USGS OFR 02-217: Hudson Shelf Valley

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Frequently-anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?
    Title: USGS OFR 02-217: Hudson Shelf Valley
    Abstract:
    Surveys of the sea floor at each mooring site were carried out using a multibeam sea floor mapping system to provide detailed maps of bathymetry and backscatter intensity. The multibeam surveys were carried out as part of a larger survey of the New York Bight and the Hudson Shelf Valley (Butman and others (1998); Butman (1998); Butman and others (2002); and USGS Studies in the New York Bight). The surveys were carried out using a Simrad EM 1000 sea floor mapping system mounted on the survey vessel Frederick G. Creed. The surveys at sites A; B; C and F were carried out in 1996 and 1998 prior to the Hudson Shelf Valley winter experiment and were used to help locate the instruments in the axis of the valley. Multibeam surveys at sites D and E on the continental shelf were carried out in April 2000 after the instruments were retrieved. Backscatter intensity from a sidescan sonar survey of the New York Bight Apex was used to help place these instruments (see Schwab and others; 2000)., Bottom photographs; videos and sediment samples of the sea floor were obtained on the mooring deployment (RV Oceanus; December 1999) and recovery cruises (RV Endeavor; April 2000) to show the character of the sea floor. These observations were made using the SeaBed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) (Valentine and others (2000) <http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs142-00/>; Blackwood and Parolski (2002)). SEABOSS is equipped with two video cameras; a still camera; a pressure-depth sensor; and a modified Van Veen sediment grab sampler. At each station; the SEABOSS was lowered to a target elevation about 76 centimeters (30 inches) above the sea floor and the ship allowed to slowly drift; typically for a few hundred meters. As the ship drifted; typically at a knot or less; bottom video was recorded continuously and individual photographs of the sea floor were triggered remotely based on the video available in real time at the surface. Typically 5-50 still photographs were obtained at each station. At 76 centimeters above the bottom; the still photographs show a 76 x 51 centimeter area of the seafloor. At most stations; a single sample of the sediment was obtained using the Van Veen sampler; typically at the end of the transect. At some locations; cobbles and boulders on the seafloor made sampling impossible. The upper 2 cm of the sediment were skimmed from the grab sample and analyzed for texture using the methods outlined in Poppe and others (2000). Additional photographs and videos from these and other stations in the New York Bight may be found in Butman and others (in press). ,

  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Butman, Bradford, 2002, USGS OFR 02-217: Hudson Shelf Valley:.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    ,.

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -73.857590
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -73.238050
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.390590
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 39.937900

  3. What does it look like?

    02217.jpg (JPEG)
    Image showing extent and distribution of data layer coverage

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

    Calendar_Date: 2002
    Currentness_Reference: publication date

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

    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular 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 (44)

    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 0.000000. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.000000. 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?

    02217

    FID
    Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI)

    Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

    Shape
    Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI)

    Coordinates defining the features.

    LATITUDE

    LONGITUDE

    SITENAME

    DATASETKEY

    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    The following fields were entered into usSEABED:

    SFS data:Cruise:Mooring Site:Station:Latitude:Longitude:Depth (meters): Sample kg:JD:GMT hrs SFS data:JD_Time:Year:Mass (grams) TXR data:Percent Gravel:Percent Sand:Percent Silt:Percent Clay:Median:Mean:Standard Deviation: Mode One Phi Size [Mode One Frequency] ; Mode Two Phi Size [Mode Two Frequency] ; Mode Three Phi Size [Mode Three Frequency]:Skew:Kurtosis LTH data: Class

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?

    Bradford Butman
    U.S. Geological Survey
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2361 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bbutman@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?
Sediment transport and circulation observations in the vicinity of the Hudson Shelf Valley as part of a program to investigate the transport and fate of sediment and associated contaminants in the coastal waters offshore of the New York - New Jersey metropolitan region.

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

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

    (process 1 of 3)
    Data were downloaded from the online publication.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    Chris Jenkins
    Institute of Arctic & Alpine Research (INSTAAR) Univeristy of Colorado at Boulder
    1560 30th Street
    Boulder, CO 80309-0450
    USA

    (303) 735-5250 (voice)
    (303) 492-6388 (FAX)
    chris.jenkins@colorado.edu

    (process 2 of 3)
    Digital data were checked, formatted to dbSEABED input format, then processed using dbSEABED software to produce a range of output formats. The processing contained quality checking that may have declined to pass faulty or suspect data to outputs.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    Chris Jenkins
    Institute of Arctic & Alpine Research (INSTAAR) Univeristy of Colorado at Boulder
    1560 30th Street
    Boulder, CO 80309-0450
    USA

    (303) 735-5250 (voice)
    (303) 492-6388 (FAX)
    chris.jenkins@colorado.edu

    (process 3 of 3)
    Corrections were made to phi-size classes as they were held in the usSEABED data resource files.

    Person who carried out this activity:

    Polly Hastings
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Oceanographic Data Specialist
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
    USA

    (508) 548-8700x2289 (voice)
    5084572310 (FAX)
    phastings@usgs.gov

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

    Butman, Bradford, Alexander, P. Soupy , Harris, Courtney K. , Traykovski, Peter A. , Marilyn B. ten Brink, Lightsom, Frances S. , and Martini, Marinna A. , 2002, Oceanographic Observations in the Hudson Shelf Valley, December 1999 - April 2000: Data Report: Open-File Report 02-217, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

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?

  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:
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 contact information not provided.]

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

    Downloadable 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: 25-May-2005
Last Reviewed: 04-May-2005

Metadata author:
Jamey Reid
U.S. Geological Survey
IT Specialist (Data Management)
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

(508) 548-8700 x2204 (voice)
(508) 457-2310 (FAX)
jreid@usgs.gov

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

Metadata extensions used:

Generated by mp version 2.7.33 on Wed May 25 13:43:46 2005