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Project Development

Objectives

Mapping the geochemistry of the nation's soils was the goal of this project. To accomplish this, we established appropriate linkages with stakeholders in both the government and private sector, but must also assured that protocols for sample collection, sample preparation, and chemical analysis were optimized for this wide array of customers and collaborators. The goal of this task was to establish working relationships with key governmental and non-governmental entities, and to establish the methodologies that will be employed over the life of the study.

The major objectives were:

1. To launch the task by putting together a soil geochemistry workshop, convened in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), involving the key parties from governmental agencies, private industry, and academia to 1) exchange information regarding needs for soil geochemical data and how each agency/industry meets these needs, 2) develop working relationships, and 3) establish priorities for the future conduct of the project. From this workshop, we also plan to name an advisory board to provide commentary and oversight on task development and outreach for the project.
2. Conduct an inventory to locate all available regional-scale soil geochemical data sets and make these data sets available on a web site.
3. Develop soil standard reference materials to assure that high-quality data is produced by the project.
4. Establish sample collection, sample preparation, and analytical methodologies that can be confidently employed throughout the life of the project.

Subtasks

• Soil Geochemistry Workshop
• Soil Standard Reference Materials
• Methods Development

Products

Fact Sheets

• Smith, D.B., Goldhaber, M.B., Wilson, M.A., and Burt, Rebecca, 2003, A proposal for upgrading the national-scale soil geochemical database for the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-015-03. Available online at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-015-03/.

Presentations

• Rencz, Andy, and Smith, D.B., 2007, North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project: Abstracts, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North America 28th Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, Nov. 11-15, 2007.
• Salminen, R., Batista, M.J., Bidovec, M., Demetriades, A., De Vivo, B., De Vos, W., Duris, M., Gilucis, A., Gregorauskiene, V., Halamic, J., Heitzmann, P., Lima, A., Jordan, G., Klavert, G., Klein, P., Lis, J., Locutura, J., Marsina, K., Mazreku, A., Mrnkova, J., O’Connor, P.J., Olsson, S.Å., Ottesen, R.T., Petersell, V., Pirc, S., Plant, J.A., Reeder, S., Reimann, C., Salpeteur, I., Sandström, H., Siewers, U., Smith, D., Steenfelt, A., and Tarvainen, T., 2006, Geochemical baseline mapping of European soils: Abstracts of the 18th World Congress of Soil Science, July 9-15, 2006, Philadelphia, PA (CD-ROM).
• Smith, D.B., 2006, The Geochemical Landscapes Project: Establishing a soil geochemical database for North America: Presentation to the annual meeting of the Association of American State Geologists, Santa Fe, NM, June 11, 2006.
• Smith, D.B., and Goldhaber, M.B., 2005. The Geochemical Landscapes Project: Pilot studies for a proposed soil geochemical survey of North America. Invited presentation at the USGS-sponsored workshop "Environmental Effects of Agricultural Practices", Denver, CO, June 14-16, 2005.
• Smith, D.B., and Goldhaber, M.B., 2005, An international collaborative effort to establish a soil geochemical database for North America (presentation to Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, March 8, 2005).
• Smith, D.B., and Goldhaber, M.B., 2003, The Geochemical Landscapes Project: Developing a new soil geochemical database for North America: Briefing given to the U.S. National Committee on Soil Science and, separately, to the Board of Directors of the Soil Science Society of America, November 1, 2003.
• Smith, D.B., and Goldhaber, M.B., 2003, The geochemical landscapes project: Invited presentation to the American Association of State Geologists Central States Cluster Meeting, November 13, 2003, Vermillion, South Dakota.
• Smith, D.B., Goldhaber, M.B., Cannon, W.F., Woodruff, L.G., Garrett, R.G., Eilers, R.G., and Prieto, J.C.S., 2005, A proposed soil geochemical survey of North America [abs.]: Abstract Book, 21st Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments, and Water; Amherst, MA; Oct. 17-20, 2005, p. 164.
• Smith, D.B., Goldhaber, M.B., Garrett, R.G., Wilson, M.A., Burt, R., and Gomez de la Rosa, E., 2004, An international collaborative effort to establish a soil geochemical database for North America: 32nd International Geological Congress, 2004, Abstracts Volume, pt. 1, abs. 135-4. p. 617.
• Smith, D.B., Goldhaber, M.B., Helsel, D.R., Garrett, R.G., Wilson, M.A., Burt, R., and Gomez de la Rosa, E., 2003, A proposed continental-scale soil geochemical survey of North America: Establishing a database for the 21st century: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 34, no. 7, p. 131. View Smith GSA abstract.
• Smith, D.B., Goldhaber, M.B., and Smith, S.M., 2003, The U.S. Geological Survey's National Geochemical Database: A possible link between earth science and health science [abs.]: 21st Annual Epidemiologic Research Exchange, Feb. 7, 2003, p. 12.
• Smith, D.B., Goldhaber, M.B., Wilson, M.A., and Burt, R. 2003, Geochemical background data for soils of the United States: Current status and new opportunities [abs.]: Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Pacific Division, Vol. 22, Part 1, p. 83-84.
• Smith, D.B., Goldhaber, M.B., Wilson, M.A., and Burt, R., 2003, Geochemical baselines and human health [abs.]: Natural Science and Public Health-Prescription for a Better Environment, Abstracts from the conference on April 1-3, 2003, Reston, Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-097, p. 74. Available online at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-097/.
• Smith, D.B., Goldhaber, M.B., Wilson, M.A., and Burt, R., Geochemical background data for soils of the United States: Current status and new opportunites, Electric Power Research Institute.
• Smith, D.B., Goldhaber, M.B., Wilson, M.A., Burt, R.and Helmke, P.A., 2003, A proposed continental-scale soil geochemical survey of North America: Annual Meetings Abstracts, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, 2003 Annual Meetings (CD-ROM).
• Smith, D.B., Gustavsson, N., and Bolviken, B., 2003, Geochemical maps based on ultralow- density sampling of the conterminous United States [abs.]: Natural Science and Public Health- Prescription for a Better Environment, Abstracts from the conference on April 1-3, 2003, Reston, Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-097, p. 75. Available online at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-097/.

Reports and Articles

• Loynachan, T.E., Brown, K.W., Cooper, T.H., Kimble, J.M., Milford, M.H, and Smith, D.B., 2005, Soils, Society, and the Environment: American Geological Institute, Alexandria, VA, 64 p.
• Plant, J.A., Smith, D.B., Smith, B., and Reeder, S., 2003, Environmental geochemistry on a global scale, in Skinner, H.C.W., and Berger, A.R., eds., Geology and Health: Closing the Gap, Oxford University Press, New York, p. 129-134.
• Smith, D.B., and Goldhaber, M.B., 2004, Guest editorial: Updating the soil background database: Gradient Trends, Risk Science and Application, Fall 2004, p. 6. (http://www.gradientcorp.com/coinfo/pdf/Trends31.pdf, PDF file, 385 k)
• Smith, D.B., and Goldhaber, M.B., 2005, An international collaborative effort to establish a soil geochemical database for North America (presentation to Canadian Land Resources Network, Ottawa, March 9, 2005), Canadian Land Resources Network.

Workshops

• Smith, D.B., Goldhaber, M.B., Wilson, M.A., Burt, R., and Helmke, P.A., 2003, A proposed continental-scale soil geochemical survey of North America: Annual Meetings Abstracts, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, 2003 Annual Meetings (CD-ROM).

Other

• Websites, Delivered: L. Lee, M.B. Goldhaber, D.B. Smith, The Geochemical Landscapes Project, USGS.

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