Excel Spreadsheet of Piezometer Groundwater Data in the Nauset Marsh Area collected August, 2005

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Frequently-anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Excel Spreadsheet of Piezometer Groundwater Data in the Nauset Marsh Area collected August, 2005
Abstract:
In order to test hypotheses about groundwater flow under and into estuaries and the Atlantic Ocean, geophysical surveys, geophysical probing, submarine groundwater sampling, and sediment coring were conducted by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists at Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS) from 2004 through 2006. Coastal resource managers at CCNS and elsewhere are concerned about nutrients that are entering coastal waters via submarine groundwater discharge, which are contributing to eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. The research carried out as part of the study described here was designed, in part, to help refine assumptions required by earlier versions of models about the nature of submarine groundwater flow and discharge at CCNS. This study was conducted in four phases, with a variety of field techniques and equipment employed in each phase. Phase 1 consisted of continuous resistivity profiling (CRP) surveys of the entire study area conducted in 2004. Phase 2 consisted of CRP ground-truthing via resistivity probe measurements and submarine groundwater sampling from hydraulically-drive piezometers using a barge in the Salt Pond/Nauset Marsh area in 2005. Phase 3 consisted of supplemental detailed CRP surveys in the Salt Pond/Nauset Marsh area in 2006. Finally, Phase 4 consisted of sediment coring and porewater extraction in the Salt Pond/Nauset Marsh area later in 2006 to supplement the 2005 sampling.
  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Bratton, John F. , 2008, Excel Spreadsheet of Piezometer Groundwater Data in the Nauset Marsh Area collected August, 2005: Open-File Report 2006-1169, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Cross, VeeAnn A. , Bratton, John F. , Crusius, John, Colman, John A. , and McCobb, Timothy D. , 2008, Submarine Hydrogeological Data from Cape Cod National Seashore: Open-File Report 2006-1169, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -69.971643
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -69.962932
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.835998
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.830668

  3. What does it look like?

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

    Beginning_Date: 22-Aug-2005
    Ending_Date: 25-Aug-2005
    Currentness_Reference: ground condition

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

  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?

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

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

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    This Excel spreadsheet contains the groundwater sample analyses information. Within this spreadsheet are 15 columns of information defined as the following: Sample Location Site name - name assigned to the piezometer location attempting to reoccupy the Geoprobe locations by the same site name. Approx. Water Depth at Time of Sampling (cm) - the approximate water depth at time of sampling measured in centimeters. Depth Below Sediment Surface (cm) - depth below the sediment surface measured in centimeters. Temperature (degC) - temperature in degrees Celsius. Conductivity (mS/m) - conductivity in milli-Siemens per meter. Salinity (ppt) - salinity in parts per thousand. Dissolved Oxygen (% saturation) - dissolved oxygen as percent saturation; how much oxygen is dissolved in the water as a percentage of how much it could hold at that temperature. Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) - dissolved oxygen measure in milligrams per liter. pH - the measured acidity or alkalinity on the pH scale. Oxidation-Reduction Potential (mV) - oxidation-reduction potential in milli-volts indicating the relative strength of oxidizing compounds in the solution (more positive values) or reducing compounds in the solution (more negative values). N-NH3 - concentration of nitrogen in the reduced form of ammonium measure in micrograms per liter. N-NO3/NO2 - concentration of nitrogen in the oxidized forms of nitrate and nitrite combined measure in micrograms per liter. P-PO4 - concentration of phosphorus in the form of phosphate measured in micrograms per liter. Total Dissolved P (TDP) as PO4 - total dissolved phosphorus; dissolved inorganic and organic phosphorus all chemically converted to inorganic form and measured as phosphorus in micrograms per liter. Total Dissolved N (TDN) as NO3) - total dissolved nitrogen; dissolved inorganic and organic nitrogen all chemically converted to inorganic form and measured as nitrogen in micrograms per liter. In terms of data collection, a hydraulic vibratory drilling rig mounted on an all-terrain vehicle and secured to a barge was used to advance piezometers for submarine ground-water sampling. These piezometers consisted of 2.5 cm diameter steel pipe in 3.4 m lengths that were joined by hydraulically crimped couplings. Water samples were taken generally every 305 cm with water quality measurements of temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH and oxidation-reduction potential made using a YSI 650 Multi-Parameter data sonde. In addition, filtered samples were collected for nutrient measurements.

