Shorelines from 1947 to 2017 for the eastern Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska (U.S. Canadian Border to the Hulahula River) used in shoreline change analysis

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?
Who produced the data set?
Why was the data set created?
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Who wrote the metadata?

What does this data set describe?

Title:

Shorelines from 1947 to 2017 for the eastern Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska (U.S. Canadian Border to the Hulahula River) used in shoreline change analysis

Abstract:

This dataset includes historical shoreline positions that span 70 years, from 1947 to 2017, for the north coast of Alaska between the U.S. Canadian Border to the Hulahula River. Shorelines were compiled from topographic survey sheets (T-sheets; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)), aerial orthophotographs (U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Conoco-Philips (CP), British Petroleum Alaska (BPXA), and NOAA), satellite imagery (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and State of Alaska), and lidar elevation data (USGS). Historical shoreline positions serve as easily understood features that can be used to describe the movement of beaches through time. These data are used to calculate rates of shoreline change. Rates of long-term (70 years) and short-term (less than 40 years) shoreline change were generated in a GIS using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 5.1. DSAS uses a measurement baseline method to calculate rate-of-change statistics. Transects are cast from the reference baseline to intersect each shoreline, establishing measurement points used to calculate shoreline change rates.

Supplemental_Information:

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this Federal Geographic Data Committee-compliant metadata file is intended to document the dataset in nonproprietary form, as well as in Esri format, this metadata file may include some Esri-specific terminology.

How might this data set be cited?
Gibbs, Ann E., Ohman, Karin A., Coppersmith, Ryan, and Richmond, Bruce M., 20240911, Shorelines from 1947 to 2017 for the eastern Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska (U.S. Canadian Border to the Hulahula River) used in shoreline change analysis: data release 10.5066/F72Z13N1, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz.
Online Links:
- https://doi.org/10.5066/F72Z13N1
- https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/663a5a13d34e77890839b079
This is part of the following larger work.
Gibbs, Ann E., Ohman, Karin A., Coppersmith, Ryan, and Richmond, Bruce M., 2017, National Assessment of Shoreline Change: A GIS compilation of updated vector shorelines and associated shoreline change data for the North Coast of Alaska, U.S. Canadian Border to Icy Cape (ver. 2.0, September 2024): data release 10.5066/F72Z13N1, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, CA.
Online Links:
- https://doi.org/10.5066/F72Z13N1
Other_Citation_Details:
Suggested Citation: Gibbs, A.E., Ohman, K.A., Coppersmith, R., and Richmond, B.M., 2017, National Assessment of Shoreline Change: A GIS compilation of updated vector shorelines and associated shoreline change data for the north coast of Alaska, U.S. Canadian border to Icy Cape (ver. 2.0, September 2024): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F72Z13N1.
What geographic area does the data set cover?
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -144.089148
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -140.997226
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 70.154678
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 69.629409
What does it look like?
Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

Beginning_Date: 1947

Ending_Date: 2017

Currentness_Reference:

ground condition
What is the general form of this data set?
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data (polyline)
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):
  - String (1187)
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 0.0000001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.0000001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees. The horizontal datum used is WGS_1984.
  The ellipsoid used is WGS 84.
  The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.0.
  The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257224.

How does the data set describe geographic features?

Attribute Table

Table containing attribute information associated with the data set. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

FID

Internal feature number (Source: Esri) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated

Shape

Feature geometry (Source: Esri) Coordinates defining the feature.

DATE_

Date of survey (MM/DD/YYYY), as indicated on source material from which shoreline position was digitized. The precision of the date provided is specified in the ï¿½Default_Dï¿½ attribute. When only the year was defined, July 1 was used for the month and day. When only the month and year were defined, the first of the month was used. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Range of values
Minimum:	07/29/1947
Maximum:	07/19/2017

Year_

Year of survey (YYYY) as indicated on source material from which shoreline position was digitized. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Range of values
Minimum:	1947
Maximum:	2017

Uncy

Total shoreline position uncertainty, in meters. Actual shoreline position is within the range of this value. The uncertainty was determined by equation 1 in Gibbs and Richmond (2017). (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Range of values
Minimum:	3
Maximum:	16

Default_D

Number that indicates the precision of the source imagery collection date. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey.)

