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Descriptions and analyses of eight new USGS rock standards
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 1977, Vol. 41, p. 997. Pergamon Press Printed in Great Britain
BOOK REVIEW Descriptions and Analyses of Eight New USGS Rock Standards, compiled and edited by F. J. FLANAGAN. Geological
Survey Professional Paper 840. United States Government Printing Office, Washington, 1976. 192 + VI pp. $3.10. Survey Paper 840 is a series of 29 papers, some of which have a wider range than the title of the publication suggests. In addition to descriptions and lists of analyses of the eight new USGS rock samples, some papers deal partly or wholly with the older USGS samples. Thus, there is a paper on the 1964 series of samples, another on the two famous samples (granite Gl and diabase Wl) and a third on the sampfe of muscovite P207. The paper by F. J. Flanagan (‘1972 Compilation of Data on USGS Standards’) on the 1964 series of samples G2 to BCR-1 and the depleted Gl and WI lists the analysts’ results for major, minor, and trace elements, together with the techniques used by the anafysts. In addition. ‘estimates’ classified as ‘recommended’, ‘averages’ and ‘magni~des’ are given for all the elements. With one or two exceptions, the newer data given in the present publication have not been incorporated in the tables in this paper and, with few exceptions, the estimates are the same as those given in the paper published by the author in 1973, also referred to as ‘1972 values’. The new USGS rocks referred to by the authors of some of the papers as ‘the 1971 series’ were, as F. J. Flanagan states in his introductory paper, prepared for use principally in the USGS laboratories, but are available for distribution to other laboratories. These are: a nepheline syenite (STM-I), a rhyolite (RGM-I), a quartz latite (QLO-1), a mica schist (SDC-i), a basalt (BHVO-1) and a Cody Shale (SCo-1). The last two samples are more unusual. bne of these is a marine mud (MAG-1) from the Wilkinson Basin of the Gulf of Maine and the &her an oil shale (SGR-1) from the Mahogany zone of the Green River Formation. Detailed descriotions of all samples exceot SGR-1 are given, including tie location of theAsamples,-a mineralogical description and a chemical analysis. A satisfying feature of this publication, and one that is unfortunately sometimes lacking in reports or certificates by producers of reference materials, is the inclusion of sieve analyses. These analyses show that the samples have been finely ground. In addition to the analyses contributed by the laboratories of the USGS, there are a number of contributors
THE GFLKOGICAL
from laboratories throughout the world, many of whom are recognized authorities in their analytical techniques. The emphasis is mainly on the trace and minor elements in the samples and there is an impressive number of results for a considerable number of elements by a variety of techniques. F. J. Flanagan has done much to forestall any criticism of the homogeneity of his new samples by ensuring that they have been finely ground and by having the homogeneity of the samples tested. In his experimental design for testing the homogeneity of the samples, two or three randomly selected bottles of the samples were submitted to the analysts and they were requested to report both results of a duplicate analysis and to carry out the determinations on the subsamples in random order. The results were submitted to a one-way analysis of variance with the ‘betweenbottle’ values as the variable of classification. Homogeneity is, of course, relative to the precision of the method of testing and the mass of the subsample. Although descriptions of the methods of analysis are given, the mass of the subsample is sometimes omitted even when no reference is made to the details of the analytical method. These two factors could account for some of the differing conclusions as well as the possibility that the data do not always conform to some of the underlying assumptions of the analysis of variance. In spite of this shortcoming, the overall conclusion is unaffected: by far the majority of analysts using a number of present-day analytical techniques on a very considerable number of elements have been unable to detect any inhomogeneity in the distribution of the elements. This evidence lends strong support to the validity of the procedure used by the author for preparing the samples. F. J. Flanagan and the analysts’who co-operated with him are to be commended for providing so much information on the old and new samples. This publication is very necessary for those analysts who wish to choose their preferred values (and, for the new samples, they have no alternative), and as a source of data for geochemists on the composition of rocks. ~atjffna~ ~~st~~tgf~r~efal~urgy, Private Bag X3015, Randbwg 2125, South Africa
997
‘I’. W.
