iCoast - Did the Coast Change? Crowd-sourced Coastal Classifications

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
iCoast - Did the Coast Change? Crowd-sourced Coastal Classifications
Abstract:
On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall as a post-tropical storm near Brigantine, New Jersey, with sustained winds of 70 knots (80 miles per hour) and tropical-storm-force winds extending 870 nautical miles in diameter (Blake and others, 2013). The effects of Hurricane Sandy’s winds and storm surge included erosion of the beaches and dunes as well as breaching of barrier islands in both natural and heavily developed areas of the coast (Spokin et. al., 2014). On November 4-6, 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted an aerial survey of the coast from Cape Lookout, North Carolina, to Montauk Point, New York (Morgan and Krohn, 2014) collecting nearly 10,000 images during three days of surveying. In June 2014, the USGS developed a crowd-sourced online application, “iCoast – Did the Coast Change?” to enlist the help of citizen scientists (referred to as “users”) in the classification of coastal infrastructure, coastal processes, and storm impacts related to Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Sandy was chosen as the inaugural project due to the broad and severe impact of the storm. By enlisting users in the analysis of these images, iCoast offers a chance to classify all the imagery from Hurricane Sandy into a form that scientists can use to analyze and verify predictive vulnerability models. This user audience spanned a wide range of expertise and enlisted anyone interested in coastal issues, including coastal researchers and emergency managers to coastal residents, students, and professors. The data provided in this data release represent the classification of imagery by iCoast users as of September 9, 2016. At that time all of the post-Hurricane Sandy images had at least one user classification. These datasets include user classifications of the coastal type, level of development, visible infrastructure, damage to visible infrastructure, and determination of the dominant coastal process in the image based on Sallenger’s (2000) coastal impact scale.
Supplemental_Information:
iCoast-All-Classifications-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv contains all the classification data collected in iCoast, iCoast-Tag-Selection-Frequencies-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv contains information about the tags in iCoast and how frequently they were selected, iCoast-User-Classification-Summary-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv contains information about the iCoast users, by ID number only, and iCoast_UserCrowdTypes.txt contains a list of all iCoast user types as entered by users and how often they were used.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Morgan, Karen L.M., Plant, Nathaniel G., and Snell, Richard J., 20180905, iCoast - Did the Coast Change? Crowd-sourced Coastal Classifications: U.S. Geological Survey Data Release doi:10.5066/P93A9MPE, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, Florida.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -76.0328667
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.84848
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.0704317
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 35.0605417
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 04-Nov-2012
    Ending_Date: 06-Nov-2012
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Multimedia presentation of JPEG images
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      Indirect_Spatial_Reference: none
    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 North American 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is Geodetic Reference System 80.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    iCoast-All-Classifications-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv
    This file includes a list of all the iCoast classifications as of September 9, 2016. User classifications include coastal type, level of development, visible infrastructure, damage to visible infrastructure, and determination of the dominant coastal process. (Source: USGS)
    Image ID
    Image identification number (Source: USGS) Unique identifier for an image
    Latitude
    Coordinates, WGS84, decimal degrees (Source: USGS) Coordinates defining the aircraft location when the image was taken.
    Longitude
    Coordinates, WGS84, decimal degrees (Source: USGS) Coordinates defining the aircraft location when the image was taken.
    File Name
    Hyperlink to image including image file name (Source: USGS) Path to and name of image in USGS database.
    User ID
    User ID number (Source: USGS) iCoast user identification number.
    Crowd Type
    User self-identified type of coastal expertise. (Source: USGS) User self-identified type of coastal expertise, one of nine predefined crowd types.
    Other Crowd Type
    User self-identified type of coastal expertise (Source: USGS) User self-identified type of coastal expertise, other than nine predefined crowd types.
    Completion Time
    Time (Source: USGS) Time that image classification was completed. Format: Month/day/Year Hour:Minute.
    Coastal Type: Barrier Island; Coastal Type: Mainland; Coastal Type: Inlet; Coastal Type: Bluff-Backed
    iCoast Tag (Source: USGS) Four tag values for Coastal type classification.
    Development Level: Undeveloped; Development Level: Moderate; Development Level: Heavy
    iCoast Tag (Source: USGS) Classification for level of development on the coast.
    Development: None; Development: Seawall; Development: Jetty or Groin; Development: Roadway; Development: Buildings; Development: Bridge; Development: Pier; Development: Walkway; Development: Sand Fence
