2013-005_298SEDDATA.SHP: Surficial Sediment Data Collected During U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cruise R/V RAFAEL 2013-005-FA in H12298 Study Area in Block Island Sound

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Frequently-anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
2013-005_298SEDDATA.SHP: Surficial Sediment Data Collected During U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cruise R/V RAFAEL 2013-005-FA in H12298 Study Area in Block Island Sound
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 framework for research and management activities along western Block Island Sound, show the composition and terrain of the seabed, and provide information on sediment transport and benthic habitat. During June 2013, 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=2013-005-FA>.
  1. How should this data set be cited?

    McMullen, Katherine, 2015, 2013-005_298SEDDATA.SHP: Surficial Sediment Data Collected During U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cruise R/V RAFAEL 2013-005-FA in H12298 Study Area in Block Island Sound: Open-File Report 2014-1224, 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., Danforth, W.W., Blackwood, D.S., Winner, W.G., and Parker, C.E., 2015, Sea-floor morphology and sedimentary environments in western Block Island Sound, offshore of Fishers Island, New York: Open-File Report 2014-1224, 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: -71.991433
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.861933
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.284317
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.199183

  3. What does it look like?

    <https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2014/1224/data/sediment/2013-005_298seddata.gif> (GIF)
    Thumbnail image showing the locations of sediment data collected during R/V Rafael cruise 2013-005 in the H12298 study area in Block Island Sound

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

    Beginning_Date: 17-Jun-2013
    Ending_Date: 19-Jun-2013
    Currentness_Reference: ground condition

  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):

      • Entity point (36)

    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?

    2013-005_298seddata
    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.

    LABNO
    Unique identifier consisting of two characters and three numerics assigned during lab analysis (Source: Scientist)

    Character String of width 5

    STATIONID
    Sample name assigned in the field (Source: Scientist)

    Character String

    PROJECT
    Project name (Source: Scientist)

    BLOCK ISLAND SOUND

    CRUISEID
    Name or number of cruise during which the samples were collected, in the format yyyy-xxx-FA where yyyy is the year, xxx is the cruise number of that year. FA indicates field activity. (Source: Scientist)

    2013-005-FA

    PRINCIPAL
    Name (initial and last name) of the principal investigator (Source: Scientist)

    KMCMULLEN

    LATITUDE
    Latitude coordinate of the sample location, WGS 84 (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:41.199183
    Maximum:41.284317
    Units:Decimal degrees
    Resolution:0.000001

    LONGITUDE
    Longitude coordinate of sample location, WGS 84 (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:-71.991433
    Maximum:-71.861933
    Units:Decimal degrees
    Resolution:0.000001

    DEPTH_M
    Depth or sounding in meters. Handwritten at time station was occupied based on reading from the ship's fathometer corrected for draft, but not tide. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:8
    Maximum:75
    Units:meters
    Resolution:0.1

    T_DEPTH
    Top depth of the sample below sediment-water interface. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    ValueDefinition
    0Depth in sediment in centimeters

    B_DEPTH
    Bottom depth of the sample below the sediment-water interface. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    ValueDefinition
    2Depth in sediment in centimeters

    DEVICE
    Device used to collect sample (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    MINI SEABOSS

    MONTH
    Calendar month sample was collected (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    ValueDefinition
    6June

    DAY
    Day of month sample was collected (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:17
    Maximum:19
    Units:days
    Resolution:1

    YEAR
    Year sample was collected (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    ValueDefinition
    2013year

    WEIGHT
    Weight of dry sample in grams. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:24.3433
    Maximum:185.4652
    Units:grams
    Resolution:0.0001

    ZGRAVEL
    Gravel content in percent dry weight. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:27.75
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    ZSAND
    Sand content in percent dry weight. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:1.8
    Maximum:99.48
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    ZSILT
    Silt content in percent dry weight. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.25
    Maximum:28.94
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    ZCLAY
    Clay content in percent dry weight. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.1
    Maximum:69.24
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    SEDCLASS
    Sediment description based on a rigorous definition (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    ValueDefinition
    SANDsand equal to or greater than 75 percent
    GRAVELgravel equal to or greater than 50 percent
    GRAVELLY SEDIMENTgravel equal to or greater than 10 percent, but less than 50 percent
    SILTY SANDsand less than 75 percent and equal to or greater than 50 percent, silt is greater than clay, and clay less than 20 percent
    SILTY CLAYclay less than 75 percent and equal to or greater than 50 percent, silt is greater than sand, and sand less than 20 percent

    MEDIAN
    Middle point in the grain-size distribution in phi units. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.35
    Maximum:9.04
    Units:phi
    Resolution:0.01

    MEAN
    Average value in the grain-size distribution in phi units. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.17
    Maximum:8.62
    Units:phi
    Resolution:0.01

    STDEV
    Standard deviation of the grain-size distribution in phi units. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.57
    Maximum:2.87
    Units:phi
    Resolution:0.01

    SKEWNESS
    Deviation from symmetrical form of the grain-size distribution. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:-0.8
    Maximum:3.6
    Units:no units
    Resolution:0.01

