USGS CoastCam at Sand Key, Florida: Timestack Imagery and Coordinate Data (Camera 2)

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
USGS CoastCam at Sand Key, Florida: Timestack Imagery and Coordinate Data (Camera 2)
Abstract:
Two digital video cameras were installed at Sand Key, Florida (FL), facing south (camera 1) and north (camera 2) along the beach. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from 2018 to 2022, the cameras collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. For camera 2, one such product that is created is a "runup timestack". Runup timestacks are images created by sampling a cross-shore array of pixels from an image through time as waves propagate towards and run up a beach. Runup timestacks store the red, green, and blue or monochrome pixel intensity as a function of the cross-shore position as imagery for the sampling period, typically around 10 minutes to 1 hour. This data release includes timestack imagery fom camera 2 and the corresponding world coordinate data needed to make quantitative measurements. The cameras are part of a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research project to study the beach and nearshore environment. USGS researchers utilize the timestack imagery collected from these cameras to remotely sense information such as wave runup. This camera is part of the USGS CoastCam network, supported by the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program (CMHRP). To learn more about this specific camera visit https://www.usgs.gov/centers/spcmsc/science/using-video-imagery-study-coastal-change-sand-key-florida.
Supplemental_Information:
The bounding coordinates below represent the limits of the rectified images from the CoastCam that covers the entirety of the beach at low tide and approximately 300 meters (m) directly in line of the camera facing alongshore. This dataset represents the timestack images (in Network Common Data Form format (netCDF, .nc)) collected from the USGS CoastCam at Sand Key, FL. More timestack images will be added to this release as it is collected and processed.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Brown, Jenna A., Birchler, Justin J., Palmsten, Margaret L., Swanson, Eric, Johnson, Emily L., and Buckley, Mark, 20240510, USGS CoastCam at Sand Key, Florida: Timestack Imagery and Coordinate Data (Camera 2):.

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Brown, Jenna A., Birchler, Justin J., Palmsten, Margaret L., Swanson, Eric, Johnson, Emily L., and Buckley, Mark, 20240510, USGS CoastCam at Sand Key, Florida: Timestack Imagery and Coordinate Data: U.S. Geological Survey data release doi:10.5066/P13XR9TY, U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -82.842067
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -82.836962
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 27.943585
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 27.939015
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 29-May-2018
    Ending_Date: 05-Nov-2021
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital data
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Raster data set.
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
      Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
      UTM_Zone_Number: 17
      Transverse_Mercator:
      Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.9996
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -81.0
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.0
      False_Easting: 500000.0
      False_Northing: 0.0
      Planar coordinates are encoded using row and column
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 1
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 1
      Planar coordinates are specified in meters
      The horizontal datum used is NAD83_National_Spatial_Reference_System_2011.
      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 1/298.257222101.
      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
      Altitude_System_Definition:
      Altitude_Datum_Name: North American Vertical Datum of 1988
      Altitude_Resolution: 0.001
      Altitude_Distance_Units: meters
      Altitude_Encoding_Method: Attribute values
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    The Climate and Forecast (CF)-compliant metadata (version CF-1.6) in the header of each of the netCDF files provides spatial information for projecting the data into a Geographic Information System (GIS). It also provides information about the conventions used for attributes in the dataset. The column and row count are variable between the data files.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
    The entity and attribute information were 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)
    • Jenna A. Brown
    • Justin J. Birchler
    • Margaret L. Palmsten
    • Eric Swanson
    • Emily L. Johnson
    • Mark Buckley
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Margaret L. Palmsten
    U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Research Oceanographer
    600 4th Street South
    Saint Petersburg, FL

    (727)-502-8018 (voice)
    mpalmsten@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

