This data release presents geochemical and mineralogical data for mine waste at Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine (SBMM). This work is performed in cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to characterize sources of contamination at the SBMM cleanup site. A total of 23 samples were collected: 15 samples were collected by USGS from various waste piles during 2020-21 (14 composites from the top 0-2 centimeters of material, and one composite from six discrete ore hand samples), six composite samples were generated from drill cores from monitoring wells installed by EPA contractor EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc. (EA), in the Waste Rock Dam during 2022. Two additional hand samples - one cinderblock and one scoria - were collected by USGS from the eastern flank of the South waste pile. The 21 composite samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for trace elements, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) for major elements, 5-stage sequential extractions to determine phase associations, semi-quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) for mineralogy, EPA Method 3051a for total arsenic and EPA Method 1340 and the California Arsenic Bioaccessibility (CAB) method for relative in vitro arsenic bioaccessibility. The two hand samples were analyzed by ICP-MS for trace elements, ICP-OES for major elements, and semi-quantitative XRD for mineralogy. For composite samples, analyses were performed for two size fractions, S4 (63-250 µm) and S5 (< 63 µm), except for EPA 3051a and 1340 and the CAB test, which were performed on the S3 (< 250 µm) size fraction. The two hand samples were only analyzed for the S5 size fraction. Results are presented for all 23 samples of ore, calcined tailings, waste rock material, Waste Rock Dam drill cores, cinderblock, and scoria collected between November 20, 2020 and June 17, 2022.

Sediment cores were collected in the Cache Creek Settling Basin (CCSB), Yolo County, California, during October 2011 at 10 locations (borehole sites) and during August 2012 at 5 other locations. Total core depths ranged from approximately 4.6 to 13.7 meters (15 to 45 feet), with penetration to about 9.1 meters (30 feet) at most locations. Detailed subsampling (3-centimeter intervals) was done at total of seven locations: six along an east-west transect in the southern part of the Cache Creek Settling Basin and at one in the northern part of the basin for analyses of total mercury; organic content; and cesium-137, which was used for dating. This data release reports results of the analyses of each subsample of these sediment cores, including associated quality-assurance and quality-control data.

Sediment cores were collected in the Cache Creek Settling Basin (CCSB), Yolo County, California, during October 2011 at 10 locations (borehole sites) and during August 2012 at 5 other locations. Total core depths ranged from approximately 4.6 to 13.7 meters (15 to 45 feet), with penetration to about 9.1 meters (30 feet) at most locations. Detailed subsampling (3-centimeter intervals) was done at total of seven locations: six along an east-west transect in the southern part of the Cache Creek Settling Basin and at one in the northern part of the basin for analyses of total mercury; organic content; and cesium-137, which was used for dating. This data release reports results of the analyses of each subsample of these sediment cores, including associated quality-assurance and quality-control data.

From June to September 2017, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) collected a total of 116 surficial sediment and bedrock samples from abandoned mine wastepiles, ephemeral channels below wastepiles, nearby outcrops, and background areas representative of the undisturbed lithology on the western slope of the northern half of the Oquirrh Mountain Range, approximately 20 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. The sample locations can be spatially clustered into four groups: the Bates Canyon group in the foothills below Bates Canyon; the Middle Canyon group in Middle Canyon; the Ridgeline group within the Bingham Mining District located at or near the Tooele-Salt Lake County border on the Oquirrh Mountain ridge; and the Stockton group within the historic Stockton Mining District (also known as the Rush Valley Mining District). Mining operations within the study area began in the mid-1860s and primarily targeted copper, gold, iron, lead and zinc deposits in the Pennsylvanian-Permian Oquirrh Group (Krahulec, 2018). Geochemical analyses were completed through a third-party contract by AGAT Laboratories. Samples were analyzed for 49 major, minor, and trace elements using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) methods (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hf, In, K, La, Li, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn, Zr).