    iCoast Tag (Source: USGS) Tag values for development seen by users in the pre-storm images.
    Damaged: None; Damaged: Seawall; Damaged: Jetty or Groin; Damaged: Roadway; Damaged: Buildings; Damaged: Bridge; Damaged: Pier; Damaged: Walkway; Damaged: Sand Fence
    iCoast Tag (Source: USGS) Tag values for development that was seen to be damaged in the post-storm images.
    Beach Erosion: Less Sand; Beach Erosion: Dark Sand; Beach Erosion: Beach Scarp
    iCoast Tag (Source: USGS) Tags for processes indicative of beach erosion observed in post-storm images.
    Dune Erosion: Dune Scarp; Dune Erosion: Leveled Dune; Dune Erosion: Less Vegetation
    iCoast Tag (Source: USGS) Tags for processes indicative of Dune Erosion observed in post-storm images.
    Overwash: Sand Deposit Inland; Overwash: Sand on Roads; Overwash: Sand in Marsh
    iCoast Tag (Source: USGS) Tags for processes indicative of Overwash observed in post-storm images.
    Inundation: Breach; Inundation: Standing Water; Inundation: Dead Vegetation
    iCoast Tag (Source: USGS) Tags for processes indicative of Inundation observed in post-storm images.
    Dominant Process: Beach Erosion; Dominant Process: Overwash; Dominant Process: No Change; Dominant Process: Dune Erosion; Dominant Process: Inundation
    iCoast Tag (Source: USGS) Tags indicating the users’ selection of the dominant coastal process for an image.
    Post Storm Features: None; Post Storm Features: More Sand; Post Storm Features: More Vegetation; Post Storm Features: Marsh Erosion; Post Storm Features: Backwash; Post Storm Features: New Development; Post Storm Features: Construction Activity; Post Storm Features: Piles of Sand; Post Storm Features: Piles of Debris
    iCoast Tag (Source: USGS) Tags for other features of interest seen in the post-storm images.
    Other Comments
    iCoast Tag (Source: USGS) Space where users can enter comments about the image classified.
    iCoast-User-Classification-Summary-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv
    This file includes a list of user ID numbers and classification statistics (such as number attempted and completed) as of September 9, 2016. (Source: USGS)
    User ID
    User ID number (Source: USGS) iCoast user identification number.
    Total Classifications
    iCoast statistic (Source: USGS) Total number of classifications attempted by a specific user.
    Complete Classifications
    iCoast statistic (Source: USGS) Number of completed classifications by a specific user.
    Incomplete Classifications
    iCoast statistic (Source: USGS) Number of incomplete classifications by a specific user.
    Unstarted Classifications
    iCoast statistic (Source: USGS) Number of unstarted classifications by a specific user.
    Distinct Photos With Complete Classifications
    iCoast statistic (Source: USGS) Number of distinct photos classified by a specific user.
    iCoast-Tag-Selection-Frequencies-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv
    This file includes a list of all available iCoast tags and usage frequency as of September 9, 2016. (Source: USGS)
    Task Name
    Task Name (Source: USGS) Name of task in iCoast. The tasks are 1) Identify Coastal Landscape, 2) Determine Impacts to Coastal Infrastructure, 3) Specify Changes to Coastal Landforms, and 4) Indicate Other Changes.
    Task Enabled
    Designation of enabled task (Source: USGS) Designation of enabled tasks in iCoast. 1 corresponds to a task that has been enabled, 0 indicates a disabled task. Enabled tasks are available to users.
    Group Name
    Group Name (Source: USGS) Name of individual classification actions in an iCoast task.
    Group Enabled
    Designation of enabled group (Source: USGS) Designation of enabled groups in iCoast. 1 equals enabled, 0 equals disabled. Enabled groups are available to users.
    Nested Group Name
    Nested Group Name (Source: USGS) Subset of classification actions within a group.
    Nested Group Enabled
    Designation of enabled nested group (Source: USGS) Designation of enabled nested groups in iCoast. 1 equals enabled, 0 equals disabled. Enabled nested groups are available to users.
    Tag Name
    Name of Tags (Source: USGS) Identifier for tags types.
    Tag Enabled
    Designation of enabled tag (Source: USGS) Designation of enabled tags in iCoast. 1 equals enabled, 0 equals disabled. Enabled tags are available to users.
    Selection Frequency
    iCoast statistic (Source: USGS) Sum of the number of times a tag was selected by an iCoast user.
    iCoast_UserCrowdTypes.txt
    This file containing information on Crowd types and the frequency of the selection of each type as of September 9, 2016. (Source: USGS)
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    iCoast-All-Classifications-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv: This file includes a list of all the iCoast classifications. User classifications include coastal type, level of development, visible infrastructure, damage to visible infrastructure, and determination of the dominant coastal. iCoast-User-Classification-Summary-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv: This file includes a list of user ID numbers and classification statistics (such as number attempted and completed). iCoast-Tag-Selection-Frequencies-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv: This file includes a list of all available iCoast tags and usage frequency. iCoast_UserCrowdTypes.txt: This file containing information on Crowd types and the frequency of the selection of each type. All files represent the iCoast classifications for Hurricane Sandy as of September 9, 2016.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
    The entity and attribute information was generated by the individual and/or agency identified as the originator of the dataset. Please review the rest of the metadata record for additional details and information.