Data were obtained to measure wave runup along a cross-shore transect. These data are intended for science researchers, students, policy makers, and the public. These data can be further processed to calculate wave runup. To ensure that USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) data management protocols were followed, a USGS Field Activity Number was assigned (FAN) for this camera imagery collection: 2018-302-DD. Additional information about this FAN is available on the Coastal and Marine Geoscience Data System (CMGDS): https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2018-302-DD. Additionally, a FAN was assigned for the intrinsic orientation (IO) and extrinsic orientation (EO) calibration data, 2018-328-FA, and more information is available here: https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2018-328-FA.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    sandkey_c2_20180419_EO, sandkey_c2_20180413_IO (source 1 of 3)
    Brown, Jenna A., Birchler, Justin J., Palmsten, Margaret L., Swanson, Eric, Johnson, Emily L., and Buckley, Mark, 20240430, USGS CoastCam at Sand Key, Florida: Calibration Data: U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL.

    Online Links:

    Type_of_Source_Media: JPEG, YAML, comma-delimited-text
    Source_Contribution:
    Images to take intrinsic camera calibration images and to solve camera extrinsic orientation along with solved parameters during imagery and timestack data collection at Sand Key, FL.
    GNSS survey data (source 2 of 3)
    Birchler, Justin J., Brown, Jenna A., Seymour, Alexander C., and Thompson, David M., 20231213, Beach Profile Data Collected From Sand Key Beach in Clearwater, Florida: U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL.

    Online Links:

    Type_of_Source_Media: tab-delimited text
    Source_Contribution:
    Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) survey data collected within the field-of-view of the camera used to generate a topo-bathymetric surface.
    lidar data (source 3 of 3)
    Survey, National Geodetic, 2024, 2018 NOAA NGS Topobathy Lidar: Shell Key Preserve to Honeymoon Island State Park, Florida: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Charleston, SC.

    Online Links:

    Type_of_Source_Media: raster digital data
    Source_Contribution:
    Light detection and ranging (lidar) data used in the generation of a topo-bathymetric surface.
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 13-Apr-2018 (process 1 of 4)
    Before mounting the CoastCam at the beach, the camera (FLIR, BFLY-PGE-50S5C-C) was used to take intrinsic camera calibration images. Please refer to the sandkey_c2_20180413_IO zip file and the sandkey_c2_calibration_metadata record included in Brown and others (2024) for access to the intrinsic camera calibration data and more information on the calibration process. After calibration was complete, the camera mount was installed on the rooftop of Dan’s Island Condominium building (1600 Gulf Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33767) on 20180413. The camera was installed and connected to a control computer, wall powered, and wired ethernet connection in an interior room of the facility. The control computer was connected to a hard drive to transfer the images upon collection. Person who carried out this activity:
    Jenna A. Brown
    U.S. Geological Survey
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    US

    (727)-502-8000 (voice)
    jenniferbrown@usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • sandkey_c2_20180413_IO
    Date: 05-Nov-2021 (process 2 of 4)
    The camera was programmed to collect three-band (RGB) images at 2 Hertz (Hz) for a total of approximately 17 minutes (2048 images), every hour during daylight hours. The images included in this data release were collected from May 29, 2018, to November 5, 2021. Gaps may exist in the dataset due to power disruptions or camera malfunction. Additionally, some images may have been obscured by water droplets, insects, birds, salt, sand and dirt, poor visibility from adverse weather conditions, or sun glare, and thus may not reflect the true state of the beach and ocean. Each hour the camera was activated, a timestack image product was produced by sampling intensity values at a single transect of pixels, defined by (U,V) pixel coordinates, from the 2048 images and saved in Tag Image File Format (TIFF, .tiff). The (U,V) sampling locations were determined by identifying a cross-shore transect of locations in local horizontal (X,Y) coordinate system, which aligned with the local shoreline orientation. The elevation of samples was chosen as Z = 0 m, which is an elevation assumed to be near the water line. The vertical reference frame was NAVD 88 coordinate system. XYZ-sampling locations were projected into (U,V) image coordinates following established methods (Palmsten and Brodie, 2022; Bruder and Brodie, 2020) and using camera extrinsic calibration information (sandkey_c2_20180419_EO) from Brown and others (2024). To create the timestacks, the raw images were saved on the control computer’s hard drive, then processed locally to produce one timestack per hour. The timestacks were then sent via internet to a U.S. Geological Survey internal File Transfer Protocol (ftp) site, where they were then automatically downloaded from the ftp site to the SPCMSC servers for archiving. Person who carried out this activity:
    Jenna A. Brown
    U.S. Geological Survey
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    US

