Geographic Information System

This report contains Geographic Information System (GIS) data in both vector and raster format. The vector data are provided in shapefile format compatible with Environmental System Research Institute's (ESRI) ArcView and ArcGIS software. These data are in the Geographic, WGS84 coordinate system. The raster data are provided in GeoTIFF format and ESRI binary grid format. These raster data are provided in both the Geographic, WGS84 coordinate system and a Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), Zone 18, NAD83 projection. Data layers archived here should not require additional processing to be used in ESRI software.

For users who don't have the ESRI software or a compatible GIS data browser available on their computer, a free viewer, ArcExplorer, is available from ESRI. The key functionality of ArcExplorer is the displaying of spatial data. The user will need to add the selected data layers by using ArcExplorer's add data button.

Data Description

This report includes links to several data layers (or themes) that can be used to create views of the study area offshore in eastern Long Island Sound. GeoTIFFs of the bathymetry are provided as color hill-shaded relief images. ArcRaster binary grids of the multibeam bathymetric data are included at a 2-m resolution.

Ancillary vector data consist of (1) polygon data layers that provide base maps of the coastline for the Long Island Sound GIS project area, an outline of the survey area, and interpretations of sea-floor geology and sedimentary environments and (2) point data layers of the sediment data and locations of bottom photos. The photographic data are provided in mid- and full-resolution JPEG image format.

Each GIS data layer from this publication is cataloged below for easy access. The individual data layers are described below and include the GeoTIFF, grid, or shapefile name (for example, h11997_2mmb_utm18.tif), which is linked to a browse graphic showing the data-layer extent and coverage. Selecting the data-layer name will result in the browse graphic being displayed in a separate browser window.

The top level of this report on the DVD-ROM contains an ArcView project file (h11997.apr) created in ArcView 3.3 and an ESRI ArcMap document (h11997.mxd) created in ArcMap 9.2 but saved as an ArcMap 9.0/9.1 document to make it accessible to older versions of the software.

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata for the individual data layers are provided in HTML, FAQ HTML, and text versions. Selecting associated metadata files from the table below will open the information in a new browser window.

A compressed (.zip), downloadable archive file containing the components of the shapefile, grid, or image for each data layer is also provided. Compressed, downloadable files were created by using the Windows program WINZIP v. 8.0. Users who do not have software capable of uncompressing the archived files may obtain a free version of the software from Pkware, Inc.

BATHYMETRIC IMAGERY

BATHYMETRIC GRIDS

VERIFICATION DATA LAYERS

INTERPRETIVE DATA LAYER

BASEMAP DATA

NAVIGATION DATA LAYER

Individuals interested in accessing the NOAA Descriptive Report, which contains detailed descriptions of the data-acquisition and data-processing methods, can view them as h11997_dr.pdf

To view files in PDF format, download a free copy of Adobe Reader.