Aeolian sediment-trap data from the Colorado River corridor in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Aeolian sediment-trap data from the Colorado River corridor in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Abstract:
Samples of aeolian (wind-transported) sediment were collected between 2003 and 2010 at multiple locations along the Colorado River corridor within Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. At each site, sediment being actively transported by wind were collected using a set of four vertically stacked passive samplers (Big Spring Number Eight [BSNE] sand traps). Sediment samples were collected from the traps during site visits separated by days to months. Sediment sample weights were analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center laboratory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Sediment-sample weights may be used to calculate rates of aeolian sediment transport at each location. The USGS gratefully acknowledges sampling permission granted by Grand Canyon National Park.
Supplemental_Information:
Data were collected under National Park Service Research and Collection Permits GRCA-2003-SCI-0101, GRCA-2007-SCI-2004, GRCA-2008-SCI-0002, GRCA-2009-SCI-0018, and GRCA-2010-SCI-0034.
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?
    East, Amy E., Fairley, Helen C., and Kelley, Madeline M., 20250410, Aeolian sediment-trap data from the Colorado River corridor in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona: Data release DOI:10.5066/P14YGKJW, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Suggested Citation: East, A.E., Fairley, H.C., and Kelley, M.M., 2025, Aeolian sediment-trap data from the Colorado River corridor in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P14YGKJW.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -113.34298
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -111.78636
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 36.58120
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 35.78787
  3. What does it look like?
    https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/67cf3defd34ecfe34cc868cf?name=Sandtraps_223mile.jpg&allowOpen=true (JPEG)
    Sediment samplers (BSNE traps) deployed in Grand Canyon National Park
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 2003
    Ending_Date: 2010
    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 (1826)
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    Grand_Canyon_sand_trap_data.csv
    Table of data (Source: producer defined)
    Site_name
    Name of site in Colorado River corridor. Notes about the geomorphic context of the sites during each sand trap deployment are included on the data release landing page. (Source: producer defined) name of study site
    Site_abbreviation
    Abbreviation of study-site names (Source: producer defined) site names abbreviated as described in previous reports (see the Related External Resources section of the data release landing page)
    River_mile
    Location of study site (Source: producer defined) site location described with respect to Colorado River miles downstream of Lees Ferry, Arizona (Gushue, 2019), with Left or Right indicating the side of the river when viewed facing downstream
    Duration_days
    Number of days over which sand had accumulated since traps were last emptied (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.6
    Maximum:182
    Units:days
    Date_collected
    Date of sample collection (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:12/16/2003
    Maximum:10/1/2010
    Units:mm/dd/yyyy
    Sand_trap_height_meters
    Height of the base of the sand-trap orifice above the ground surface at the time the sample collection began (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.1
    Maximum:1.0
    Units:meters
    Sand_mass_grams
    Mass of sample collected (laboratory result). n.d. means no data were collected from that trap on the date specified (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:2426.6
    Units:grams
    Notes
    Notes (if any) about sample collection at the specified site on the specified date (Source: producer defined) notes (text) if any are applicable
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview: 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)
    • Amy E. East
    • Helen C. Fairley
    • Madeline M. Kelley
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    USGS gratefully acknowledges sampling permission granted by Grand Canyon National Park.
  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?

Measurements of aeolian (wind-transported) sediment in the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, collected between 2003 and 2010.

