Direct/Delayed Response Project: Quality Assurance Plan for Preparation and Analysis of Soils from the Mid-Appalachian Region of the United States

摘要

The Direct/Delayed Response Project is designed to address the concern over potential acidification of surface waters by atmospheric sulfur deposition within the United States. The Mid-Appalachian Soil Survey is being conducted as a synoptic physical and chemical survey to characterize a statistical sampling of watersheds in a region of the United States believed to be susceptible to the effects of acidic deposition. The survey has benefitted from information gained during two previous, similar surveys. The documentation addresses the design and implementation of a quality assurance program and the verification of the analytical data base for the Mid-Appalachian Soil Survey. It is addressed primarily to the users of the data base who will be analyzing the data and making various assessments and conclusions relating to the effects of acidic deposition on the soils of the Mid-Appalachian region, the third and final region characterized during the project. Data quality is assessed by addressing detectability, precision, accuracy, representativeness, completeness, and comparability of the data.