Sediment Grain-Size Data from Sediment Samples Collected in March and September 2012 from the Northern Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity Numbers 12BIM01 and 12LGC02)

Metadata:

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Julie C. Bernier
Publication_Date: 20131231
Title:
Sediment Grain-Size Data from Sediment Samples Collected in March and September 2012 from the Northern Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity Numbers 12BIM01 and 12LGC02)
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Tabular digital data
Online_Linkage:
https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0850/downloads/grainsize_summary-statistics.zip
Larger_Work_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Julie C. Bernier
Originator: Kyle W. Kelso
Originator: Noreen A. Buster
Originator: James G. Flocks
Originator: Jennifer L. Miselis
Originator: Nancy T. DeWitt
Publication_Date: 20131231
Title:
Sediment Data Collected in 2012 from the Northern Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Multimedia presentation
Series_Information:
Series_Name: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series
Issue_Identification: 850
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: St. Petersburg, FL
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
Online_Linkage: https://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ds850
Description:
Abstract:
As part of the Barrier Island Evolution Research (BIER) project, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) collected sediment samples from the northern Chandeleur Islands in March and September 2012. The overall objective of this project, which integrates geophysical (bathymetric, seismic, and topographic) and sedimentologic data, is to better understand the depositional and erosional processes that drive the morphologic evolution of barrier islands over annual to interannual timescales (1 to 5 years). Between June 2010 and April 2011, in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the State of Louisiana constructed a sand berm extending more than 14 kilometers (km) along the northern Chandeleur Islands platform. The construction of the berm provided a unique opportunity to investigate how this new sediment source will interact with and affect the morphologic evolution of the barrier-island system. Data collected from this study will be used to describe differences in the physical characteristics and spatial distribution of sediments both along the axis of the berm and also along transects across the berm and onto the adjacent barrier island. Comparison of these data with data from subsequent sampling efforts will provide information about sediment interactions and movement between the berm and the natural island platform, improving our understanding of short-term morphologic change and processes in this barrier-island system. This data series serves as an archive of sediment data collected in March and September 2012 from the Chandeleur Islands sand berm and adjacent barrier-island environments. Data products, including descriptive core logs, core photographs and x-radiographs, results of sediment grain-size analyses, sample location maps, and Geographic Information System (GIS) data files with accompanying formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FDGC) metadata, can be downloaded from https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0850/html/ds850_data.html.
Purpose:
This zip archive includes a Microsoft Excel workbook with three spreadsheets summarizing the results of grain-size analyses from sediment samples collected in March and September 2012 from the northern Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity Numbers 12BIM01 and 12LGC02).
Supplemental_Information:
Grain-size analyses were performed using a Coulter LS 200 (https://www.beckmancoulter.com/) particle-size analyzer, which uses laser diffraction to measure the size distribution of sediments ranging in size from 0.4 microns to 2 millimeters (mm) (clay to very coarse-grained sand). A total of 416 sediment samples were analyzed. In order to prevent shell fragments from damaging the LS 200, particles greater than 1 mm in diameter were separated from all samples prior to analysis using a number 18 (1000 microns, 1 mm) U.S. standard sieve, which meets the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E11 standard specifications for determining particle size using woven-wire test sieves. Two subsamples from each sample were processed through the LS 200 a minimum of three runs each. The LS 200 measures the particle-size distribution of each sample by passing sediment suspended in solution between two narrow panes of glass in front of a laser. Light is scattered by the particles into characteristic refraction patterns measured by an array of photodetectors as intensity per unit area and recorded as relative volume for 92 size-related channels (bins). The size-classification boundaries for each bin were specified based on the ASTM E11 standard. The raw grain-size data were then run through the free, widely available program GRADISTAT (Blott and Pye, 2001; http://www.kpal.co.uk/gradistat.html), which calculates the geometric (in metric units) and logarithmic (in phi units; Krumbein, 1934) mean, sorting, skewness, and kurtosis of each sample using the Folk and Ward (1957) method as well as the cumulative particle-size distribution. GRADISTAT also calculates the fraction of sediment from each sample by size category (for example, clay, coarse silt, fine sand) based on a modified Wentworth (1922) size scale. A macro ("Average and Check Standard Deviation") developed by the USGS was applied to calculate the average and standard deviation of each sample set (six runs per sample) and highlight runs that varied from the set average by more than 1.5 standard deviations. Excessive deviations from the mean are likely the result of equipment error or extraneous material in the sample and are not considered representative of the sample. Those runs were removed from the results and the sample average was recalculated using the remaining runs. The grain-size data can be downloaded from https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0850/html/ds850_data.html. The unedited output files, which are sorted by core number or sample type (for example, surface or submerged grab sample), can be downloaded from https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0850/downloads/grainsize_GRADISTAT-Statistics.zip. Each file includes the output spreadsheets with