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Karen L.M. Morgan
    • Nathaniel G. Plant
    • Richard J. Snell
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    Funding and support for this study were provided by the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP).
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Karen Morgan
    USGS
    Geologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    USA

    (727) 502-8037 (voice)
    kmorgan@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

To provide access to the iCoast classification data for the Hurricane Sandy iCoast application.

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: 01-Apr-2014 (process 1 of 6)
    Development: iCoast (Liu 2014; Liu et al. 2014) was designed by an interdisciplinary group of geographers, geologists, oceanographers, and computer scientists. Using methods studied by Larman and Basisli (2003), scientists were able to understand how users would interact with iCoast, understand what information would be collected, and how best to phrase clear understandable questions for users. In July of 2014, a pilot study was conducted using images from four locations: Fire Island, New York; Seaside Heights, New Jersey; Bethany Beach Delaware; and Ocean City, Maryland. Containing approximately 30 post-storm images, each section was assigned 10-12 experts (people identified as "coastal and marine scientists"), developers and other volunteers at the USGS SPCMSC. Their task was to classify the selected imagery, allowing developers the ability to analyze their result, looking for the ease of use, the clarity of questions and explanations presented to the user, and accuracy of the image classifications. The results of these pilot studies were included in the analysis of the iCoast images. Person who carried out this activity:
    K. Morgan
    USGS
    Geologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    USA

    (727) 502-8037 (voice)
    kmorgan@usgs.gov
    Date: 13-Sep-2016 (process 2 of 6)
    Image Matching (Computer): To facilitate the coastal comparison process for the user, the iCoast software attempts to find the best matching pre-storm image to show next to the post-storm image on the initial classification page. Determination of best match is based on calculating which image is the closest (by distance) to the post-storm image from a pool of pre-images filtered by other criteria such as date and maximum search radius. Distances are calculated using the Spherical Law of Cosines method with the longitude and latitude of the potential pre- and post-images used as input parameters. Limitations of this method become apparent when the pre- and post-images are not taken at the same angle to the shoreline, creating the possibility of an offset in the section of coastline photographed. In the event of a poor computer match, three images on either side of the suggested pre-image are made available for the user to view and, if one is appropriate, to use when answering the subsequent classification questions. In the unlikely event a match cannot be found the user has the option to flag the image as being without a match, which loads a new post-storm image for annotation and alerts a system administrator to investigate and disable, if appropriate, the flagged post-image from future presentation to other users in that project. Person who carried out this activity:
    K. Morgan
    USGS
    Geologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    USA

    (727) 502-8037 (voice)
    kmorgan@usgs.gov
    Date: 13-Sep-2016 (process 3 of 6)
    Image Matching (Users): Before a user can begin classifying a post-storm image they must confirm the pre-storm match presented by the computer or pick a better match from six images presented to them. Users are presented with a selection of images from the pre-storm image collected in the vicinity of a single post-storm image based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) location of the post-storm image. To determine an image match, users look for similar features in each image. This may include matching building, roads, and other infrastructure, or even matching individual bushes or clumps of trees. Users are encouraged to make the best possible match between images, as often there is no exact match between images. Person who carried out this activity:
    K. Morgan
    USGS
    Geologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    USA

