USA: United States basemap data layer for the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project.

Metadata also available as: OUTLINE - TEXT

Frequently-anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?
    Title:
    USA: United States basemap data layer for the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project.
    Abstract:
    This ArcView shapefile represents a portion of the US northeast. Eventhough the dataset has been generalized to improve draw performance, it provides an overview of the United States with a resonably detailed coastline and provides boundaries that are good for regional and state level maps. The individual 50 states compiled from the higher resolution state shapefile datasets provided by Environmental Research Institution, Inc. (ESRI) as data distribution with their software.
    Supplemental_Information:
    This data set was created from the high resolution ESRI United States shapefiles. The original state shapefiles were processed to dissolve the individual counties and create a comprehensive shapefile for each state. Some fields from the original dataset were not carried over.

  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Paskevich, Valerie, and Environmental Research Institut, Inc. (ESRI), 20010331, USA: United States basemap data layer for the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project.: U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Field Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    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:

    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: -66.949831
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 47.459687
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 34.069976

  3. What does it look like?

    usa (GIF)
    Overview showing the USA basemap data layer for the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project extent.

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

    Calendar_Date: 1999
    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 (267)

    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 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?

    usa.dbf
    Shapefile Attribute Table (Source: None)

    FID
    Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.018
    Maximum:278.103

    Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

    Shape
    Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI)

    ValueDefinition
    PolygonESRI shapefile polygon

    Character field

    AREA
    The area of the state in square miles based on an Albers Equal Area Projection. (Source: Software Computed)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.018
    Maximum:278.103
    Resolution:.001

    PERIMETER
    Perimeter of Polygon (Source: Software Computed)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.661
    Maximum:547.517
    Resolution:.001

    STATE_NAME
    Full state name (Source: User Defined)

    Character field

    ABBREV
    Two letter abbreviation of state name. (Source: User Defined)

    Character field

    REGION
    Regional area name where state is located. (Source: User Defined)

    ValueDefinition
    CentralArbitrary grouping of central region states. States included are Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota
    Mid-AtlanticArbitrary grouping of mid-atlantic regional states. States included are Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, New York, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, West Virginia
    MountainArbitrary grouping of mountain regional states. States included are Nevada, Montana, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Idaho.
    New EnglandGrouping of regional New England States. States included are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
    PacificArbitray grouping of regional states. States included are Oregon, California, Alaska, Hawaii and Washington.
    SouthArbitrary grouping of south regional states. States included are Louisiana, Kentucky, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas.
    SoutheastArbitrary grouping of regional southeast states. States included are South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
    SouthwestArbitray grouping of southwest regional states. States included are Arizona and New Mexico.

    Character field

    STATE_FIPS
    The state FIPS code. (FIPS stands for the United States Federal Information Processing Standards.) Values range from 01 - 56. (Source: User Defined)

    Range of values
    Minimum:01
    Maximum:56
    Resolution:1

    POP_1990
    The population of the state in 1990 based on the US Census. (Source: ESRI)

    Range of values
    Minimum:453588
    Maximum:29760021
    Resolution:1

    POP_1999
    The population of the state in 1999 estimated by CACI International, Inc. (Source: ESRI)

    Range of values
    Minimum:482025
    Maximum:33090214
    Resolution:1

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?

    Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) must be attributed as the originator of this data set. This dataset is compiled from ESRI's 50 individual state 'trct' files.

    Please review the cross reference information for the original data set credit.

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

    Valerie Paskevich
    U. S. Geological Survey
    Computer Specialist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02532
    USA

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

Why was the data set created?
This ArcView shapefile may be used as a general basemap data layer to illustrate the United States boundaries and coastline for the Gulf of Maine Surficial Sediment GIS project area.

How was the data set created?
  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

    'state'trct.shp (source 1 of 1)
    Environmental Research Institut, Inc. (ESRI), 1999, ESRI Data & Maps, Disks 3, 4 & 5: Western United States; Eastern United States and Southern United States (by states), Environmental Research Institution, Inc. (ESRI), Redlands, CA.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Environmental Systems Research , Inc., 1999, ESRI Data and Maps CD: ESRI, Redlands, CA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    The data is organized on five CD-ROMS. CD#1 contains data for the world, Mexico, Canada, Europe and the United States. Detailed data for the entire United States is continued on CD #2. The very detailed data for the regions of the United States is split between the west (CD #3), the east (CD # 4), and the south (CD #5). Also, there is a ssample image data on CD #5.
    Type_of_Source_Media: CD-ROM
    Source_Scale_Denominator: 500000
    Source_Contribution:
    The individual 50 state 'trct' files were compiled to create individual state files. Those files were later combined to create a US shapefile with a medium resolution coastline.

    U.S. States and Counties were generalized from ESRI's ArcUSA 1:25,000,000-scale database. The U.S. subregions are as defined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, except that in this GeoDataset New England is classified as a subregion instead of a region. Detailed states and counties were created by aggregating 1990 Census tract geography to county and then to state areas. The boundaries are therefore consistent with the boundaries of the Census tracts and have all of the detailed vertices necessary to maintain consistency with the tract level of detail.

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

    Date: 12-Mar-2001 (process 1 of 4)
    Each of the individual state shapefiles were processed to dissolve the 'trct' boundaries. The database was edited to remove unwanted attributes.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    U. S. Geological Survey
    c/o Valerie Paskevich
    computer specialist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543
    USA

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

    Data sources used in this process:
    • 'state'trct.shp

    Data sources produced in this process:

    • 'state'.shp

    Date: 31-Mar-2001 (process 2 of 4)
    The individual 'states' were combined to create one shapefile representing the US.

    Person who carried out this activity:

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

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

    Data sources used in this process:
    • 'state'.shp

    Data sources produced in this process:

    • usa.dbf
    • usa.shp
    • usa.shx
    • usa.sbx
    • usa.sbn
    • usa.avl

    Date: 13-May-2002 (process 3 of 4)
    The full 50 state US shapefile was edited and clipped to include a broad northeast overview for the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project area.

    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:
    • usa.shp
    • usa.dbf
    • usa.shx

    Data sources produced in this process:

    • usa.shp
    • usa.dbf
    • usa.shx

    Date: 29-May-2002 (process 4 of 4)
    Reprojected the dataset from NAD1983/GCS_North_American_1983 to WGS1984/GCS_WGS_1984.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    Valerie Paskevich
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Computer Specialist
    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:
    • usa.shp
    • usa.dbf
    • usa.prj

    Data sources produced in this process:

    • usa.shp
    • usa.dbf
    • usa.prj

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?

    This is a subset of the compiled dataset which covers the entire US. It has been clipped to the extent of the Gulf of Maine surficial sediment GIS project area.

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

    none

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: None

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

    U. S. Geological Survey
    c/o Valerie Paskevich
    Computer Specialist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543
    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?

    United States shapefile: usa.shp Downloadable Data: Regional Mapping of Surficial Sediments: Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, Aggregates and Habitats Projects, usa.shp

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    Although this derived data set and it's lineage dataset have been used by the USGS, 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?

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

    The United States base map overlay is available as an ArcView shapefile format. The user must have ESRI's 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 the data.

Who wrote the metadata?
Dates:
Last modified: 06-Mar-2003

Metadata author:
U. S. Geological Survey
c/o Valerie Paskevich
Computer Specialist
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA 02543
USA

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

Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
Generated by mp version 2.7.3 on Thu Mar 06 06:40:50 2003

OFR03-001 Home | Introduction | Nomenclature | Browse Maps | Data Catalog | Data Dictionary

[an error occurred while processing this directive]