44 Environmental Geoscience (Posters)

Wednesday, 11 March 2026
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
RCC, Lower Level Hall

Mapping Metal Contamination of Stream Sediments and Soils within the Springfield Plateau of the Tri-State Mining District

Paper number: 44-13
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Authors

Abstract

The Tri-State Mining District (TSMD) is a mining district that spans across the borders of Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas which was established in 1848 and shut down in 1970. The district was a major source of zinc and lead mining, causing  environmental contamination that has had long lasting and harmful effects on ecology, including people, in the region. This study investigates the spatial distribution and extent of metal contaminants in the Missouri side of the TSMD, more specifically within the Springfield Plateau. In this study, we aim to investigate if, and where, contamination has persisted throughout the region. This will be done by collecting sediment samples in both active streams and dry streambeds in areas both near and far away from historical mining sites. Soil samples will also be taken from high activity areas in small town parks that have had mining occur in the past. All sampling will be taken from the top two inches of material. Samples will be disaggregated, sieved, then metal will be measured with an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer to find the lead, zinc, and iron concentrations. About 20% of samples will be cross analyzed using ICP to verify the accuracy of the XRF data. The data collected will be made into concentration maps using Arc Pro to visualize the concentration distribution and extent. Preliminary results have shown that as far away as Pierson Creek, the Pb, Zn, and Fe concentrations are as great as 119, 2386, and 15540 mg/kg respectively. 

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 1

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026SE-411577

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