STEELE
BOOK REVIEW Descriptions and Analyses of Eight New USGS Rock Standards, compiled and edited by F. J. FLANAGAN. Geological
Survey Professional Paper 840. United States Government Printing Office, Washington, 1976. 192 + VI pp. $3.10. Survey Paper 840 is a series of 29 papers, some of which have a wider range than the title of the publication suggests. In addition to descriptions and lists of analyses of the eight new USGS rock samples, some papers deal partly or wholly with the older USGS samples. Thus, there is a paper on the 1964 series of samples, another on the two famous samples (granite Gl and diabase Wl) and a third on the sampfe of muscovite P207. The paper by F. J. Flanagan (‘1972 Compilation of Data on USGS Standards’) on the 1964 series of samples G2 to BCR-1 and the depleted Gl and WI lists the analysts’ results for major, minor, and trace elements, together with the techniques used by the anafysts. In addition. ‘estimates’ classified as ‘recommended’, ‘averages’ and ‘magni~des’ are given for all the elements. With one or two exceptions, the newer data given in the present publication have not been incorporated in the tables in this paper and, with few exceptions, the estimates are the same as those given in the paper published by the author in 1973, also referred to as ‘1972 values’. The new USGS rocks referred to by the authors of some of the papers as ‘the 1971 series’ were, as F. J. Flanagan states in his introductory paper, prepared for use principally in the USGS laboratories, but are available for distribution to other laboratories. These are: a nepheline syenite (STM-I), a rhyolite (RGM-I), a quartz latite (QLO-1), a mica schist (SDC-i), a basalt (BHVO-1) and a Cody Shale (SCo-1). The last two samples are more unusual. bne of these is a marine mud (MAG-1) from the Wilkinson Basin of the Gulf of Maine and the &her an oil shale (SGR-1) from the Mahogany zone of the Green River Formation. Detailed descriotions of all samples exceot SGR-1 are given, including tie location of theAsamples,-a mineralogical description and a chemical analysis. A satisfying feature of this publication, and one that is unfortunately sometimes lacking in reports or certificates by producers of reference materials, is the inclusion of sieve analyses. These analyses show that the samples have been finely ground. In addition to the analyses contributed by the laboratories of the USGS, there are a number of contributors
THE GFLKOGICAL
from laboratories throughout the world, many of whom are recognized authorities in their analytical techniques. The emphasis is mainly on the trace and minor elements in the samples and there is an impressive number of results for a considerable number of elements by a variety of techniques. F. J. Flanagan has done much to forestall any criticism of the homogeneity of his new samples by ensuring that they have been finely ground and by having the homogeneity of the samples tested. In his experimental design for testing the homogeneity of the samples, two or three randomly selected bottles of the samples were submitted to the analysts and they were requested to report both results of a duplicate analysis and to carry out the determinations on the subsamples in random order. The results were submitted to a one-way analysis of variance with the ‘betweenbottle’ values as the variable of classification. Homogeneity is, of course, relative to the precision of the method of testing and the mass of the subsample. Although descriptions of the methods of analysis are given, the mass of the subsample is sometimes omitted even when no reference is made to the details of the analytical method. These two factors could account for some of the differing conclusions as well as the possibility that the data do not always conform to some of the underlying assumptions of the analysis of variance. In spite of this shortcoming, the overall conclusion is unaffected: by far the majority of analysts using a number of present-day analytical techniques on a very considerable number of elements have been unable to detect any inhomogeneity in the distribution of the elements. This evidence lends strong support to the validity of the procedure used by the author for preparing the samples. F. J. Flanagan and the analysts’who co-operated with him are to be commended for providing so much information on the old and new samples. This publication is very necessary for those analysts who wish to choose their preferred values (and, for the new samples, they have no alternative), and as a source of data for geochemists on the composition of rocks. ~atjffna~ ~~st~~tgf~r~efal~urgy, Private Bag X3015, Randbwg 2125, South Africa
997
‘I’. W.
STEELE