Value	Definition
0	The year, month, and day of source imagery collection are known.
1	The year and month of source imagery collection is known. An arbitrary day of 01 was assigned.

DSAS_Inclu

A binary value given to identify which shoreline segments were used in the shoreline change analysis (DSAS_Inclu = 1) and shoreline segments that were not used in the shoreline change analysis, but included for context (DSAS_Inclu = 9999). For example, two shorelines of the same year may be present on the source material, both of which are included in the shorelines dataset to provide additional morphological context. The seaward-most shoreline was selected for shoreline change analysis. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Value	Definition
1	Shoreline segment that was used in shoreline change analysis
9999	Shoreline segment that was not used in shoreline change analysis

Source

Agency that provided shoreline feature and the data source used to digitize shoreline feature. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Value	Definition
Alaska SDMI orthoimagery	SPOT satellite image mosaic compiled as part of the Alaska State Digital Mapping Initiative
BPXA, Orthoimagery	Aerial orthoimagery from British Petroleum, Alaska
BPXA, vector shoreline	Vector shorelines digitized from aerial orthoimagery by British Petroleum, Alaska
ConocoPhillips, Orthoimagery	Aerial orthoimagery from Conoco-Phillips
NASA, Alaska High Altitude Photography	Orthorectified Alaska high altitude photography mosaics
NOAA, T-Sheet	National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Topographic Sheets
USFWS, QuickBird satellite imagery	Digital Globe Quickbird satellite image mosaics
USGS, Lidar	Digital elevation models derived from lidar elevation data
NOAA, Orthoimagery	Digital elevation models derived from lidar elevation data

Source_a

Specific source ID of data used to digitize shoreline feature. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Source data IDs are assigned by the data providers

SHAPE_Leng

Length of shoreline segment in meters (Source: Esri)

Range of values
Minimum:	11.55
Maximum:	23973.27

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

The entity and attribute information provided here describes the tabular data associated with the data set. Please review the detailed descriptions that are provided (the individual attribute descriptions) for information on the values that appear as fields/table entries of the data set.

Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

The entity and attribute information were generated by the individual and/or agency identified as the originator of the data set. Please review the rest of the metadata record for additional details and information.

Who produced the data set?

Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
- Gibbs, Ann E.
- Ohman, Karin A.
- Coppersmith, Ryan
- Richmond, Bruce M.
Who also contributed to the data set?
U.S. Geological Survey
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?

Coastal erosion is a persistent process along most open-ocean shores of the United States and affects both developed and natural coastlines. Along the Arctic coast of Alaska, coastal erosion is widespread and threatens communities, defense and energy-related infrastructure, and coastal habitat. As the coast changes, there are a wide range of ways that change can affect coastal communities, habitats, and the physical characteristics of the coast-including beach erosion, shoreline retreat, land loss, and damage to infrastructure. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for conducting research on coastal change hazards, understanding the processes that cause coastal change, and developing models to forecast future change. To understand and adapt to shoreline change, accurate information regarding the past and present configurations of the shoreline is essential and a comprehensive, nationally consistent analysis of shoreline movement is needed. To meet this national need, the USGS is conducting an analysis of historical shoreline changes along open-ocean coasts of the United States and parts of the Great Lakes. In Alaska, coastlines sheltered from open-ocean wave conditions by barrier islands are also included in the analysis because of their importance to defense and energy-related infrastructure and to understand the similarities, differences, and linkages in coastal behavior and physical processes acting on exposed and sheltered permafrost coastlines. This dataset is one in a series of regionally focused reports on historical shoreline change. As more data are gathered, periodic updates are made, which provide information that can be used in multidisciplinary assessments of global change impacts.

How was the data set created?

