H12296_INTERP: Interpretation of Bottom Features from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Survey H12296 in Block Island Sound (Geographic, WGS 84)

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Frequently-anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
H12296_INTERP: Interpretation of Bottom Features from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Survey H12296 in Block Island Sound (Geographic, WGS 84)
Abstract:
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is producing detailed geologic maps of the coastal sea floor. Bathymetric and sidescan-sonar data, originally collected by NOAA for charting purposes, provide a fundamental framework for research and management activities along this part of Block Island Sound, show the composition and terrain of the seabed, and provide information on sediment transport and benthic habitat. During June 2012, bottom photographs and surficial sediment data were acquired as part of a ground-truth reconnaissance survey of this area. Interpretations were derived from the multibeam-echosounder, sidescan-sonar, sedimentary, and photographic data collected in Block Island Sound. For more information on the ground-truth survey see <http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2012-002-FA>.
  1. How should this data set be cited?

    U.S. Geological Survey, 2014, H12296_INTERP: Interpretation of Bottom Features from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Survey H12296 in Block Island Sound (Geographic, WGS 84): Open-File Report 2014-1018, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Ackerman, S.D., Blackwood, D.S., Glomb, K.A., and Wood, D.A., 2014, Sea-floor geology in northwestern Block Island Sound, Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2014-1018, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: DVD-ROM

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.861794
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.586051
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.363007
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.292199

  3. What does it look like?

    <https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2014/1018/data/interpret/h12296_interp.gif> (GIF)
    Thumbnail image showing the interpreted bottom features within NOAA survey H12296

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

    Calendar_Date: 2014
    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 (115)

    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 D_WGS_1984.
      The ellipsoid used is WGS_1984.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257224.

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

    h12296_interp
    Shapefile Attribute Table (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.

    ID
    Internal feature number (Source: ESRI)

    LABEL
    Interpretation of features from NOAA H12296 multibeam bathymetry and sidescan-sonar data and USGS 2012-002-FA sediment and photograph data (Source: compiler)

    ValueDefinition
    Scour_outliersAreas of scour depressions and associated erosional outliers, which are characterized by steep, half-meter deep sides and flat floors.
    BouldersAreas of rocks on the sea floor, characterized by objects up to several meters in diameter and height based on bathymetric, sidescan-sonar, and photographic data.
    Sand wavesAreas of megaripples and sand waves on the sea floor, characterized by tiger striped backscatter and wave-shaped bedforms in the bathymetry data.
    Trawl marksAreas with small troughs on the sea floor from dragging fishing gear.

    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    Shapefile containing interpretations of the sea floor in the Block Island Sound study area. Shapefile shows distributions of scour depressions and erosional outliers, sand waves, trawl marks, and boulders. It is possible to have polygons that overlap, as more than one feature may be present in a location. Areas within the study area that are not outlined are areas of predominately undisturbed modern marine sediments.

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?

    U.S. Geological Survey
    c/o Katherine McMullen
    Field and Laboratory Technician
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

    508-548-8700 x2277 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    kmcmullen@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

To release interpretations of bottom features based on bathymetry and sidescan-sonar data (where available) collected during NOAA survey H12296 and sediment samples and bottom photography collected during USGS survey 2012-002-FA in Block Island Sound in a geographic, WGS 84 coordinate system.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

    (source 1 of 1)
    Type_of_Source_Media: DVD-ROM
    Source_Contribution:
    The original acoustic data acquired during NOAA survey H12296 aboard the NOAA ship Thomas Jefferson collected from Aug. 22, 2011 to Oct. 23, 2011 and the sediment samples and bottom photography collected during USGS survey 2012-002-FA between June 11-13, 2012.

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

    Date: 2013 (process 1 of 1)
    The geographic GeoTIFF images of the multibeam data and the UTM sidescan-sonar imagery from survey H12296 and the point data layers from bottom photography and grain-size analyses of sediments collected from this survey area were imported into the ArcMap 9.3. Bottom features were interpreted based on the bathymetry, sidescan sonar (where available), bottom photography, and textural analyses. The individually interpreted features (i.e. scour_outliers and boulders) were outlined using the available graphic tools.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    Katherine McMullen
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Field and Laboratory Technician
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

    508-548-8700 x2277 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    kmcmullen@usgs.gov

    Data sources used in this process:
    • h12296_mb2m_geo.tif
    • 2012-002_296seddata.shp
    • 2012-002_296botphotos.shp
    • h12296_1msss_utm19.tif

    Data sources produced in this process:

    • h12296_interp.shp

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

    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Haupt, T.A., and Crocker, J.M., 2009, Sidescan-sonar imagery and surficial geologic interpretations of the sea floor in western Rhode Island Sound: Open-File Report 2008-1181, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Ackerman, S.D., Blackwood, D.S., Schaer, J.D., Nadeau, M.A., and Wood, D.A., 2011, Surficial geology of the sea floor in central Rhode Island Sound southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2011-1005, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Poppe, L.J., Danforth, W.W., McMullen, K.Y., Blankenship, M.A., Glomb, K.A., Wright, D.B., and Smith, S.M., 2012, Sea-floor character and sedimentary processes of Block Island Sound, offshore Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2012-1005, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: DVD-ROM
    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Ackerman, S.D., Blackwood, D.S., Lewit, P.G., and Parker, C.E., 2013, Sea-floor geology in northeastern Block Island Sound, Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2013-1003, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: DVD-ROM

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?

    Navigation for the sediment samples and bathymetry data, which the interpretation was based on, was by differential GPS.

  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

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

    All collected data were processed and used to produce this dataset.

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

    No additional checks for consistency were performed on this data. It is possible to have polygons that overlap, as more than one feature may be present in a location. Areas within the study area that are not outlined are areas of predominately undisturbed modern marine sediments.

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 interpretation was completed at map scales less than 1:10,000, and is not intended for use with smaller map scales. Public domain data from the U.S. Government are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as the source of this information.

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

    Larry Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@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 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 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 or NOAA 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?

    The user must be capable of uncompressing WinZip files. Also, these data are available in Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) shapefile format. The user must have ArcGIS or ArcView 3.0 or greater software to read and process the data file. In lieu of ArcView or ArcGIS, the user may utilize another GIS application package capable of importing data. A free data viewer, ArcGIS Explorer, capable of displaying the data is available from Esri at www.esri.com.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 04-Feb-2014
Metadata author:
U.S. Geological Survey
c/o Katherine McMullen
Field and Laboratory Technician
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

508-548-8700 x2277 (voice)
508-457-2310 (FAX)
kmcmullen@usgs.gov

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

Generated by mp version 2.8.25 on Tue Feb 04 11:38:31 2014