St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center Geoscience Data Viewer Metadata

Archiving published data in an enterprise geodatabase: The SPCMSC Geoscience Data Viewer web mapping application contains geoscientific data including raster layers (bathymetry DEMs and side-scan sonar), and vector layers (bathymetry footprints, lidar footprints, seismic data extents, seismic survey tracklines, and geologic cores and samples). All layers in the application are first published through USGS approved publication methods for data (USGS Series, USGS data release) by the USGS SPCMSC. A record of the recently published geoscientific data publications are used as a tracking log to import data to the center enterprise geodatabase on a regular basis. The bathymetry (footprints and DEM), lidar footprints, seismic (bounding box and tracklines), and side-scan sonar raster mosaics are published as an ArcGIS REST map service using ArcGIS server as part of an installation of ArcGIS Enterprise 10.6. The SPCMSC Geologic Core and Sample Database is published as a hosted feature layer to ArcGIS Online, every six months. For more information on the publishing process for this data type, please refer to its associated geonarrative by Williams and Schreppel (2022). The remaining recently published data types (mentioned above) are added to the web mapping application via a representational state transfer (REST) map service on a frequent, as-needed basis. Aside from the geologic cores and samples, a geoscientific dataset is first imported into the enterprise geodatabase shortly after publication using ArcCatalog (10.5 through 10.8, depending on the date of publication). The raster data (bathymetry DEMs and side-scan sonar) are imported as mosaic raster datasets into the geodatabase. To import the raster data, the datum is defined (using the native coordinate system noted in the source publication), and the statistics are calculated for each dataset within the geodatabase. The vector data (footprints and bounding box) are imported into the geodatabase as a feature class. If the native coordinate system differed, the datasets were reprojected to WGS 84, using the Reproject (Data Management) tool. The footprints (bathymetry and lidar) were generated from the source publication's raster dataset (DEM, LAS or XYZ file) within Global Mapper (version 18.2 and newer) by generating a GeoTIFF (see Williams and others, 2019 for this process). Once generated, the following steps were performed: Layer > "BBOX/Coverages" > "NO - Create Polygonal Coverage Areas" (for footprints), or "YES – Create Rectangular Areas" (for bounding boxes) to generate a footprint or bounding box shapefile. These shapefiles were imported into the geodatabase as a vector feature class. Within ArcMap (10.5 through 10.8, depending on the date of the process), the attribute tables were populated and modified using various models and tools (i.e., Add/Delete Field, Field Calculator). Please see the Entity and Attribute section of this metadata record for the fields that were created and populated. This process is repeated as more geoscientific datasets are published and imported into the center's enterprise geodatabase.

Creating the map document and (re)publishing a map service: In ArcMap (10.5 through 10.8, depending on the date of the creation), an individual map document (.mxd) was created for each data type (bathymetry footprints, lidar footprints, bathymetry DEMs, seismic tracklines, seismic data extents, and side-scan sonar). The feature class or raster layers were manually added to its associated map document, using the center's enterprise geodatabase as the data source. The feature class data were grouped and symbolized – please see the Entity and Attribute section of this metadata record for more information. Then, each map document was published as a REST map service and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web mapping service (WMS), using ArcGIS server as part of an installation of ArcGIS Enterprise 10.6 on an on-premises server at the USGS SPCMSC. This process is repeated as more geoscientific datasets are published and archived onto the center's enterprise geodatabase. Once republished, the web map and associated web mapping application automatically update. See the next Process Step for more information.

Creating a web map and web mapping application: After each map service is published (or re-published, as new datasets are published and archived), the map services were added and saved to a blank web map (https://usgs.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=fa577f88c5e94719a678a671edc27e60) in ArcGIS Online via the REST service link. The hosted feature layer (SPCMSC Geologic Core and Sample Database) was also added to the web map. Basemaps (World Imagery and Hybrid Reference Layer) were also added to the web map to enhance data visualization. Pop-ups were configured for each feature layer, that present the most pertinent information from the attribute table when the layer is selected in the map. Certain pop-ups must be manually edited again once the service is republished. Next, the SPCMSC Geoscience Data Viewer web mapping application was developed using Esri's ArcGIS Online Web AppBuilder. The web map was added to the application and various widgets were added to the application for enhanced functionality. Please read the 'About' widget within the application for more information about the widgets and functions contained in the application. The web map and associated web mapping application automatically update when the REST map services and hosted feature layer are republished.