statistics for each sample run and the sand-silt-clay ternary diagram generated by GRADISTAT along with averaged statistics for each sample generated by the USGS Average and Check Standard Deviation macro. GRADISTAT calculates statistics for several parameters that do not apply to our dataset or future analyses. For example, GRADISTAT also calculates the arithmetic mean grain size of each sample; however, an arithmetic grain-size scale is generally not used in sedimentology because the standard grain-size classifications (Wentworth, 1922) are not based on a normal (Gaussian) distribution, which tends to overemphasize coarse sediment, whereas geometric and their derivative log-normal scales place equal emphasis on the small size differences between fine particles (for example, clay and silt) and the larger size differences between coarse particles (for example, pebbles and cobbles). Other parameters, such as percent gravel, do not apply to this dataset because particles coarser than 1 mm were removed from the samples prior to processing. The averaged results for the subset of statistical parameters that apply to these data are summarized in three spreadsheets, which can be downloaded from https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0850/downloads/grainsize_summary-statistics.zip. These metadata are not complete with out the data dictionary (https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0850/downloads/metadata/grainsize_data-dictionary.pdf) also included in this archive, which applies specifically to the summary statistics spreadsheets.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 20120322
Ending_Date: 20120907
Currentness_Reference: Ground condition
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -88.850670
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -88.819644
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 30.017247
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 29.875133
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: Sediment
Theme_Keyword: Grab sample
Theme_Keyword: Push core
Theme_Keyword: Grain size
Theme_Keyword: GRADISTAT
Theme_Keyword: Barrier Island Evolution Research project
Theme_Keyword: Barrier Island Mapping
Theme_Keyword: 12BIM01
Theme_Keyword: 12LGC02
Theme_Keyword: U.S. Geological Survey
Theme_Keyword: USGS
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
Place_Keyword: Louisiana
Place_Keyword: Gulf of Mexico
Place_Keyword: Chandeleur Islands
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
The U.S. Geological Survey requests that it be acknowledged as the originator of this dataset in any future products or research derived from these data.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Contact_Person: Julie Bernier
Contact_Position: Geologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and physical
Address: 600 4th Street South
City: St. Petersburg
State_or_Province: FL
Postal_Code: 33701
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (727) 502-8000
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jbernier@usgs.gov
Data_Set_Credit:
U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Native_Data_Set_Environment:
Microsoft Windows 7 Version 6.1 (Build 7601) Service Pack 1; Microsoft Excel Version 2010
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Blott, S.J., and Pye, K.
Publication_Date: 2001
Title:
Gradistat: A grain size distribution and statistics package for the analysis of unconsolidated sediments
Edition: Version 8.0
Series_Information:
Series_Name: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Issue_Identification: Volume 26
Other_Citation_Details: Pages 1237-1248
Online_Linkage: http://www.kpal.co.uk/gradistat.html
Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
The grain-size data presented in the summary statistics spreadsheets (https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0850/downloads/grainsize_summary-statistics.zip) represent the sample averages for a subset of the statistical parameters calculated by GRADISTAT. The number of runs included in the averaged results is also reported, and the standard deviation of the averaged results are reported for most parameters.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
The complete grain-size dataset including all GRADISTAT parameters, results of individual sample runs, and standard deviations for all sample averages are included in the unedited output files (https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0850/downloads/grainsize_GRADISTAT-Statistics.zip). Sample runs in the output files for which the mean Folk and Ward grain size varied from the set average by more than 1.5 standard deviations are highlighted in yellow and were not included in final averaged results.
Completeness_Report:
This is a complete grain-size dataset that includes results for 416 sediment samples from 51 grab and 31 push core sites that were collected from the northern Chandeleur Islands in March and September 2012 (U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity Numbers 12BIM01 and 12LGC02). During the March sampling effort, an additional 15 push cores were collected from back-barrier marsh and tidal flat sites; grain-size analysis of those sediments are described in a separate report (U.S. Geolgogical Survey Data Series 850).
Lineage:
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
51 surface and subaqueous grab samples and 31 short push cores were collected from the northern Chandeleur Islands in March and September 2012 (USGS Field Activity Numbers 12BIM01 and 12LGC02). Samples were transported to the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) for analysis.
Process_Date: 2012
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Contact_Person: Julie Bernier
Contact_Position: Geologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and physical
Address: 600 4th Street South
City: St. Petersburg
State_or_Province: FL
Postal_Code: 33701
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (727) 502-8000
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jbernier@usgs.gov
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
At the SPCMSC sediment lab the cores were x-rayed, split lengthwise, photographed, and described using standard sediment-logging methods. Informal sedimentary units were picked within each core based on changes in observed texture and frequency or intensity of laminations. The cores were subsampled for grain-size analysis at 2- to 3-cm intervals with 1-cm buffers around the unit boundaries to avoid sampling across units.