    (727) 502-8037 (voice)
    kmorgan@usgs.gov
    Date: 01-Oct-2017 (process 4 of 6)
    Data Collection Federal regulations: The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 ensures the government does not place an undue burden on the public and other entities in the collection of data, does not duplicate data collection, and that such collections result in the greatest possible benefit and utility based on the effort required. Because iCoast asks a standard set of questions to 10 or more members of the public, regardless of its voluntary nature, it is required to comply with the PRA and to obtain Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval. This was done for the initial release in October of 2014 and renewed in September of 2017. The approval process involves the posting of two separate notices on the Federal Register (at sixty days and thirty days respectively) during which time the public can comment on the requested data collection. The production of a comprehensive information collection request package containing a statement supporting the collection and detailing the collection methods involved, and finally a subsequent OMB review of quality and duplication is a process that takes 6 to 9 months. Person who carried out this activity:
    K. Morgan
    USGS
    Geologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    USA

    (727) 502-8037 (voice)
    Date: 01-Oct-2017 (process 5 of 6)
    Data Collection (Privacy and Personally Identifiable Information) Storage and use of personally identifiable information (PII) is subject to a strict process that must be followed and approval must be granted at the agency level. iCoast limited exposure to this time-consuming endeavor in several ways. First, the OpenID authentication system was used to remove the need for iCoast databases to store user password information. This system leverages Google IDs and the Google authentication system for login so iCoast only receives and stores (encrypted) the user’s email address, which is necessary to link users to their iCoast profile. This reduction of requested and stored user data resulted in iCoast being considered exempt from PII requirements. In the data presented here only the iCoast user's identification number is available. Person who carried out this activity:
    K. Morgan
    USGS
    Geologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    USA

    (727) 502-8037 (voice)
    kmorgan@usgs.gov
    Date: 13-Oct-2020 (process 6 of 6)
    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?
    Blake, E.S., Kimberlain, T.B., Berg, R.J., Cangialosi J.P., Beven II, J.L., 20130212, Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Sandy (AL182012) 22 – 29 October 2012: National Hurricane Center, Miami, Florida.

    Online Links:

    Sopkin, K.L., Stockdon, H.F., Doran, K.S., Plant, N.G., Morgan, K.L.M., Guy, K.K., and Smith, K.E.L., 20140603, Hurricane Sandy—Observations and analysis of coastal change: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1088: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.

    Online Links:

    Larman, C., Victor R. Basili, 2004, Iterative and Incremental Development: A Brief History: IEEE Computer Society, Washington, D.C..

    Online Links:

    Liu, Sophia B., 2014, Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Sandy (AL182012) 22 – 29 October 2012: Springer Netherlands, Netherlands.

    Online Links:

    Liu, Sophia B., Barbara S. Poore, Richard J. Snell, Aubrey Goodman, Nathaniel G. Plant, Hilary Stockdon, Karen L. Morgan, and M. Dennis Krohn, 2014, USGS iCoast – Did the Coast Change? Designing a Crisis Crowdsourcing App to Validate Coastal Change Models: Association for Computing Machinery, New York, New York.

    Morgan, K.L.M., Krohn, M.D., 20140919, Post-Hurricane Sandy coastal oblique aerial photographs collected from Cape Lookout, North Carolina, to Montauk, New York, November 4-6, 2012: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.

    Online Links:

    Sallenger, A.H. Jr., 2000, Storm impact scale for barrier islands: Journal Coastal Research, Coconut Creek, Florida.

    Online Links:

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    Latitude and longitude positions in this report refer to the position of the aircraft, not the position of the landmarks photographed.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    The GPS receiver used to provide navigation is accurate to within < 15 m. Best attempts were made to keep the same relative distance between the aircraft and the beach in order to keep a constant field of view.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    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.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    Data presented here include user classifications collected by the citizen science application "iCoast - Did the Coast Change?".

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:
No limitations. Public domain data from the U.S. Government are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey as the originator of the dataset.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    K. Morgan
    USGS
    Geologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    USA

    (727) 502-8037 (voice)
    kmorgan@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? iCoast-All-Classifications-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv, iCoast-Tag-Selection-Frequencies-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv, iCoast-User-Classification-Summary-2012-Hurricane-Sandy-20160909.csv, iCoast_UserCrowdTypes.txt
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    This publication was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Although these data were 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:
K. Morgan
USGS
Geologist
600 4th Street South
St. Petersburg, FL
USA

(727) 502-8037 (voice)
kmorgan@usgs.gov
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/spcmsc/iCoast-metadata.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.50 on Tue Sep 21 18:18:55 2021