Ground temperature data of Barter Island bluffs collected in 2016

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Ground temperature data of Barter Island bluffs collected in 2016
Abstract:
Thermistor strings with sensors spaced at 25-centimeter intervals were installed in three boreholes extending from the ground surface to depths of up to 4.25 meters at Barter Island, Alaska. The sites were located near the bluff edge overlooking the open Beaufort Sea coast. Temperature measurements were programmed to be collected hourly from late spring through early fall in 2016 (May 31 to September 15). Because the solar- and battery-powered instrument occasionally experienced limited power availability, the dataset contains some gaps.
Supplemental_Information:
Additional information about the field activity or activities from which these data were derived is available online at: https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2016-645-FA Work was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Hazards Program and University of California Santa Cruz. For more information on these efforts, see https://www.usgs.gov/supplemental-appropriations-for-disaster-recovery-activities/typhoon-merbok-coastal-community. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Foley, Neil, Tulaczyk, Slawek, Oberle, Ferdinand K.J., Johnson, Cordell D., Swarzenski, Peter W., Richmond, Bruce M., Gibbs, Ann E., Erikson, Li H., and Lorenson, Tom D., 20260422, Ground temperature data of Barter Island bluffs collected in 2016: data release DOI:10.5066/P13OM8JN, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Suggested Citation: Foley, N., Tulaczyk, S., Oberle, F.K.J., Johnson, C.D., Swarzenski, P., Richmond, B.M., Gibbs, A., Erikson, L., and Lorenson, T. 2026, Ground temperature data of Barter Island bluffs collected in 2016: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P13OM8JN.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -143.689379
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -143.648714
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 70.133852
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 70.131969
  3. What does it look like?
    GroundTemperatureData_BIlocations.png (PNG)
    Satellite image showing the locations where elevation data were collected. Basemaps: Microsoft Virtual Earth and Google Earth imagery.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 31-May-2016
    Ending_Date: 15-Sep-2016
    Currentness_Reference:
    Ground condition at time data were collected
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: comma-delimited text
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Point data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
      • Point (45079)
    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 WGS_1984.
      The ellipsoid used is WGS_1984.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.0.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257223563.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    GroundTemperatureData_BarterIsland.csv
    Comma Separated Value (CSV) file containing temperature data. Data might not be available at all depths. (Source: Producer defined)
    id
    Name or identifier of the core (Source: Producer defined)
    ValueDefinition
    BI_T1Barter Island Temperature Array 1
    BI_T2Barter Island Temperature Array 2
    BI-T3Barter Island Temperature Array 3
    date_time
    Date and time when measurement was taken (Source: Producer defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>No Data
    Range of values
    Minimum:2016-05-31T08:26:00Z
    Maximum:2016-09-15T07:27:59Z
    Units:yyyy-mm-ddTHH:MM:SSZ
    latitude
    Latitude coordinate in decimal degrees (Source: Producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:70.132333
    Maximum:70.132727
    Units:decimal degrees
    Resolution:0.000001
    longitude
    Longitude coordinate (Source: Producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-143.687111
    Maximum:-143.652677
    Units:decimal degrees
    Resolution:0.000001
    depth_cm
    depth in centimeters below surface (Source: Producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:450
    Units:centimeter
    Resolution:1
    temp_C
    temperature in degree Celsius (Source: Producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-8.5
    Maximum:2.1
    Units:degrees Celsius
    Resolution:0.1
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    The data table is formatted in a single comma-separated values file GroundTemperatureData_BarterIsland.csv. The first line of the csv file is a header line.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: U.S. Geological Survey

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Neil Foley
    • Slawek Tulaczyk
    • Ferdinand K.J. Oberle
    • Cordell D. Johnson
    • Peter W. Swarzenski
    • Bruce M. Richmond
    • Ann E. Gibbs
    • Li H. Erikson
    • Tom D. Lorenson
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: PCMSC Science Data Coordinator
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA

    831-427-4747 (voice)
    pcmsc_data@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

This product was created to help advance understanding thermal exchange processes in permafrost bluffs; the data can be used to understand speed of active layer development and to calibrate or validate models of thermodenudation. This product is intended for reuse by scientists, managers, and the public.

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: 14-Sep-2016 (process 1 of 1)
    Ground temperature measurements were collected using Arduino based thermistors spaced 0.25 m apart and installed in hand augered boreholes at Barter Island, Alaska. The power controller, battery and Arduino analog to digital converter were housed in Pelican cases, which included an opening to allow the thermistor cable bundle to exit and be positioned in the permafrost boreholes. The system was powered by solar panels, and temperature data were logged hourly to microSD cards. Because the solar- and battery-powered instrument occasionally experienced limited power availability, the dataset contains some gaps. Thermistor locations were collected with a handheld Garmin GPSMAP 76CS receiver using differential correction.
  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?
    No formal accuracy assessment was performed.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    Point locations were collected with a handheld Garmin GPSMAP 76CS receiver using differential correction. According to manufacturer specifications, positional accuracy with differential correction is typically 3 to 5 meters at 95 percent confidence using United States Coast Guard differential correction, and less than 3 meters at 95 percent confidence using Wide Area Augmentation System correction.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    The thermistor string was assembled with temperature sensors spaced 25 cm apart along a single support wire. The depth of the deepest sensor was estimated by counting the total number of sensors lowered into the borehole. No formal positional accuracy tests were conducted. Sampling depth below the ground surface was determined by summing the inserted lengths of the auger drill bit and the successive extension rods advanced during ground penetration.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Dataset is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract. Because the solar- and battery-powered instrument occasionally experienced limited power availability, the dataset contains some gaps.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    All data fall within expected ranges.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
Access_Constraints No access constraints
Use_Constraints USGS-authored or produced data and information are in the public domain from the U.S. Government and are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize and acknowledge the U.S. Geological Survey as the originator(s) of the dataset and in products derived from these data.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey - CMGDS
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA

    831-427-4747 (voice)
    pcmsc_data@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? These data are available in csv format accompanied by CSDGM FGDC-compliant metadata
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.
  4. How can I download or order the data?
    • Availability in digital form:
      Data format: CSV contains date and time (yyyy-mm-ddTHH:MM:SSZ), temperatures (degrees Celsius) at depths (cm). in format comma-delimited text Size: 2.5
      Network links: https://doi.org/10.5066/P13OM8JN
    • Cost to order the data: None.

  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    The CSV data can be viewed with any text reading software.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 22-Apr-2026
Metadata author:
U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Attn: PCMSC Science Data Coordinator
2885 Mission Street
Santa Cruz, CA

831-427-4747 (voice)
pcmsc_data@usgs.gov
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/pcmsc/DataReleases/CMGDS_DR_tool/DR_P13OM8JN/GroundTemperatureData_BarterIsland.faq.html>
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