From what previous works were the data drawn?
T-sheet shorelines (source 1 of 9)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Unknown, Scanned National Ocean Service (NOS) Coastal Survey Maps (also known as Topographic Survey sheets, or T-sheets).
Online Links:
- https://shoreline.noaa.gov/data/datasheets/t-sheets.html
- https://nosimagery.noaa.gov/images/shoreline_surveys/survey_scans/NOAA_Shoreline_Survey_Scans.html
Type_of_Source_Media: Digital Data (.tif)
Source_Contribution:
T-sheet imagery used as data source for Mean-High-Water (MHW) shorelines
AHAP imagery (source 2 of 9)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arctic Landscape Conservation Cooperative, and University of Alaska, Fairbanksï¿½ Alaska Satellite Facility and the Geographic Information Network of Alaska, Unpublished material, Orthorectified 1:64,000-scale color-infrared Alaska High-Altitude Aerial Photography.

Type_of_Source_Media: Digital Data (.tif)
Source_Contribution:
AHAP imagery was used to delineate the instantaneous land-water interface shoreline.

BPXA vector shoreline (source 3 of 9)

British Petroleum - Alaska, Unpublished material, Barrier Island vector shorelines.

Type_of_Source_Media: ESRI shapefile
Source_Contribution:
BPXA vector shoreline imagery was used as an instantaneous land-water shoreline position

BPXA orthoimagery (source 4 of 9)

British Petroleum - Alaska, Unpublished material, BPXA Orthoimagery.

Type_of_Source_Media: Digital Data (.tif)
Source_Contribution:
BPXA orthoimagery was used to delineate the instantaneous land-water interface shoreline.

ConocoPhillips orthoimagery (source 5 of 9)

Conoco-Phillips, Unpublished material, Conoco Phillips Orthoimagery.

Type_of_Source_Media: Digital Data (.tif)
Source_Contribution:
ConocoPhillips orthoimagery was used to delineate the instantaneous land-water interface shoreline.

Quickbird orthoimagery (source 6 of 9)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Unpublished material, Quickbird orthoimagery.

Type_of_Source_Media: Digital Data (.tif)
Source_Contribution:
Quickbird orthoimagery was used to delineate the instantaneous land-water interface shoreline.

Lidar DEMs (source 7 of 9)
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 2012, LiDAR Scenes: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, online.
Online Links:
- https://lta.cr.usgs.gov/LIDAR
Type_of_Source_Media: Digital Data
Source_Contribution:
Lidar DEMs were used to delineate the instantaneous land-water interface shoreline.
Best data layer (source 8 of 9)
Alaska Geospatial Council (AGC), 2017, Alaska Statewide Best Data Layer (BDL): State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, online.
Online Links:
- http://gis.dnr.alaska.gov/
Type_of_Source_Media: Digital Data
Source_Contribution:
The BDL was used to delineate the instantaneous land-water interface shoreline.
2017 NOAA imagery (source 9 of 9)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office for Coastal Management, 2023, 2017 NOAA NGS Natural Color 8 Bit Imagery: Demarcation, AK: NOAA Office for Coastal Management, online.
Online Links:
- https://coast.noaa.gov/dataviewer/#/imagery/search/where:ID=8474
Type_of_Source_Media: Digital Data
Source_Contribution:
2017 NOAA imagery was used to delineate the instantaneous land-water interface (LWI) or Mean High Water (MHW) shoreline position
How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

