Turbidity data for two sites in the coastal marsh at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, from October 2016 through October 2017

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Turbidity data for two sites in the coastal marsh at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, from October 2016 through October 2017
Abstract:
To understand sediment deposition in marsh environments, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS-SPCMSC) selected four study sites in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi (GNDNERR). Each site consisted of four plots located along a transect perpendicular to the marsh-estuary shoreline at 5-meter (m) increments (5, 10, 15, and 20 m from the shoreline). Each plot contained four net sedimentation tiles (NST) that were secured flush to the marsh surface using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe. NST are an inexpensive and simple tool to assess short- and long-term deposition that can be deployed in highly dynamic environments without the compaction associated with traditional coring methods. The NST were deployed for three months, measuring quarterly sediment deposition for one year from October 2016 to October 2017. In addition, three NST were deployed at the 10-m plot on October 5th prior to the landfall of Hurricane Nate (October 8, 2017) and retrieved after 12 days, providing measurements of storm deposition. Sediment deposited on the NST were processed to determine physical characteristics, such as deposition thickness, volume, wet weight/dry weight, and organic content (loss-on-ignition [LOI]). When available, additional data collected at each site including water level, elevation, and turbidity data are provided in this data release. Data were collected during Field Activities Numbers (FAN) 2017-303-FA, 2017-315-FA, 2017-333-FA, 2017-346-FA, and 2017-363-FA (also known as subFANs 17CCT01, 17CCT02, 17CCT03, 17CCT04, and 17CCT05, respectively). Additional survey and data details are available from the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geoscience Data System (CMGDS) at, https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/. Please read the full metadata for details on data collection, dataset variables, and data quality.
Supplemental_Information:
USGS scientists collected sediment samples and shore profiles from Grand Bay, Alabama/Mississippi during a total of 6 surveys from October 2016 to October 2017 (USGS Field Activity Numbers [FAN] 16CCT07, 17CCT01, 17CCT02, 17CCT03, 17CCT04, and 17CCT05). Samples were collected from 4 survey sites, which host a variety of depositional and eroding environments, including eroding marsh edges, tidal creeks, and sheltered estuarine environments. Site 1 is located at the mouth of Bayou Heron, the main access channel for Grand Bay. Site 2 is located on an eroding marsh edge in the south-western portion of the Bay. Site 3 is a protected marsh edge in the north western portion, located in Middle bay, and Site 4 is located along a large tidal channel in the far south-western area of the survey extent.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Smith, Kathryn E.L., Terrano, Joseph F., and Khan, Nicole, 20200226, Turbidity data for two sites in the coastal marsh at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, from October 2016 through October 2017: U.S. Geological Survey Data Release doi:10.5066/P9BFR2US, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Smith, Kathryn E.L., Terrano, Joseph F., Khan, Nicole, and Stalk, Chelsea A., 20200226, Shore proximal sediment deposition, elevation, turbidity, and water level data in a coastal marsh at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, from October 2016 through October 2017: U.S. Geological Survey Data Release doi:10.5066/P9BFR2US, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -88.41443
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -88.39625
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 30.38386
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 30.36241
  3. What does it look like?
    17CCT01_NTU_Site1_graph.html (HTML)
    Line graph of water levels and turbidity for 17CCT01 Site 1 as a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) file
    17CCT01_NTU_Site2_graph.html (HTML)
    Line graph of water levels and turbidity for 17CCT01 Site 2 as a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) file
    17CCT02_NTU_Site1_graph.html (HTML)
    Line graph of water levels and turbidity for 17CCT02 Site 1 as a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) file
    17CCT02_NTU_Site2_graph.html (HTML)
    Line graph of water levels and turbidity for 17CCT02 Site 2 as a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) file
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 22-Oct-2016
    Ending_Date: 03-May-2017
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  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?
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    Grand_Bay_Turbidity_Data.zip
    Compressed file containing attribute information associated with turbidity data collected in Grand Bay, Mississippi, during 2016 and 2017. (Source: USGS)
    date.time
    Date and time (Source: USGS) Date and time in YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format
    water.level
    Water level elevation from NOAA Buoy #8740166 (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.43
    Maximum:0.693
    Units:meters, North American Vertical Datum 1988
    ntu
    Water turbidity (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.371
    Maximum:520.307
    Units:Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU)

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Kathryn E.L. Smith
    • Joseph F. Terrano
    • Nicole Khan
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    Acknowledgment of the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, as a data source would be appreciated in products developed from these data, and such acknowledgment as is standard for citation and legal practices. Sharing of new data layers developed directly from these data would also be appreciated by the U.S. Geological Survey staff. These data are not legal documents and are not to be used as such.
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey St Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: Kathryn Smith
    Research Ecologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL

    727-502-8073 (voice)
    727-502-8182 (FAX)
    kelsmith@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

This data release contains turbidity data from two sensors located at two of the four marsh sites at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Site 1 and 2, see Supplemental Information section for description of sites). Turbidity measures the scattering effect that suspended solids have on light: the higher the intensity of scattered light, the higher the turbidity. Data were collected using an ECO-NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units) Scattering Sensor (version NTU 4.06) placed on the marsh surface within 0-5 m of the marsh-estuarine shoreline. The intent was to measure water turbidity for tidal flood waters.

