This report contains geographic information system (GIS) data in vector and raster formats. The vector data are provided in shapefile formats compatible with Esri ArcView and ArcGIS software. These data are in the Geographic Coordinate System (GCS) in the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS 84) coordinate system. The raster data are provided in GeoTIFF format and Esri binary grid formats. These raster data are provided in GCS WGS 84 and a Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), Zone 19, North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) projection. Data layers archived here should not require additional processing for use with Esri software.

For users who do not have the Esri software or a compatible GIS data browser available on their computer, a free viewer, ArcGIS Explorer, is available from Esri. The key functionality of ArcGIS Explorer is the displaying of spatial data. The user will need to add the selected data layers by using ArcGIS Explorer's "add data" button.

This report includes links to several data layers (or themes) that can be used to create views of the H12296 study area. GeoTIFF files, produced from the NOAA bathymetric survey, are provided in GCS WGS 84 and UTM, Zone 19, NAD 83 projections. GeoTIFFs of the bathymetry are in color and are hill-shaded with sun illumination from the northeast at 45 degrees (°) and vertically exaggerated fivefold. ArcRaster grids of the multibeam bathymetric data are provided at 2-m resolution in GCS WGS 84 and UTM, Zone 19, NAD 83 projections. Sidescan-sonar imagery is provided at 1-m resolution in UTM, Zone 19, NAD 83 projection.

Ancillary vector data that are provided in the GCS WGS 84 datum consist of polygon data layers that provide (1) a base map of the coastline for the Block Island Sound GIS project area, (2) an outline of the study area, and (3) interpretations of sea-floor features. Point data layers, also in GCS WGS 84, are provided for the sediment data and locations of bottom photos. The photographic data are provided in mid- and full-resolution JPEG image formats.

The top level of this report (on the DVD-ROM) contains an Esri ArcMap document (h12296.mxd) created in ArcMap 9.3, but saved as an ArcMap 9.0/9.1 document to make it accessible in older versions of the software.

Each GIS data layer in this publication is cataloged below for easy access. The individual data layers are described below and include the GeoTIFF, shapefile, or grid name (for example, h12296_mb2m_geo), which is linked to a browse graphic (an illustration of the dataset) showing the data-layer extent and coverage. Clicking on the data-layer name will result in the browse graphic being displayed in a separate browser window (there is no browse graphic for the navigation data).

Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata for the individual data layers are provided in HTML, frequently asked questions (FAQ, in HTML format), and text versions in the table below. In addition to these formats of the metadata, the .zip files contain the Esri XML version of the metadata viewable in ArcCatalog. Selecting associated metadata files from the table below will open the information in a new browser window.

A compressed (.zip), downloadable archive file, containing the components of the shapefile, grid, or image for each data layer, is also provided. Compressed, downloadable files were created by using the Windows program WinZip® version 14.0 for Windows.

BATHYMETRIC IMAGERY

BATHYMETRIC GRIDS

SIDESCAN-SONAR IMAGERY

SEDIMENT AND PHOTOGRAPHIC DATA LAYERS

NAVIGATION DATA LAYER

INTERPRETIVE DATA LAYER

BASE-MAP DATA

Individuals interested in accessing the NOAA Descriptive Report or Data Acquisition and Processing Report, which contain detailed descriptions of the data-acquisition and data-processing methods, can view them at http://surveys.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/NOS/coast/H12001-H14000/H12296/DR/H12296.pdf and http://surveys.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/NOS/DAPRs/OPR-D304-TJ-11_DAPR.pdf, respectively.

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