    KURTOSIS
    Degree of curvature near the mode of the grain-size distribution. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.06
    Maximum:84.25
    Units:no units
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_11
    Weight percent of the sample in the 11 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.02
    Maximum:25.74
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_10
    Weight percent of the sample in the 10 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.04
    Maximum:25.17
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_9
    Weight percent of the sample in the 9 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.04
    Maximum:18.33
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_8
    Weight percent of the sample in the 8 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.05
    Maximum:14.12
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_7
    Weight percent of the sample in the 7 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.05
    Maximum:10.35
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_6
    Weight percent of the sample in the 6 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.04
    Maximum:3.54
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_5
    Weight percent of the sample in the 5 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.06
    Maximum:3.16
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_4
    Weight percent of the sample in the 4 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.01
    Maximum:33.98
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_3
    Weight percent of the sample in the 3 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.21
    Maximum:68.11
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_2
    Weight percent of the sample in the 2 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.73
    Maximum:76.65
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_1
    Weight percent of the sample in the 1 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.51
    Maximum:60.18
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHI_0
    Weight percent of the sample in the 0 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0.12
    Maximum:16.87
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHIm1
    Weight percent of the sample in the -1 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:6.99
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHIm2
    Weight percent of the sample in the -2 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:8.47
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHIm3
    Weight percent of the sample in the -3 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:5.67
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHIm4
    Weight percent of the sample in the -4 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:15.56
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    PHIm5
    Weight percent of the sample in the -5 phi fraction. A nodata value of -9999 is used where no actual sample was acquired. (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:0
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01

    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    Textural data and visual descriptions produced from the samples and photography of the 2013-005-FA cruise within the H12298 study area. Visual descriptions of sediment texture were used in areas where samples could not be collected (e.g., boulder fields). These stations can be differentiated by the presence of the nodata value '-9999' in some of the numeric analytical fields. The shapefile attributes are the same as those in the Excel and text formats of this data.

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?

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

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

Why was the data set created?

The purpose of this dataset is to release the locations, identifiers, grain-size data and(or) textural descriptions of surficial sediments collected at 36 stations on multibeam bathymetric data of the sea floor in the H12298 study area in Block Island Sound.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

    (source 1 of 1)
    Type_of_Source_Media: computer program

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

    Date: 2013 (process 1 of 3)
    Twenty-five samples were collected with a Van Veen grab sampler (Blackwood and Parolski, 2001) equipped with a still and video camera. Visual descriptions were used for the other 11 stations where samples could not be collected. Samples were analyzed in the sediment laboratory at the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center. Coarse fraction was determined by sieve; fine fraction was determined by Coulter Counter. See Poppe, Williams, and Paskevich (2005) for analytical specifics.

    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
    USA

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

    Data sources produced in this process:
    • 2013-005_298seddata.xls

    Date: 2013 (process 2 of 3)
    An Esri shapefile was created in ArcMap 9.3 from an Excel file (2003 version) created by the laboratory's software. Used Tools, Add XY Data with Longitude for x field and Latitude for y field. Then right clicked on Sheet1$Events, selected Data, Export Data and exported all features using the layers source data and output 2013-005_298seddata.shp.

    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
    USA

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

    Data sources used in this process:
    • 2013-005_298seddata.xls

    Data sources produced in this process:

    • 2013-005_298seddata.shp

    Date: 2013 (process 3 of 3)
    ArcGIS 9.3 was used to define the projection of the Esri shapefile as Geographic, WGS 84, which creates the .prj file.

    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
    USA

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

    Data sources used in this process:
    • 2013-005_298seddata.shp

    Data sources produced in this process:

    • 2013-005_298seddata.prj

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

    Poppe, L.J., Williams, S.J., and Paskevich, V.F., 2005, U.S. Geological Survey East-Coast sediment analysis: Procedures, database, and GIS data: Open-File Report 2005-1001, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Blackwood, D.S., and Parolski, K.F., 2001, Seabed observation and sampling system: Sea Technology v. 42, no. 2, p.39-43.

    Poppe, L.J., Danforth, W.W., McMullen, K.Y., Blankenship, M.A., Glomb, K.A., Wright, D.B., and Smith, S.M., 2014, 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:

    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:

    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
    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Danforth, W.W., Blackwood, D.S., Clos, A.R., and Parker, C.E., 2014, Sea-floor morphology and sedimentary environments of western Block Island Sound, northeast of Gardiners Island, New York: Open-File Report 2014-1160, 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?

    All attributes were checked in a consistent manner.

  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

    Navigation was by differential GPS. Although GPS gave the ship's position rather than that of the SEABOSS, water depths were generally shallow and scope of the cable minimal. Therefore, SEABOSS offset from the antenna was less than 10 m.

  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

    Depths were recorded in the logbook at the beginning of each station from the boat's fathometer.

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

    All available grain-size data collected in the H12298 study area during the R/V Rafael cruise 2013-005 are included in this dataset. Other samples were collected during cruise 2013-005 that lie outside the study area.

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

    No additional checks for consistency were performed on this data. Sediment samples were not collected at all stations due to rough sea conditions or coarse sea floor. Where samples were not obtained, the sea floor was classified using visual descriptions based on photographs and video from the station.

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:
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)

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

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

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

    Downloadable Data - 2013-005_298seddata.zip

  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?

    These data are available in Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) shapefile format. The user must have a program capable of reading a shapefile. A free data viewer, ArcGIS Explorer, capable of displaying the data is available from Esri at www.esri.com. The user must have software capable of uncompressing archived zip files, such as WinZip or Pkware. These data are also available in Microsoft Excel 2003 spreadsheet format. The user must have software capable of reading or importing the Excel-formatted data file. These data are also available as a generic ASCII formatted data file. The user must have a software program capable of reading the comma-delimited data file.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 22-Jan-2015
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 2.9.6 on Thu Jan 22 07:18:31 2015