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: 2017 (process 1 of 3)
    At Sites 1 and 2, ECO-NTU Scattering Sensors were attached to a fiberglass grid platform, which was secured to the marsh surface using weighted rebar stakes. Sensors were placed approximately 0-5 m from the marsh-estuarine shoreline. Sensor serial number, latitude-longitude location (using a Garmin eTrex 10 Global Positioning System), and sensor height above the marsh surface were recorded. A Solinst LTC (level, temperature, conductivity) logger (model M10/M20) was also installed at each site to record water levels. The sensor located at Site 1 (Serial Number [No.] NTU-507) was located at approximately N 30.38353, W 88.39645 (decimal degrees World Geodetic Survey 1984 [WGS84]) at 2.9 m from the shoreline and 10 centimeters (cm) above the marsh surface. Site 2’s sensor (Serial No. NTU-434) was located at N 30.37086, W 88.39799 at 4.5 m from the shoreline and 9 cm above the marsh surface. Sensors were retrieved after 3 months (October 2016 to January 2017), downloaded and reprogrammed for an additional 3 months (January to May 2017) resulting in a total of approximately 6 months of data. During each visit to Site 2, wrack was discovered on top of the sensor during recovery and may account for anomalies observed in the data. Person who carried out this activity:
    Kathryn Smith
    Research Ecologist
    600 4th Street South
    St.Petersburg, FL
    USA

    727-502-8000 (voice)
    kelsmith@usgs.gov
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • FAN_meanNTU_site#.csv and FAN_NTU_Site#_graph.html
    Date: 2017 (process 2 of 3)
    Raw data files were imported into the R software environment (version 3.6.1, https://www.r-project.org). Turbidity data were graphed with water-level data to determine when water height was above the elevation of the marsh surface, indicating the marsh surface was submerged with flood water and the ECO-NTU sensor was logging water data. Data logged when the sensor was dry were deleted and NTU was calculated from backscatter counts using second order polynomial calibration equations that were determined in the laboratory from the Hach 4000 NTU Formazin dilution series during sensor calibration checks. Calibration of counts (x) to NTU (y) for the sensor at Site 1 (serial no. 507) was calculated as y = 3.86E-07 x^2 + 6.06E-02 x - 2.66. The equation for Site 2 (serial no. 434) was calculated as y = 7.17E-07 x^2 + 6.03E-02 x - 2.62. A median filter was used to remove data spikes and mean NTU was calculated for each "burst" using the date-time stamp. Data were exported into comma-delimited format with date-time, water level, and calculated NTU. Person who carried out this activity:
    Kathryn Smith
    Research Ecologist
    600 4th Street South
    St.Petersburg, FL
    USA

    727-502-8000 (voice)
    kelsmith@usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • FAN_ntu434_Site#.txt or FAN_ntu507_Site#.txt
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • FAN_meanNTU_siteA.csv and FAN_ntuXXX_siteA_graph.html
    Date: 13-Oct-2020 (process 3 of 3)
    Added keywords section with USGS persistent identifier as theme keyword. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: VeeAnn A. Cross
    Marine Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2251 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    vatnipp@usgs.gov
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
    Terrano, Joseph F., 2018, An Evaluation of Marsh Shoreline Erosion and Sediment Deposition in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, USA: University of South Florida Scholar Commons, Tampa, Florida.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Contains detailed process descriptions for sediment plate construction, deployment, collection, and laboratory processing.

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    The ECO-NTU backscatter sensor was located on the surface of the marsh approximately 0-5 m from the marsh-estuarine shoreline with the intent of collecting turbidity data associated with the ebb and flow of GNDNERR tidal waters. Due to the nature of water level variability from tides and climatic conditions, only some of the data logged would represent actual water turbidity measurements. Turbidity data must be linked with water level data to determine relevance. Data in this data release include raw, uncleaned sensor data and calculated turbidity values. Processed data are only as accurate as the field measurements and calibration tests performed prior to deployment. A non-linear median filter was used to remove data spikes. Wrack build-up (organic material deposited during high tide) on the sensor caused data anomalies at Site 2. ECO-NTU backscatter sensors have a count accuracy of +/-5. Sensors were calibrated in January 2014 . No accuracy tests were conducted.
  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?
    This dataset includes turbidity data collected from Grand Bay Mississippi from October 2016 to May 2017 (USGS FANs 17CCT01 and 17CCT02). Turbidity data were not collected for the remainder of 2017 (USGS FANs 17CCT03, 17CCT04, and 17CCT05). This dataset is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract section. Users are advised to read the rest of the metadata record carefully for additional details. In some cases, sensor malfunctions or significant errors caused data loss or erroneous values for some sites or FANs. Graphical data representations are provided to aid in identifying problematic data.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    Data reflect measurements of light backscatter collected from an optical sensor. Turbidity measurement is qualitative and cannot be correlated directly as suspended solids without further calibration or field measurements. Data were examined on a graph with water level data to determine which measurements are consistent with the presence of flood waters. No fidelity checks were performed.

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:
The U.S. Geological Survey requests to be acknowledged as originator of the data in future products or derivative research. This metadata record should be reviewed in its entirety to ensure specific data are suitable for other studies. These data should not be used for navigational purposes.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey St Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: Kathryn Smith
    Research Ecologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL

    727-502-8073 (voice)
    727-502-8182 (FAX)
    kelsmith@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? Grand_Bay_Turbidity_Data.zip
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    This digital publication was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution imply any such warranty. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and (or) contained herein. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof.
  4. How can I download or order the data?

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 13-Oct-2020
Metadata author:
U.S. Geological Survey St Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Attn: Kathryn Smith
Research Ecologist
600 4th Street South
St. Petersburg, FL

727-502-8047 (voice)
727-502-8000 (FAX)
kelsmith@usgs.gov
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/spcmsc/Grand_Bay_Turbidity_Metadata.faq.html>
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