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: 2010 (process 1 of 2)
    SAMPLE COLLECTION: The data file contains sediment-mass data from 16 sites identified by their location with respect to river miles along the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park. In that location-naming convention, river miles refer to the distance downstream of Lees Ferry, Arizona (Gushue, 2019), and the designation Left or Right refers to the side of the river when viewed facing downstream. Exact site coordinates are confidential owing to their association with geoarchaeological studies. Samples at each study location were collected using passive Big Spring Number Eight (BSNE) samplers (wedge-shaped, metal traps; Fryrear, 1986) deployed in a vertical array in which four samplers were mounted on a single pole. Trap orifices were set at heights specified in the data files (within 1 meter of the ground surface), for most sites using a set of four samplers situated at 0.1, 0.4, 0.7, and 1.0 meters above the sand surface at the time of installation. Trap heights were adjusted during site visits if they differed substantially from the intended heights due to aeolian inflation or deflation of the ground surface. Each trap is equipped with a vane that turns the trap into the wind. The BSNE design is used widely in agricultural and geologic studies of windblown sediment, in part because its shape allows it to perform nearly isokinetically, causing minimal distortion of air flow at the sampling orifice (Stout and Fryrear, 1989; Nickling and Neuman, 1997; Zobeck and others, 2003). The sampling orifice measures 5 cm tall by 2 cm wide; air flow enters the trap through the orifice and exits through a 60-mesh screen in the upper surface of the trap. Sediment is retained in the lower half of the trap after falling through a wider (18-mesh) screen. Wind-tunnel studies (Goossens and others, 2000) indicate an efficiency range of 70 to 130 percent for BSNE sand traps for the wind velocities and sediment grain sizes encountered in Grand Canyon (typically fine to medium sand). Efficiency less than 100 percent indicates that air flow is directed away from the orifice, such that the trap undersamples windblown sediment, whereas efficiency greater than 100 percent indicates that air flow is directed into the trap, oversampling windblown sediment. An efficiency range of 70 to 130 percent was used in previous reports to estimate sand-transport values from these study sites (refer to reports linked to under Related External Resources tab in this data release page). The same previous reports (under Related External Resources) presented weather data collected from sites adjacent to the sand-trap locations with which this data release is concerned.
    Date: 2025 (process 2 of 2)
    SEDIMENT MASS ANALYSIS: Sand traps were emptied and the sediment from each trap collected during maintenance visits days to months apart. Sediment was brought to the laboratory at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, to be weighed. Organic material was removed from the sediment by treating the samples with hydrogen peroxide. Samples were dried overnight in an oven at 80 degrees C, allowed to cool in a desiccant chamber, and weighed on a scale with precision to 0.0001 g.
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
    Fryrear, D.W., 1986, A field dust sampler.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Fryrear, D.W., 1986, A field dust sampler: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, v. 41, no. 2, p. 117120
    Goossens, D., Offer, Z.Y., and London, G., 2000, Wind tunnel and field calibration of five aeolian dust samplers.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Goossens, D., Offer, Z.Y., and London, G., 2000, Wind tunnel and field calibration of five aeolian dust samplers: Geomorphology, v. 35, p. 232252.
    Gushue, T.M., 2019, Colorado River Mile System, Grand Canyon, Arizona.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Gushue, T.M., 2019, Colorado River Mile System, Grand Canyon, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9IRL3GV
    Nickling, W.G., and McKenna Neuman, C., 1997, Wind tunnel evaluation of a wedge-shaped aeolian sediment trap.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Nickling, W.G., and McKenna Neuman, C., 1997, Wind tunnel evaluation of a wedge-shaped aeolian sediment trap: Geomorphology, v. 18, p. 333345
    Stout, J.E., and Fryrear, D.W., 1989, Performance of a windblown-particle sampler.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Stout, J.E., and Fryrear, D.W., 1989, Performance of a windblown-particle sampler: American Society of Agricultural Engineers Transactions, v. 32, p. 20412045.
    Zobeck, T.M., Sterk, G., Funk, R., Rajot, J.L., Stout, J.E., and Van Pelt, R.S., 2003, Measurement and data analysis methods for field-scale wind erosion studies and model validation.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Zobeck, T.M., Sterk, G., Funk, R., Rajot, J.L., Stout, J.E., and Van Pelt, R.S., 2003, Measurement and data analysis methods for field-scale wind erosion studies and model validation: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, v. 28, p. 11631188.
    Draut, Amy E., 2012, Effects of river regulation on aeolian landscapes, Colorado River, southwestern USA.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Draut, A. E. (2012), Effects of river regulation on aeolian landscapes, Colorado River, southwestern USA, Journal of Geophysical Research, 117, F02022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JF002329.
    Draut, Amy E., and Rubin, David M., 2005, Measurements of Wind, Aeolian Sand Transport, and Precipitation in the Colorado River Corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona November 2003 to December 2004.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Draut, Amy E., and Rubin, David M., 2005, Measurements of Wind, Aeolian Sand Transport, and Precipitation in the Colorado River Corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona November 2003 to December 2004: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1309.
    Draut, Amy E., and Rubin, David M., 2006, Measurements of Wind, Aeolian Sand Transport, and Precipitation in the Colorado River Corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona; January 2005 to January 2006.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Draut, Amy E., and Rubin, David M., 2006, Measurements of wind, aeolian sand transport, and precipitation in the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona; January 2005 to January 2006: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1188
    Draut, Amy E., Andrews, Timothy, Fairley, Helen C., and Brown, Christopher R., 2009, 2007 Weather and Aeolian Sand-Transport Data from the Colorado River Corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Draut, A.E., Andrews, T., Fairley, H.C., and Brown, C.R., 2009, 2007 Weather and aeolian sand-transport data from the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2009-1098, 110 p. [https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2009/1098/].
    Draut, Amy E., Sondossi, Hoda A., Joseph E. Hazel, Jr., Andrews, Timothy, Fairley, Helen C., Brown, Christopher R., and Vanaman, Karen M., 2009, 2008 Weather and Aeolian Sand-Transport Data from the Colorado River Corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Draut, A.E., Sondossi, H.A., Hazel, J.E., Jr., Andrews, Timothy, Fairley, H.C., Brown, C.R., and Vanaman, K.M., 2009, 2008 Weather and aeolian sand-transport data from the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2009-1190, 98 p.
    Draut, Amy E., Sondossi, Hoda A., Dealy, Timothy P., Joseph E. Hazel, Jr., Fairley, Helen C., and Brown, Christopher R., 2010, 2009 Weather and Aeolian Sand-Transport Data from the Colorado River Corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Draut, A.E., Sondossi, H.A., Dealy, T.P., Hazel, J.E. Jr., Fairley, H.C., and Brown, C.R., 2010, 2009 weather and aeolian sand-transport data from the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010-1166, 98 p.
    Dealy, Timothy P., East, Amy E., and Fairley, Helen C., 2014, 2010 weather and aeolian sand-transport data from the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Dealy, T.P., East, A.E., and Fairley, H.C., 2014, 2010 weather and aeolian sand-transport data from the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1135, 90 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141135/.

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    For analysis of sample mass, the expected accuracy and precision is that of the laboratory scales used to weigh the samples, within 0.0001 grams.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    A formal accuracy assessment of the horizontal positional information in the data set has not been conducted. Exact site locations are not disclosed owing to their association with geoarchaeological studies.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Dataset is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract. Users are advised to read the rest of the metadata record carefully for additional details.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    Data values are within the expected value range.

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

    1-888-275-8747 (voice)
    sciencebase@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? These data are available in csv format (Grand_Canyon_sand_trap_data.csv), which also includes CSDGM FGDCcompliant 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?
  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    These data can be viewed with any text-reading or spreadsheet software.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 10-Apr-2025
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_P14YGKJW/Grand_Canyon_sand_trap_metadata.faq.html>
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