Process_Date: 2012
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Contact_Person: Julie Bernier
Contact_Position: Geologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and physical
Address: 600 4th Street South
City: St. Petersburg
State_or_Province: FL
Postal_Code: 33701
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (727) 502-8000
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Grain-size analyses were performed using a Coulter LS 200 (https://www.beckmancoulter.com/) particle-size analyzer, which uses laser diffraction to measure the size distribution of sediments ranging in size from 0.4 microns to 2 millimeters (mm) (clay to very coarse-grained sand). A total of 416 sediment samples were analyzed. In order to prevent shell fragments from damaging the LS 200, particles greater than 1 mm in diameter were separated from all samples prior to analysis using a number 18 (1,000 microns, 1 mm) U.S. standard sieve, which meets the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E11 standard specifications for determining particle size using woven-wire test sieves. Two subsamples from each sample were processed through the LS 200 a minimum of three runs each. The LS 200 measures the particle-size distribution of each sample by passing sediment suspended in solution between two narrow panes of glass in front of a laser. Light is scattered by the particles into characteristic refraction patterns measured by an array of photodetectors as intensity per unit area and recorded as relative volume for 92 size-related channels (bins). The size-classification boundaries for each bin were specified based on the ASTM E11 standard.
Process_Date: 2012
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Contact_Person: Julie Bernier
Contact_Position: Geologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and physical
Address: 600 4th Street South
City: St. Petersburg
State_or_Province: FL
Postal_Code: 33701
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (727) 502-8000
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jbernier@usgs.gov
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The raw grain-size data were run through the free, widely available program GRADISTAT (Blott and Pye, 2001; http://www.kpal.co.uk/gradistat.html), which calculates the geometric (in metric units) and logarithmic (in phi units; Krumbein, 1934) mean, sorting, skewness, and kurtosis of each sample using the Folk and Ward (1957) method as well as the cumulative particle-size distribution. GRADISTAT also calculates the fraction of sediment from each sample by size category (for example, clay, coarse silt, fine sand) based on a modified Wentworth (1922) size scale. A macro developed by the USGS was applied to calculate the average and standard deviation of each sample set (six runs per sample) and highlight runs that varied from the set average by more than 1.5 standard deviations. Excessive deviations from the mean are likely the result of equipment error or extraneous material in the sample and are not considered representative of the sample. Those runs were removed from the results and the sample average was recalculated using the remaining runs.
Process_Date: 2013
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: grainsize_GRADISTAT-Statistics.zip
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Contact_Person: Julie Bernier
Contact_Position: Geologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and Physical
Address: 600 4th Street South
City: St. Petersburg
State_or_Province: FL
Postal_Code: 33701
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (727) 502-8000
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jbernier@usgs.gov
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The averaged results for all samples, including the number of runs included and the standard deviation of the averaged results were merged into three summary spreadsheets.
Process_Date: 2013
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: grainsize_summary-statistics.xlsx
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Contact_Person: Julie Bernier
Contact_Position: Geologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and physical
Address: 600 4th Street South
City: St. Petersburg
State_or_Province: FL
Postal_Code: 33701
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (727) 802-5000
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jbernier@usgs.gov
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Overview_Description:
Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
The detailed attribute descriptions for the summary statistics spreadsheets are provided in the included data dictionary (https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0850/downloads/metadata/grainsize_data-dictionary.pdf). These metadata are not complete without this file.
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
Data Dictionary for Grain-Size Data Tables, in Bernier and others, Sediment data collected in 2012 from the northern Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 850, https://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ds850.
Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Contact_Person: Julie Bernier
Contact_Position: Geologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and physical
Address: 600 4th Street South
City: St. Petersburg
State_or_Province: FL
Postal_Code: 33701
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (727) 502-8000
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jbernier@usgs.gov
Resource_Description: Downloadable data
Distribution_Liability:
This publication was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system, or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution imply any such warranty. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and (or) contained herein. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: Microsoft Excel
Format_Version_Number: 2010
Format_Specification: Tabular data
Format_Information_Content:
This zip archive contains a Microsoft Excel workbook with the grain-size summary statistics for sediment samples collected in March and September 2012 (USGS Field Activity Numbers 12BIM01 and 12LGC02) and associated metadata.
File_Decompression_Technique: Unzip
Transfer_Size: 248 KB
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name:
https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0850/downloads/grainsize_summary-statistics.zip
Fees: None, if obtained online
Technical_Prerequisites:
This workbook was created using Microsoft Excel 2010 and can be opened using Microsoft Excel 2007 or higher; these data may also be viewed using the free Microsoft Excel Viewer (http://www.microsoft.com/).
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20160711
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Contact_Person: Julie Bernier
Contact_Position: Geologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and physical
Address: 600 4th Street South
City: St. Petersburg
State_or_Province: FL
Postal_Code: 33701
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (727) 502-8000
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jbernier@usgs.gov
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Access_Constraints: None
Metadata_Use_Constraints:
The U.S. Geological Survey requests that it be acknowledged as the originator of this dataset in any future products or research derived from these data.
Metadata_Security_Information:
Metadata_Security_Classification_System: None
Metadata_Security_Classification: Unclassified
Metadata_Security_Handling_Description: None
Generated by mp version 2.9.26 on Tue May 13 08:29:38 2014