Date: 2023 (process 1 of 10)
Data from the previously-published National Assessment of Shoreline Change: Summary Statistics for Updated Vector Shorelines and Associated Shoreline Change Data for the North Coast of Alaska, U.S.--Canadian Border to Icy Cape (USGS Open-File Report 2017-1107) and associated data release (https://doi.org/10.5066/F72Z13N1)were used as the starting point for this update. New shoreline positions were digitized from the 2017 NOAA imagery.
Date: 2009 (process 2 of 10)
T-sheets were geo-registered using Esri ArcMap software (v9.3) by placing 8-20 well-spaced ground control points (GCP) at gridline intersections and applying a third-order polynomial transformation. Some T-sheets may have required additional coordinate transformation information from NOAA to account for datum offsets between historical datums (USSD) and modern datums (NAD27 or NAD83). Datum transformations were applied to GCP coordinates prior to registration. Total root-mean-square error (RMSE) for the rectification process was maintained below 0.0001 degrees, which is approximately 11 m at this latitude. Typically the resulting RMSE was much lower than 0.0001 degree.
Date: 2010 (process 3 of 10)
T-sheet and Nautical chart derived shorelines were projected in Esri's ArcToolbox (v.9.3) Data Management Tools >; Projections and Transformations >; Feature >; Project. Parameters: input projection = geographic (NAD 83); output projection = UTM zone XN (NAD 83; where X is the corresponding UTM zone).
Date: 2016 (process 4 of 10)
Vector shorelines were digitized from pre-2017 data sources using standard editing tools in ArcMap v9.3 or v10.3 using criteria described in Gibbs and Richmond (2015; http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151048). Quality assessments were performed, and shorelines were edited to remove any overlap between adjacent shorelines.
Date: 2023 (process 5 of 10)
Pre-2017 vector shorelines were reprojected to a common coordinate system (NAD_1983_2011_Alaska_Albers) and merged in Esri's ArcToolbox; Data Management Tools > General > Merge to produce a single shoreline file.
Date: 2023 (process 6 of 10)
2017 vector shorelines were digitized from the 2017 NOAA imagery using standard editing tools in ArcMap v 10.8.1 and criteria described in Gibbs and Richmond (2015; http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151048). Quality assessments were performed, and shorelines were edited to remove any overlap between adjacent shorelines.
Date: 2023 (process 7 of 10)
Shorelines from pre-2017 and 2017 sources were merged in Esri's ArcToolbox; Data Management Tools > General > Merge to produce a single shoreline file.
Date: 2023 (process 8 of 10)
The merged shoreline file was imported into a personal geodatabase in ArcCatalog v.10.8.1 by right-clicking on the geodatabase > Import (feature class) for use with the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) v. 5.1 software to calculate rate of change statistics.
Date: 2023 (process 9 of 10)
The shoreline feature class was exported from the personal geodatabase back to a shapefile in Esri's ArcCatalog v.10.8.1 by right-clicking on the shoreline file > Export > To Shapefile (single) for publication purposes.
Date: 2023 (process 10 of 10)
The data were projected in Esri's ArcToolbox v. 10.8.1 > Data Management Tools > Projections and Transformations > Feature > Project. Parameters: input projection = (NAD_1983_2011_Alaska_Albers); output projection = geographic coordinates (WGS84); transformation = WGS_1984_(ITRF08)_To_NAD_1983. The final shoreline dataset was coded with attribute fields Date_, Year_, Uncy, Default_D, DSAS_Inclu, Source, Source_a, and Shape_Leng.
What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
Gibbs, A.E., and B.M., Richmond, 2017, National Assessment of Shoreline Change: Summary Statistics for Updated Vector Shorelines and Associated Shoreline Change Data for the North Coast of Alaska, U.S.--Canadian Border to Icy Cape.
Online Links:
- https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20171107
Other_Citation_Details:
Gibbs, A.E., and Richmond, B.M., 2017, National Assessment of Shoreline Change: Summary Statistics for Updated Vector Shorelines and Associated Shoreline Change Data for the North Coast of Alaska, U.S.--Canadian Border to Icy Cape: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2017ï¿½1107, 21 p.
Gibbs, Ann E., and Richmond, Bruce M., 2015, National Assessment of Shoreline Change--Historical Shoreline Change along the North Coast of Alaska, U.S.--Canadian Border to Icy Cape.
Online Links:
- https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151048
Other_Citation_Details:
Gibbs, A.E., and Richmond, B.M., 2015, National assessment of shoreline changeï¿½Historical shoreline change along the north coast of Alaska, U.S.ï¿½Canadian border to Icy Cape: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015ï¿½1048, 96 p.
Himmelstoss, Emily A., Henderson, Rachel E., Kratzmann, Meredith G., and Farris, Amy S., 2021, Digital Shoreline Analysis System (version 5.1) User Guide.
Online Links:
Other_Citation_Details:
Himmelstoss, E.A., Henderson, R.E., Kratzmann, M.G., and Farris, A.S., 2021, Digital Shoreline Analysis System (version 5.1) User Guide: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2021-1091.
Himmelstoss, Emily A., Farris, Amy S., Henderson, Rachel E., Kratzmann, Meredith G., Ergul, Ayhan, Zhang, Ouya, Zichichi, Jessica L., and Thieler, E. Robert, 2018, Digital Shoreline Analysis System (version 5.1): U.S. Geological Survey Software.
Online Links:
- https://code.usgs.gov/cch/dsas/-/tree/v5.1?ref_type=tags
- https://www.usgs.gov/centers/whcmsc/science/digital-shoreline-analysis-system-dsas
Other_Citation_Details:
Current software at time of use was 5.1. The second link directs to the DSAS project page.

