2011_006_BISBOTPHOTOS.SHP: Locations of Sea-Floor Photographs Acquired During U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cruise 2011-006-FA in Block Island Sound (Geographic, WGS84)

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Frequently-anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
2011_006_BISBOTPHOTOS.SHP: Locations of Sea-Floor Photographs Acquired During U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cruise 2011-006-FA in Block Island Sound (Geographic, WGS84)
Abstract:
The USGS, in cooperation with NOAA, is producing detailed maps of the seafloor off southern New England. The current phase of this cooperative research program is directed toward analyzing how bathymetric relief relates to the distribution of sedimentary environments and benthic communities. As part of this program, digital terrain models (DTMs) from bathymetry collected as part of NOAA's hydrographic charting activities are converted into ESRI raster grids and imagery, verified with bottom sampling and photography, and used to produce interpretations of seabed geology and hydrodynamic processes. Although each of the 7 continuous-coverage, completed surveys individually provides important benthic environmental information, many applications require a geographically broader perspective. For example, the usefulness of individual surveys is limited for the planning and construction of cross-Sound infrastructure, such as cables and pipelines, or for the testing of regional circulation models. To address this need, we integrated the 7 contiguous multibeam bathymetric DTMs into one dataset that covers much of Block Island Sound. The new dataset is adjusted to mean lower low water, is provided in UTM Zone 19 NAD83 and geographic WGS84 projections, and is gridded to 4-m resolution. This resolution is adequate for seafloor-feature and process interpretation, but small enough to be queried and manipulated with standard GIS programs and to allow for future growth. Natural features visible in the grid include boulder lag deposits of submerged moraines, sand-wave fields, and scour depressions that reflect the strength of the oscillating tidal currents. Bedform asymmetry allows interpretations of net sediment transport. Together the merged data reveal a larger, more continuous perspective of bathymetric topography than previously available, providing a fundamental framework for research and resource management activities off this portion of the Rhode Island coast.Interpretations were derived from the multibeam echo-sounder data and the ground-truth data used to verify them. For more information on the ground-truth surveys see <http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2011-006-FA>
  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Poppe, Larry, 2012, 2011_006_BISBOTPHOTOS.SHP: Locations of Sea-Floor Photographs Acquired During U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cruise 2011-006-FA in Block Island Sound (Geographic, WGS84): Open-File Report 2012-1005, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Poppe, L.J., Danforth, W.W, McMullen, K.Y., Blankenship, M.A., Glomb, K.A., Wright, D.B., and Smith, S.M., 2012, Sea-Floor Character and Sedimentary Processes of Block Island Sound, Offshore Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2012-1005, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.850760
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.388135
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.316065
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.121957

  3. What does it look like?

    <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1005/data/botphotos/2011_006_bisbotphotos.gif> (GIF)
    Thumbnail image showing location and extent of bottom photo locations in Block Island Sound

  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

    Beginning_Date: 14-Jun-2011
    Ending_Date: 21-Jun-2011
    Currentness_Reference: ground condition

  5. What is the general form of this data set?

    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?

    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

      This is a Vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):

      • Entity point (406)

    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.000001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.000001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees.

      The horizontal datum used is D_WGS_1984.
      The ellipsoid used is WGS_1984.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257224.

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

    2011_006_bisbotphotos
    Shapefile Attribute Table (Source: ESRI)

    FID
    Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI)

    Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

    Shape
    Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI)

    Coordinates defining the features.

    STATION
    Sequential identifier assigned to each sample site (Source: USGS)

    Characters and numerics identifying sampling sites

    PHOTO
    Sequential identifier assigned to each photograph (Source: USGS)

    Characters and numerics identifying photos

    DATE
    Month, day, and year when the photograph was taken (Source: USGS)

    Character String: Months, days, and year as m/dd/yyyy

    LATITUDE
    Latitude coordinate of photo location, WGS84 (Source: USGS)

    Range of values
    Minimum: 41.121957
    Maximum: 41.316065
    Units: Decimal degrees
    Resolution: 0.000001

    LONGITUDE
    Longitude coordinate of photo location, WGS84 (Source: USGS)

    Range of values
    Minimum: -71.850760
    Maximum: -71.388135
    Units: Decimal degrees
    Resolution: 0.000001

    DEVICE
    Equipment used to collect the photograph (Source: USGS)

    Value Definition
    SMALL SEABOSS GRAB USGS Small Seabed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS)

    CRUISEID
    Cruise identifier (Source: USGS)

    Value Definition
    2011-006-FA Ship and field activity serial number assigned by Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center data archives

    PROJECTID
    Name of project for which the photographs were taken. (Source: USGS)

    Value Definition
    BLOCK ISLAND SOUND Project name assigned by Woods Hole Science Center data archives

    PRINCIPAL
    Name of Chief scientist during the cruise (Source: USGS)

    Value Definition
    LPOPPE Larry Poppe

    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    Data layer attributes include date and position photograph was acquired, and station and photograph identifiers.

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)

  2. Who also contributed to the data set?

  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?

