestry
  Burned areas Burned Areas
Bnk_type Bank type; the general nature of the bank material adjacent to the sample site:  
  Alluvial Alluvial
  Colluvial (bare rock, residual or mountain soils) Colluvial
  Glacial till Till
  Glacial outwash sediments Outwash
  Bare rock Bare Rock
  Talus scree Talus/Scree
  Organic predominant (debris, peat, muskeg, swamp) Organics
Wat_colo Water colour; the general colour and suspended load of the sampled water:  
  Clear Clear
  Brown transparent Brown, transparent
  White cloudy White, cloudy
  Brown cloudy Brown, cloudy
Stm_flow Water flow rate:  
  Stagnant Stagnant
  Slow Slow
  Moderate Moderate
  Fast Fast
  Torrential Torrential
Sed_colo Predominant sediment colour:  
  Red-brown Red, Brown
  White-buff White, Buff
  Black Black
  Yellow Yellow
  Green Green
  Grey, blue grey Grey, Blue grey
  Pink Pink
  Buff to brown Buff to brown
  Brown Brown
Sed_Cmp

Sediment composition; description of the bulk mechanical composition of the collected sample on a scale of 1 to 3, the total of the column must add up to 3 or 4 or 5.

Size fractions are divided as follows:
Column 1  >0.125 mm (sand)
Column 2  <0.125 mm (fines - organic silt, clay)
Column 3  organic material

Amount of size fraction:
sum of amounts = 3 4 5
Absent 0 0 0
Minor <33% 25% 20%
Medium 33-67% 50% 40%
Major >67% 75% 60%
0
1
2
3
Bot_Pcpt Precipitate or stain; the presence of any coatings on pebbles, boulders or stream bottoms:  
  None None
  Red-brown Red, Brown
  White or buff White, Buff
  Black Black
  Yellow Yellow
  Green Green
  Grey Grey
  Pink Pink
  Buff to brown Buff to brown
Bnk_Pcpt Distinctive precipitate, stains or weathering on rocks in immediate area of catchment basin or stream bank:  
  None None
  Red, brown (eg. Fe) Red, Brown
  White, buff (eg. CO3, Zn) White, Buff
  Black (e.g. Fe, Mn, sulphides) Black
  Yellow (e.g. Pb, U, Fe, Mo, REE) Yellow
  Green (Cu, Ni, U, Mo, As, Fe) Green
  Bluish (Zn, P) Blue
  Pink (Co, As) Pink
Stm_Phys General physiography of the drainage basin:  
  Plain Plain
  Muskeg, swampland Lowlands, Swamp
  Peneplain, plateau Peneplain, plateau
  Hilly, undulating Hilly, undulating
  Mountainous, mature Mountainous, mature
  Mountainous, youthful (precipitous) Mountainous, youthful
Stm_Dran Drainage pattern:  
  Poorly defined, haphazard Poorly defined
  Dendritic Dendritic
  Herringbone Herringbone
  Rectangular Rectangular
  Trellis Trellis
  Discontinuous shield type (chains of lakes) Discontinuous shield type
  Basinal Closed
  Others Other
Stm_Type Stream type:  
  Undefined Undefined
  Permanent, continuous Permanent
  Intermittent, seasonal Intermit
  Re-emergent, discontinuous Re-emergent
Stm_Class Classification based on proximity to source:  
  Undefined Undefined
  Primary Primary
  Secondary Secondary
  Tertiary Tertiary
  Quaternary Quaternary
Wat_Sorc Source of water:  
  Unknown Unknown
  Groundwater Groundwater
  Snow melt or spring run-off Spring melt
  Recent precipitation Recent rain
  Ice-cap or glacier meltwater Glacier

Table 2. Summary of analytical data and methods
Element Detection Level Method
Waters:      
pH Hydrogen ion activity - - GCM
F_w Fluoride 20 ppb ISE
U _w Uranium 0.05 ppb LIF


Terminology

GCM
fire assay - neutron activation
ISE
ion selective electrode and pH meter
LIF
laser-induced fluorescence