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

How well have the observations been checked?
The data provided here are a compilation of shorelines from multiple sources, spanning 70 years. The attributes in this table record positional and measurement uncertainties and datum offsets calculated during the process of extracting the land/water interface shoreline from the orthoimagery data as described in the process steps. The attributes are based on the requirements of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) software and have gone through a series of quality assurance procedures.
How accurate are the geographic locations?
The horizontal accuracy of the shoreline data varies with respect to the data source from which the shorelines were digitized, the lidar data from which the shorelines were extracted, and the time period. Shorelines digitized from the 1940s and 1980s era T-sheets have an estimated total shoreline position uncertainty of plus or minus 16 meters. Shorelines digitized from the 1980s era Alaska High Altitude Photography (AHAP) have an estimated shoreline position uncertainty of plus or minus 10 meters. Shorelines digitized from 1997-2007 orthophotographs have an estimated total shoreline position uncertainty of plus or minus 3 to 6 meters. Shorelines digitized from 2003 QuickBird imagery have an estimated total shoreline position uncertainty of plus or minus 6 meters. Shorelines digitized from 2009-2012 lidar data have an estimated total shoreline position uncertainty of plus or minus 3 to 10 meters. Shorelines digitized from the 2017 NOAA orthophotography have an estimated positional uncertainty of plus or minus 3 to 10 meters. Please visit the 'Estimation of Shoreline Position Uncertainty' section in Gibbs and Richmond (2017) for a complete explanation of the measurement uncertainties associated with these shorelines.
How accurate are the heights or depths?
Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
This shoreline file is complete and contains all shoreline segments used to calculate shoreline change rates along sections of the specified Alaska coastal region where shoreline position data were available. These data adequately represented the shoreline position at the time of the survey. Remaining gaps in these data are a consequence of non-existing data or existing data that did not meet quality assurance standards.
How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
Adjacent shoreline segments do not overlap and are not necessarily continuous. Shorelines were quality checked for accuracy. Any slight offsets between adjacent segments due to georeferencing and digitizing error are taken into account in the uncertainty of the shoreline position, as reported in this metadata file. For more information see Gibbs and Richmond (2017).

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. These data are not to be used for navigation.

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

U.S. Geological Survey - Science Base

Denver Federal Center, Building 810, Mail Stop 302
Denver, CO

CA

888-275-8747 (voice)

sciencebase@usgs.gov
What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? These data are available in shapefile format contained in a single zip file, which also includes CSDGM FGDC-compliant metadata.
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.

How can I download or order the data?

Availability in digital form:

Data format:	These files (.cpg, .dbf, .prj, .sbn, .sbx, .shp, and .shx) are a collection of files with a common filename prefix and must be downloaded and stored in the same directory. Together they are the components of the shapefile and include FGDC CSDGM-compliant metadata. in format Shapefile (version ArcGIS Desktop 10.8.1) Esri polyline shapefile Size: 1.5
Network links:	https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/663a5a13d34e77890839b079 https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/663a5a13d34e77890839b079 https://doi.org/10.5066/F72Z13N1

Cost to order the data: None.

What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
These data are available in a polyline shapefile format. The user must have software to read and process the data components of a shapefile.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:: Last modified: 11-Sep-2024
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/ScienceBase/DR_F72Z13N1/EastBeaufort_shorelines_v2.faq.html>