    Larry Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
    USA

    (508) 548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

The purpose of this dataset is to release the locations and identifiers of 406 bottom photographs collected at 86 stations on bathymetric data of the sea floor in Block Island Sound, offshore southwestern Rhode Island. The photos were collected with a modified Van Veen grab sampler modified to carry still and video camera systems (small SEABOSS) during USGS survey 2011-006-FA, conducted June 2011.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

    (source 1 of 1)

  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

    Date: 2011 (process 1 of 2)
    Navigation and time recorded from the DGPS and in cruise logs were correlated with times in the EXIF headers of the photographs. This information was input into an Excel 2003 (.xls) file and exported to create an ASCII file of this information. Shapefiles were created in ArcView 3.3 from the ASCII comma-delimited files.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    Larry Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
    USA

    (508) 548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov

    Data sources used in this process:
    • 2011_006_bisbotphotos.xls
    • 2011_006_bisbotphotos.txt

    Data sources produced in this process:

    • 2011_006_bisbotphotos.shp

    Date: 2011 (process 2 of 2)
    ArcGIS 9.2 was used to define the projection of the ESRI shapefile.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    Larry Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov

    Data sources used in this process:
    • 2011_006_bisbotphotos.shp

    Data sources produced in this process:

    • 2011_006_bisbotphotos.prj

  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

    Blackwood, D., and Parolski, K., 2001, Seabed Observation and Sampling System: Sea Technology v. 42, no. 2, p. 39-43.

    Poppe, L.J., Ackerman, S.D., Foster, D.S., Blackwood, D.S., Butman, B., Moser, M.S., and Stewart, H.F., 2007, Sea-floor character and surface processes in the vicinity of Quicks Hole, Elizabeth Islands, Massachusetts: Open-File Report 2006-1357, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM
    Poppe, L.J., Ackerman, S.D., Foster, D.S., Blackwood, D.S., Williams, S.J., Moser, M.S., Stewart, H.F., and Glomb, K.A., 2007, Sea-floor character and sedimentary processes of Great Round Shoal Channel, offshore Massachusetts: Open-File Report 2007-1138, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM
    Poppe, L.J., McMullen, K.Y., Foster, D.S., Blackwood, D.S., Williams, S.J., Ackerman, S.D., Barnum, S.R., and Brennan, R.T., 2008, Sea-floor character and sedimentary processes in the vicinity of Woods Hole, Massachusetts: Open-File Report 2008-1004, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    Poppe, L.J., McMullen, K.Y., Ackerman, S.D., Blackwood, D.S., Irwin, B.J., Schaer, J.D., and Forrest, M.R., 2011, Sea-floor geology and character of eastern Rhode Island Sound west of Gay Head, Massachusetts: Open-File Report 2011-1004, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM
    Poppe, L.J., McMullen, K.Y., Foster, D.S., Blackwood, D.S., Williams, S.J., Ackerman, S.D., Moser, M.S., and Glomb, K.A., 2010, Geological interpretation of the sea floor offshore of Edgartown, Massachusetts: Open-File Report 2009-1001, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM
    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Ackerman, S.D., Blackwood, D.S., Schaer, J.D., Nadeau, M.A., and Wood, D.A., 2011, Surficial geology of the sea floor in central Rhode Island Sound southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2011-1005, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM
    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Ackerman, S.D., Worley, C.R., Nadeau, M.A., and Van Hoy, M.V., 2012, Sea-floor geology in central Rhode Island Sound south of Sakonnet Point, Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2012-1004, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?

    All attributes were checked in a consistent manner

  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

    Navigation was by differential GPS. Although GPS gave the ship's position rather than that of the SEABOSS, water depths were generally shallow and scope of the cable minimal. Therefore, SEABOSS offset from the antenna was assumed to be less than 5 m.

  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

    Locations of all 406 acceptable still photographs of the sea floor collected in Block Island Sound during R/V RAFAEL cruise 2011-006-FA were included in this dataset. Other photographs collected in Rhode Island Sound and Nantucket Sound during this cruise are not included. Unacceptable photographs not included were test shots on deck, water column pre-trips, and images where the bottom was totally obscured by turbidity.

  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

    No additional checks for topological consistency were performed on this data.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
Public domain data from the U.S. government are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as the source of this information.

  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 3)

    Larry Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
    USA

    (508) 548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov

  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

    Downloadable Data

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    Neither the U.S. Government, the Department of the Interior, nor the USGS, nor the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), nor any of their employees, contractors, or subcontractors, make any warranty, express or implied, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, nor represent that its use would not infringe on privately owned rights. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS or NOAA in the use of these data or related materials. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

  4. How can I download or order the data?

  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

    These data are available in Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) shapefile format. The user must have ArcGIS or ArcView 3.0 or greater software to read and process the data file. In lieu of ArcView or ArcGIS, the user may utilize another GIS application package capable of importing data. A free data viewer, ArcExplorer, capable of displaying the data is available from ESRI at www.esri.com. The user must have software capable of uncompressing archived zip files, such as Winzip or Pkware.

  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 2 of 3)

    Larry Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

    508-548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov

  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

    Downloadable Data

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    Neither the U.S. Government, the Department of the Interior, nor the USGS, nor the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), nor any of their employees, contractors, or subcontractors, make any warranty, express or implied, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, nor represent that its use would not infringe on privately owned rights. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS or NOAA in the use of these data or related materials. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

  4. How can I download or order the data?

  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

    These data are available as a generic ASCII formatted text file. The user must have a software program capable of reading the comma-delimited data file.

  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 3 of 3)

    Larry Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov

  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

    Downloadable Data

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    Neither the U.S. Government, the Department of the Interior, nor the USGS, nor the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), nor any of their employees, contractors, or subcontractors, make any warranty, express or implied, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, nor represent that its use would not infringe on privately owned rights. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS or NOAA in the use of these data or related materials. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

  4. How can I download or order the data?

  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

    These data are available as an Excel formatted (.xls) file. The user must have a software program capable of reading Excel files.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 15-Feb-2012
Metadata author:
Larry Poppe
U.S. Geological Survey
Geologist
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
USA

(508) 548-8700 x2314 (voice)
(508) 457-2310 (FAX)
lpoppe@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
Metadata extensions used:

Generated by mp version 2.8.25 on Wed Feb 15 13:26:13 2012