wf_back3.tif: Multibeam Backscatter of the West Flower Garden Region

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?
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
• 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: wf_back3.tif

Abstract:

Bathymetry and seafloor backscatter data for the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary are provided in Raster Grid format.

This data set contains data, metadata, and formal metadata associated with a marine data collection activity referred to by the USGS/CMG Activity ID: A-1-97-GM

Supplemental_Information:

Similar information is available for over 1500 other USGS/CMG-related Activities. If known, available are Activity-specific navigation, gravity, magnetics, bathymetry, seismic, and sampling data; track maps; and equipment information; as well as summary overviews, crew lists, and information about analog materials. Primary access to the USGS/CMG Information Bank's digital data, analog data, and metadata is provided through... <http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/> This page accomodates a variety of search approaches (e.g., by ship, by region, by scientist, by equipment type, etc.).

A version of this metadata was orginally written by Peter N. Schweitzer (pschweitzer@usgs.gov) USGS - Reston, VA for Dartnell & Gardener (1999) USGS DDS-55 for TIFF images of the bathymetry and seafloor backscatter for the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary. The existing metadata was modified to describe the bathymetry and backscatter rasters included on Scanlon, Ackerman & Rozycki (2003) USGS 03-002.

1. How should this data set be cited?

   Dartnell, Peter, and Gardner, James V. , 1999, wf_back3.tif: Sea-Floor Images and Data from Multibeam Surveys in San Francisco Bay, Southern California, Hawaii, the Gulf of Mexico, and Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS-55, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA.

   Online Links:

   • http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-002/

   This is part of the following larger work.

   Scanlon, Kathryn M. , Ackerman, Seth D. , and Rozycki, Jill E. , 2003, Texture, Carbonate Content, and Preliminary Maps of Surficial Sediments of the Flower Garden Banks Area, Northwestern Gulf of Mexico Outer Shelf.: Open-File Report 03-002, U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA.

   Online Links:

   • <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-002/>

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -93.889254

   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -93.762972

   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 27.927274

   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 27.812948

3. What does it look like?

   <http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/dds/dds-55/pacmaps/images/wf_index.gif> (GIF)

   Index map showing mapped area, coastline, and regional bathymetric contours. 491x417 pixels, 32-bit RGB true color, 30 kbytes.

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

   Calendar_Date: 1997

   Currentness_Reference: ground condition

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

   Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: remote-sensing image

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

      This is a Raster data set. It contains the following raster data types:

      • Dimensions 2533 x 2471 x 1, type Pixel

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

      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. 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?

   Band_1

   ObjectID

   Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI)

   Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   Value

   Red

   Green

   Blue

   Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

   Bathymetry values are depth in meters

   Cell Size = 5.000
   Data Type: Floating Point
   Number of Rows = 2517
   Number of Columns = 2471
   

   STATISTICS

   Minimum Value = -178.420
   Maximum Value = -16.232
   Mean = -107.947
   Standard Deviation = 23.573
   

   Backscatter values are a digital number (DN) associated with the reflected energy off the seafloor

   Cell Size = 5.000
   Data Type: Floating Point
   Number of Rows = 2517
   Number of Columns = 2471
   

   STATISTICS

   Minimum Value = 0.000
   Maximum Value = 241.364
   Mean = 176.392
   Standard Deviation = 8.294
   

   **NOTE: some of these values may reflect coordinates or statistics of the TIFF images for which this metadata was orginally written and/or to the data prior to reprojection of the grid from UTM zone 15 to NAD83.

   Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: <http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/dds/dds-55/pacmaps/openfile.htm>

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • Peter Dartnell
   • James V. Gardner

2. Who also contributed to the data set?

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

   Peter Dartnell
   U.S. Geological Survey, GEO-WRG-MCS
   Mail Stop 999
   Bldg 15, McKelvey Building
   Menlo Park, CA 94025
   USA
   

   650-329-5460 (voice)
   650-329-5411 (FAX)
   pdartnell@usgs.gov
   

These data and information are intended for science researchers, students from elementary through college, policy makers, and general public. Pacific Seaflloor Mapping Project Test cruise.

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

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

   Date: Dec-2002 (process 1 of 3)

   Reprojected from UTM Zone 15 (WGS84) to Geographic (NAD83)

   Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Seth Ackerman
   US Geological Survey
   USGS - Woods Hole Field Center
   Woods Hole, MA 02543
   USA
   

   508.548.8700 x2315 (voice)
   508.457.2310 (FAX)
   sackerman@usgs.gov

   Date: 08-Jan-2003 (process 2 of 3)

   Metadata imported.

   Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Seth Ackerman
   US Geological Survey
   USGS - Woods Hole Field Center
   Woods Hole, MA 02543
   USA
   

   508.548.8700 x2315 (voice)
   508.457.2310 (FAX)
   sackerman@usgs.gov

   Data sources used in this process:

   • <http://geo-nsdi.er.usgs.gov/metadata/digital-data/55/wf.txt>

   Date: 21-Feb-2003 (process 3 of 3)

   Metadata edited for this dataset. Raster Backscatter TIFF for the West Flower Garden Bank.

   Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Seth Ackerman
   US Geological Survey
   USGS - Woods Hole Field Center
   Woods Hole, MA 02543
   USA
   

   508.548.8700 x2315 (voice)
   508.457.2310 (FAX)
   sackerman@usgs.gov

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

   United States Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology (CMG), Unknown, USGS/CMG Information Bank.

   Online Links:

   • <http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/>

   Other_Citation_Details: Updated daily

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?

   Complete for the timeframe of original publication

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

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

Access_Constraints: Physical materials are under controlled on-site access.

Use_Constraints:

Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as the source of this information. Physical materials are under controlled on-site access. Some USGS information accessed through this means may be preliminary in nature and presented without the approval of the Director of the USGS. This information is provided with the understanding that it is not guaranteed to be correct or complete and conclusions drawn from such information are the responsibility of the user. This information is not intended for navigational purposes. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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

   USGS Information
   Box 25286 Denver Federal Center
   Denver, CO 80225
   USA
   

   1-888-ASK-USGS (voice)
   303-202-4693 (FAX)
   ask@usgs.gov
   

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

   USGS Digital Data Series DDS-55

3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

   Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof.

   Although all data and software published in this report have been used by the USGS, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS as to the accuracy of the data and related materials and (or) the functioning of the software. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS in the use of this data, software, or related materials.

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

     Data format:	Seafloor bathymetry and backscatter data in format TIFF (version 6.0) Size: 5.419
     Network links:	<http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/dds/dds-55/pacmaps/tiffs/wf_bathy.tif.gz> <http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/dds/dds-55/pacmaps/tiffs/wf_back.tif.gz>

     Data format:	Seafloor bathymetry and backscatter in format ArcInfo export (GRID) (version 7.2.1) Size: 5.419
     Network links:	<http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/dds/dds-55/pacmaps/exports/wf_bathy.e00.gz> <http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/dds/dds-55/pacmaps/exports/wf_back.e00.gz>

   • Cost to order the data: none

Dates:

Last modified: 06-Mar-2003

Metadata author:

Seth Ackerman
U.S. Geological Survey
USGS - Woods Hole Field Center
Woods Hole, MA 02543
USA

508.548.8700 x2315 (voice)
508.457.2310 (FAX)
sackerman@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:

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