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Geology topics

E. P. Welsch

Publications and source records attributed to E. P. Welsch.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
USGS1979

Determination of arsenic in geological materials by electrothermal atomic-absorption spectrometry after hydride generation

Rock and soil samples are decomposed with HClO 4 —HNO 3 ; after further treatment, arsine is generated and absorbed in a dilute silver nitrate solution. Aliquots of this solution are injected into a carbon rod atomizer. Down to 1 ppm As in samples can be determined and there are no significant interferences, even from chromium in soils. Good results were obtained for geochemical reference samples.

Analytica Chimica Acta↗
USGS1978

A comparison of rock and soil samples for geochemical mapping of two porphyry-metal systems in Colorado

Paired rock and soil samples were collected at widely spaced locations in large segments of the porphyry-metal systems of the Montezuma district in central Colorado and of a northwestward extension of the Summitville district into Crater Creek in southern Colorado. The paired samples do not covary closely enough for one sample medium to proxy for the other. However, the areal distributions of elements in both rocks and soils in these two districts conform to alteration zoning as defined by mineralogy. Differing geochemical patterns of rocks and soils reflect species-dependent responses to weathering. Soils appear to be statistically enriched in ore elements and depleted in rock elements as compared to the matching rocks. These differences are largely artificial s owing to different methods of sample preparation and chemical analysis for rocks and for soils. The distributions of metals in soils delineate the occurrence of ore-metal minerals mostly from vein deposits whereas the distributions of metals in rocks conform to zones of pervasive hydrothermal alteration and to the distribution of varied mineral deposits among these zones. Rock and soil samples are equally useful s of comparable map resolution and complement one another as a basis for geochemically mapping these porphyry-metal systems.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1976

Determination of trace amounts of tin in geological materials by atomic absorption spectrometry

An atomic absorption method is described for the determination of traces of tin in rocks, soils, and stream sediments. A dried mixture of the sample and ammonium iodide is heated to volatilize tin tetraiodide -which is then dissolved in 5 % hydrochloric acid, extracted into TOPO-MIBK, and aspirated into a nitrous oxide-acetylene flame. The limit of determination is 2 p.p.m. tin and the relative standard deviation ranges from 2 to 14 %. Up to 20 % iron and 1000 p.p.m. Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Hg, Mo, V, or W in the sample do not interfere. As many as 50 samples can be easily analyzed per man-day.

Analytica Chimica Acta↗