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?

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

    John F. Bratton
    U.S. Geological Survey
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

    (508) 548-8700 x2254 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    jbratton@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

To provide the analyses of the piezometer groundwater data in an Excel spreadsheet format. Piezometer groundwater was collected at various sites in the Nauset Marsh area. These locations were intended to reoccupy locations where Geoprobe samples were collected, thus the site designations are the same. However, the exact Geoprobe locations were not reoccupied.

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: 2005 (process 1 of 4)
    Piezometer groundwater was collected at various sites in the Nauset Marsh area. These locations were intended to reoccupy locations where Geoprobe samples were collected, thus the site designations are the same. However, the exact Geoprobe locations were not reoccupied. A hydraulic vibratory drilling rig mounted on an all-terrain vehicle and secured to a barge was used to advance piezometers for submarine ground-water sampling. These piezometers consisted of 2.5 cm diameter steel pipe in 3.4 m lengths that were joined by hydraulically crimped couplings.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    John F. Bratton
    U.S. Geological Survey
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

    (508) 548-8700 x2254 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    jbratton@usgs.gov

    Date: 2005 (process 2 of 4)
    Water samples were taken general every 305 cm with water quality measurements of temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and oxidation-reduction potential made using a YSI 650 Multi-Parameter data sonde. In addition, filtered samples were collected for nutrient measurements.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    John F. Bratton
    U.S. Geological Survey
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

    (508) 548-8700 x2254 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    jbratton@usgs.gov

    Date: 23-Jan-2006 (process 3 of 4)
    The nutrient samples were analyzed using a Lachat Quickchem Flow Injection Analysis System. The methods used are as follows: N as NH3 (nitrogen as ammonia): method detection limit = 4 micrograms nitrogen per liter; Lachat QuickChem Method 10-107-06-1-C rev. 27Nov01; based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 350.1. N as NO3/NO2 (cadmium reduction); method detection limit = 1.7 micrograms nitrogen per liter; Lachat QuikChem Method 31-107-04-1-C rev. 16Sept03; based on Grasshoff, K., Methods of Seawater Analysis, Verlag Chemie, 2nd Ed., 1976. P as PO4 (phosphorus as phosphate); method detection limit 0.1 micrograms phosphorus per liter; Lachat QuikChem Method 10-115-01-1-M rev. 27Aug03; based on EPA Method 365.1. Total dissolved Nitrogen (TDN)/ Total Dissolved Phosphorus (TDP) notes: Samples were prepared by persulfate digestion (following Valderrama, 1981, Marine Chemistry 10:109-122) prior to analysis by Lachat Methods. TDP results with an asterisk indicate TDP < inorganic phosphorous. Values are very close; typically this represents that all of the phosphorus is in the dissolved inorganic state.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    Krista Lee
    National Park Service
    Physical Scientist
    Cape Cod National Seashore
    Wellfleet, Massachusetts 02667

    (508) 487-3262 x110 (voice)
    (508) 487-7153 (FAX)
    Krista_Lee@nps.gov

    Date: 2007 (process 4 of 4)
    The information was transferred to an Excel spreadsheet.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    John F. Bratton
    U.S. Geological Survey
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

    (508) 548-8700 x2254 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    jbratton@usgs.gov

  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?

    This dataset is complete inasmuch as all the piezometer data collected from the drill sites in this study is represented.

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

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:
The U.S. Geological Survey must be referenced as the originator of the dataset in any future products or research derived from these data.

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

    John F. Bratton
    U.S. Geological Survey
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

    (508) 548-8700 x2254 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    jbratton@usgs.gov

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

    Downloadable Data

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    Neither the U.S. Government, the Department of the Interior, nor the USGS, nor any of their employees, contractors, or subcontractors, make any warranty, express or implied, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, nor represent that its use would not infringe on privately owned rights. 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. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

  4. How can I download or order the data?

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

    These data are available in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet format. The user must have software capable of reading or importing the Excel formatted data file.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 04-Aug-2008
Metadata author:
VeeAnn A. Cross
U.S. Geological Survey
Marine Geologist
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

(508) 548-8700 x2251 (voice)
(508) 457-2310 (FAX)
vatnipp@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
Metadata extensions used:

Generated by mp version 2.8.6 on Mon Aug 04 09:39:00 2008