URBAN: U.S. Urbanized Areas for the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project.

Frequently-anticipated questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How should this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the data, including topology?
• How can someone get a copy of the data set?
  1. Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
  2. Who distributes the data?
  3. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  4. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
  5. How can I download or order the data?
• Who wrote the metadata?

Title:

URBAN: U.S. Urbanized Areas for the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project.

Abstract:

The Bureau of the Census Urbanized Area Boundaries database is a geographic database of boundaries for urban areas with a population greater than 50,000. The database includes boundaries for urban areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Supplemental_Information:

Urbanized areas is an ESRI shapefile with polygon features. This is a subset of the original dataset. It has been clipped to the extent of the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project extent.

1. How should this data set be cited?

   Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 1997, URBAN: U.S. Urbanized Areas for the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project.: Bureau of the Census Urbanized Area Boundaries, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Washington, DC.

   Online Links:

   • <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-001/data/basemaps/usa/urban/urban.zip>
   • <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-001/data/basemaps/usa/urban/urban.zip>

   This is part of the following larger work.

   Poppe, L.J., Paskevich, V.F., Williams, S.J., Hastings, M.E., Kelley, J.T., Belknap, D.F., Ward, L.G., FitzGerald, D.M., and Larsen, P.F., 2003, Surficial Sediment Data from the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and vicinity: a GIS Compilation: Open-File Report 03-001, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Field Center, Woods Hole, MA.

   Online Links:

   • <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-001>
   • <http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/openfile/of03-001>

   Other_Citation_Details:

   Data is released via CD-ROM media. This digital publication may also be available via the web at pubs.usgs.gov

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -77.877236

   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -68.630472

   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 44.995371

   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 34.147971

3. What does it look like?

   urban.gif (GIF)

   Overview showing the extent of the clipped URBAN shapefile for the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project area.

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

   Calendar_Date: 1995

   Currentness_Reference: publication date

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):

      • G-polygon (92)

   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 0.000464. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.000464. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees.

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is Geodetic Reference System 80.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222.
      

7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   urban.shp

   Shapefile attribute file (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.

   FEATURID

   Unique identifier for the geographic Entity - the Urbanized Area Code (Source: BOC)

   Character string

   DESCRIP

   Name/identification of the Urbanized Area (Source: BOC)

   Character string

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

2. Who also contributed to the data set?

   The Bureau of the Census Urbanized Area Boundaries files were acquired from the US Bureau of the Census. Please review the cross reference information for the original data set credit.

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

   U.S. Geological Survey
   c/o Valerie Paskevich
   Information Specialist
   384 Woods Hole Road
   Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
   USA
   

   (508) 548-8700 x2281 (voice)
   (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
   vpaskevich@usgs.gov
   

The data provide users with information about the locations, names, urban, census and FIPS Codes, and size of urban areas primarily for national planning applications.

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

   (source 1 of 1)

   US Bureau of the Census, 1992, Urbanized areas.

   Type_of_Source_Media: online

   Source_Scale_Denominator: 100,000

   Source_Contribution:

   The data set was added to the ESRI Data & Maps 5 CD set for distribution with their software.

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

   Date: Unknown (process 1 of 2)

   Unwated attribute fields were deleted by ESRI.

   Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Environmental Research Institute, Inc.
   Redlands, CA USA
   

   Data sources used in this process:

   • urban.dbf
   • urban.shp
   • urban.shx

   Data sources produced in this process:

   • urban.dbf
   • urban.shp
   • urban.shx

   Date: 06-Nov-2002 (process 2 of 2)

   The ESRI urban shapefile was clipped to fit the USA basemap area for the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project extent

   Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Valerie Paskevich
   U.S. Geological Survey
   Computer Specialist, GIS Coordinator
   384 Woods Hole Road
   Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
   USA
   

   (508) 548-8700 x2281 (voice)
   (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
   vpaskevich@usgs.gov
   

   Data sources used in this process:

   • urban.dbf
   • urban.shp
   • urban.shx

   Data sources produced in this process:

   • urban.dbf
   • urban.shp
   • urban.shx

1. How well have the observations been checked?

   Attributes were supplied by the Bureau of the Census.

2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

   The Bureau of the Census Urbanized Area database was derived from the TIGER data base. It was created from data created at a scale of 1:100,000 or better and as such has a positional accuracy of +/- 80m.

3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

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

   The original data set contained 405 distinct Urbanized Areas are identified database. This is a subset of the original dataset and has been clipped to the extent of the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project extent.

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

   All node-link and polygon topological relationships are created and verified using computer algorithms.

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

Access_Constraints: None

Use_Constraints:

Acknowledgment of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics National Transportation Atlas Database as the originator of this dataset would be appreciated in products derived from these data.

Although this derived data set and its lineage dataset have been used by the USGS, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS or ESRI as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS or ESRI in the use of these data or related materials.

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

   U.S. Geological Survey
   c/o Valerie Paskevich
   Information Specialist
   384 Woods Hole Road
   Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
   USA
   

   (508) 548-8700 x2281 (voice)
   (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
   vpaskevich@usgs.gov
   

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

   Regional Mapping of Surficial Sediments: Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, Aggregates and Habitats Projects, urban.shp

3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

   Although this data set has been used by the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS in the use of these data or related materials.

4. How can I download or order the data?
   • Availability in digital form:

     Data format:	Five files (urban.shp, urban.dbf, urban.shx, urban.sbx, urban.sbn) comprising the ArcView polygon shapefile components, 'prj' and 'avl' files, metadata text file and browse graphic. in format ArcView (version 3.2) ESRI polygon shapefile Size: 0.409
     Media you can order:	CD-ROM (Density 650 Mbytes) Note: The user must have a computer system with a CD-ROM available. To browse the information contained on this CD-ROM, the user must have a current WWW browser available. The user must also have software installed on their computer to unzip the archived file.

   • Cost to order the data:

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

   The data is available in ArcView shapefile format. The user must have ArcView 3.0 or greater software to read and process the data file. In lieu of ArcView, the user may utilize another GIS application package capable of importing data.

Dates:

Last modified: 25-Feb-2003

Metadata author:

U.S. Geological Survey
c/o Valerie Paskevich
Information Specialist
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
USA

(508) 548-8700 x2281 (voice)
(508) 457-2310 (FAX)

Metadata standard:

FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)

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