Smithsonian Institution master sediment data file

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Frequently-anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?
    Title: Smithsonian Institution master sediment data file
    Abstract: As unpublished data, there is no abstracted information.
    Supplemental_Information:
    In 2004,the data were migrated to another format file at the Smithsonian Institution.

  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Institution, Smithsonian, Unpublished Material, Smithsonian Institution master sediment data file: Smithsonian Insitution, Washington, D.C..

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    These data represent digitized data from paper data sheets from the National Ocean Service (NOS) archived at the Smithsonian Institution. In 2001, the digital data were archived at NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center. The data as used in usSEABED are from NGDC in 2001.

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -170.68861
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -056.20944
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 61.24000
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 14.27889

  3. What does it look like?

    smth.jpg
    Image map showing extent and distribution of data layer coverage

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

    Beginning_Date:
    Ending_Date:
    Currentness_Reference: collection date

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

    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: digital

  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):

      • Point (60003)

    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 0.00028. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.00028. Latitude and longitude values are specified in decimal degrees.

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1927.
      The ellipsoid used is Clarke 1866.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378206.400000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/294.978698.

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

    point
    SDTS point (Source: Source report)

    Smithsonian identifier
    non-unique identifying number (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    Range of values
    Minimum:14
    Maximum:41163
    Units:unitless
    Resolution:1

    project number
    NOS project number (Source: Smithsonian Insitution)

    Alpha numeric code

    Ship
    Ship name (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    text

    Project_ref
    Project reference number (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    Alpha numeric code

    Date_collected
    Date of sample collection (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    Alpha numeric code

    Country_Ocean
    Country or ocean where sample was collected (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    text

    State_sea
    State or sea where sample was collected (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    text

    Specific_locality
    Specific locality where sample was collected (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    text

    Station
    sampling station identification (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    Alpha numeric code

    Marsden square
    Location information (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    numeric code

    latdeg
    degree of latitude (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:85
    Units:degree
    Resolution:1

    latmin
    latitude minute (Source: source report)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:59
    Units:minute
    Resolution:1

    latsec
    latitude second (Source: source report)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:59
    Units:second
    Resolution:1

    latns
    latitude north south (Source: source report)

    ValueDefinition
    NNorth
    SSouth

    londeg
    degree of longitude (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:175
    Units:degree
    Resolution:1

    lonmin
    longitude minute (Source: source report)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:59
    Units:minute
    Resolution:1

    lonsec
    longitude second (Source: source report)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:59
    Units:second
    Resolution:1

    lonew
    longitude east west (Source: source report)

    ValueDefinition
    EEast
    WWest

    Collector
    Collector (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    Text

    Navigation_control
    Navigational technique (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    text

    Sounding_method
    sounding method (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    text

    Bottom_description
    description of sea floor (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    text

    Sample_device
    Sampler (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    text

    Sediment_type
    Sediment description, including biota (Source: Smithsonian Institution)

    text

    Core
    Core (Source: source report)

    text

    Depth_of_core
    subsample depth (Source: source report)

    text

    core_length
    length of core (Source: source report)

    alpha numeric text

    remarks
    remarks (Source: source report)

    text

    analysis
    type of analysis performed on sample (Source: source report)

    text

    lat_precision
    best precision of latitude position (Source: Source report)

    ValueDefinition
    Ddegree
    Mminute
    Ssecond

    lon_precision
    best precision of longitude position (Source: Source report)

    ValueDefinition
    Ddegree
    Mminute
    Ssecond

    LGCRSHST

    SAMPLEPHAS

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?

    National Geophysical Data Center archived the data as used here (2001)

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

    National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
    c/o Anna Weitzman
    10th St. and Constitution Ave., NW
    Washington, D.C. 20560

    202-633-0846 (voice)

Why was the data set created?
The data were collected during dozens of cruises by the National Ocean Service to investigate the sediment type and water depths of areas of interest in United States waters.

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

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

    Date: (process 1 of 2)
    The data are in raw descriptive form from on-board logsheets.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
    c/o Anna Weitzman
    10th St. and Constitution Ave., NW
    Washington, D.C. 20560

    202-633-0846 (voice)

    Data sources produced in this process:
    • Smithsonian

    (process 2 of 2)
    Metadata imported.

    Data sources used in this process:

    • F:\EC_usSEABED\metadata\NOAA\NGDC\smithsonian.xml

  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?

    Statistical data was digitized by hand at the Smithsonian Institution. At the USGS, the data were viewed in a GIS to determine samples with unlikely locations. In addition, at the University of Colorado, data were passed through a velocity filter to identify samples with notable distances between sequential data points; these samples were tagged. Each tagged sample was manually corrected as possible by comparing the degree and/or minute of location to those within the same cruise ID and day; this affected about 700 samples. Approximately 4300 samples have no location, nonspecific location information, or unresolvably inconsistent locations. These data are not included in the outputs of usSEABED. Where appropriate, data were tested for completeness using MS Excel.

  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

    Navigational techniques not recorded in report; latitudes and longitudes given in degrees, minutes, seconds.

  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

    Water depth determination technique not noted in report. Water depths given in meters.

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

    Data are incomplete, as some are missing sampler information and probably not all data have been digitized by the Smithsonian.

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

    Some data do not pass the location test.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?
Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: Data are available at the Smithsonian Institution.
Use_Constraints:
Cite the National Ocean Service and the Smithsonian Institution as originators of the data.

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

    National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
    c/o Anna Weitzman
    10th St. and Constitution Ave., NW
    Washington, D.C. 20560

    202-633-0846 (voice)

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

    NOS sediment data

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    Although this data set has been used by the U.S. Geological Survey (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.

    Trade, firm, or product names and other references to non-USGS products and services are provided for information only and do not constitute endorsement or warranty, express or implied, by the USGS, USDOI, or U.S. Government, as to their suitability, content, usefulness, functioning, completeness, or accuracy.

  4. How can I download or order the data?

Who wrote the metadata?
Dates:
Last modified: 21-Mar-2005
Last Reviewed: 04-May-2005

Metadata author:
U.S. Geological Survey
c/o Jane A. Reid
Geologist
400 Natural Bridges Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

841-427-4727 (voice)
jareid@usgs.gov

Contact_Instructions: email preferred
Metadata standard:
CSDGM Version 2 (FGDC-STD-001-1998)

Metadata extensions used:

Generated by mp version 2.7.33 on Wed May 25 13:31:04 2005