From June to September 2017, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) collected a total of 116 surficial sediment and bedrock samples from abandoned mine wastepiles, ephemeral channels below wastepiles, nearby outcrops, and background areas representative of the undisturbed lithology on the western slope of the northern half of the Oquirrh Mountain Range, approximately 20 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. The sample locations can be spatially clustered into four groups: the Bates Canyon group in the foothills below Bates Canyon; the Middle Canyon group in Middle Canyon; the Ridgeline group within the Bingham Mining District located at or near the Tooele-Salt Lake County border on the Oquirrh Mountain ridge; and the Stockton group within the historic Stockton Mining District (also known as the Rush Valley Mining District). Mining operations within the study area began in the mid-1860s and primarily targeted copper, gold, iron, lead and zinc deposits in the Pennsylvanian-Permian Oquirrh Group (Krahulec, 2018). Geochemical analyses were completed through a third-party contract by AGAT Laboratories. Samples were analyzed for 49 major, minor, and trace elements using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) methods (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hf, In, K, La, Li, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn, Zr).

This dataset includes data for water, sediment, and biota samples collected at 250 locations in the northwestern Sierra Nevada and the Trinity Mountains during 1999–2012. The locations were chosen to assess potential effects from historical mining, with a focus primarily on mercury contamination associated with placer gold mines in the Sierra Nevada and the Trinity Mountains, and a hard-rock mercury mine in the Trinity Mountains. Trace elements and major elements were analyzed in selected samples. All analyses of mercury, methylmercury, and (or) trace and major elements in water and sediment were performed by U.S. Geological Survey laboratories. Biota samples (invertebrates, fish, and frogs) were analyzed for mercury, methylmercury and (or) trace elements at the Trace Element Research Laboratory in College Station, Texas.

This dataset includes data for water, sediment, and biota samples collected at 250 locations in the northwestern Sierra Nevada and the Trinity Mountains during 1999–2012. The locations were chosen to assess potential effects from historical mining, with a focus primarily on mercury contamination associated with placer gold mines in the Sierra Nevada and the Trinity Mountains, and a hard-rock mercury mine in the Trinity Mountains. Trace elements and major elements were analyzed in selected samples. All analyses of mercury, methylmercury, and (or) trace and major elements in water and sediment were performed by U.S. Geological Survey laboratories. Biota samples (invertebrates, fish, and frogs) were analyzed for mercury, methylmercury and (or) trace elements at the Trace Element Research Laboratory in College Station, Texas.

During August of 2014, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) collected a total of 187 surficial sediment and bedrock samples from abandoned mine wastepiles, ephemeral channels below wastepiles, nearby outcrops, and background areas representative of the undisturbed lithology within Emery County, UT. The samples were clustered into four different groups: Buckmaster Draw (BM), Dry Mesa (DM), Cow Flats (CF), and Cedar (C). These samples were sieved to obtain a less than 177 micron fraction, which was homogenized and subjected to a four acid digestion prior to analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) methods. (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Sn, Sr, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Zn).

Stable isotope compositions (the ratios deuterium/hydrogen, oxygen-18/oxygen-16, and sulfur-34/sulfur-32) are reported for alunite, jarosite, kaolinite, silica, cinnabar, marcasite, and native sulfur from outcrops in and around the workings of the Sulphur Bank mercury mine, Lake County, California, and chemical compositions are reported, from electron microprobe analyses, for alunite and buddingtonite. Isotope analyses are given also for hydrogen sulfide gas from active fumaroles and for soluble sulfate in samples of mine waste. The waste results reflect fine grained material (particles less than 0.063 millimeter in diameter) that were taken from composites, each composite representing a particular waste pile that was active during a particular period of mining.

Stable isotope compositions (the ratios deuterium/hydrogen, oxygen-18/oxygen-16, and sulfur-34/sulfur-32) are reported for alunite, jarosite, kaolinite, silica, cinnabar, marcasite, and native sulfur from outcrops in and around the workings of the Sulphur Bank mercury mine, Lake County, California, and chemical compositions are reported, from electron microprobe analyses, for alunite and buddingtonite. Isotope analyses are given also for hydrogen sulfide gas from active fumaroles and for soluble sulfate in samples of mine waste. The waste results reflect fine grained material (particles less than 0.063 millimeter in diameter) that were taken from composites, each composite representing a particular waste pile that was active during a particular period of mining.