    (727)-502-8000 (voice)
    jenniferbrown@usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • sandkey_c2_20180419_EO
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • TIFF timestack
    Date: 25-Mar-2024 (process 3 of 4)
    The TIFF timestacks were processed to add additional information using the netCDF4 Python library version 1.6.4. The times of the collection, sampled at 2 Hz, were stored as a one-dimensional (1D) array, where each index of the array contained a time represented as epoch time, seconds elapsed since 00:00:00 UTC on January 1, 1970. The sampling locations, saved as local XYZ values, were stored as a two-dimensional array. Because pixels were stored assuming an elevation of Z = 0 m and the true beach surface may vary, and additional processing step was needed to project the sampling locations onto a topo-bathymetric surface representative of the beach at the time of the image data collection following previously described methods (Palmsten and Brodie, 2023; and Holland and others, 1997). The topo-bathymetric surface was developed from GNSS survey data collected within the field-of-view of the camera (Birchler and others, 2024) and lidar data (National Geodetic Survey, 2024). The point data was interpolated onto a grid using the method described by Plant and others (2002) with smoothing length scales of 1 m in the cross-shore direction and 40 m in the alongshore direction. The local (X,Y) coordinates were rotated and translated into UTM coordinates using information describing the local origin and rotation angle for the Sand Key site, where the horizontal reference frame (X,Y) was NAD83(2011)/UTM Zone 17N. The (X,Y) coordinates were also translated from UTM to WGS84 latitude and longitude coordinates using the UTM Python library version 0.7.0. One netCDF(.nc) file was created for each timestack image using the netCDF Python library. The data included in each netCDF file includes the timestack image; the UV image coordinates, the XY coordinates in UTM; the XY local coordinates; the latitude and longitude coordinates; the Z-elevation coordinates projected onto the beach surface; and an array of the epoch times as previously described. Additional metadata was included in the netCDF files as global and variable attributes using the Climate and Forecast (CF)-compliant metadata convention (version CF-1.6). These attributes describe the data collection, as well as how the different coordinate systems are used within the data. Person who carried out this activity:
    Eric Swanson
    Cherokee Nation System Solutions contracted to the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    USA

    727-502-8000 (voice)
    eswanson@contractor.usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • GNSS survey data
    • lidar data
    • TIFF timestack
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • netCDF timestack
    Date: 25-Mar-2024 (process 4 of 4)
    A total of 1,404 netCDF timestack files (*.nc) are included in this release and can be viewed and downloaded on the data release webpage . The netCDF files were renamed using the following convention, with ten period-separated elements: 1) the epoch time--seconds elapsed since 00:00:00 UTC on January 1 1970--the timestack was collected 2) The day of the week the timestack was collected, abbreviated to three letters 3) The month the timestack was collected, abbreviated to three letters 4) The date when the timestack was collected in the format dd_hh_mm_ss where 'dd' is the day of the month, 'hh' is the hour in 24-hour format, 'mm' is the minute, and 'ss' is the second 5) The timezone for date previously described 6) The year the timestack was collected 7) The site nickname where the timestack was collected 8) The camera the timestack was collected from, where 'cx' represents the timestack 9) the name of the transect sampled to create the timestack 10) the file extension, .nc. An example of a filename formatted in this way would be: 1527631200.Tue.May.29_22_00_00.GMT.2018.sandkey.cx.runup100.nc. Person who carried out this activity:
    USGS SPCMSC Data Management Group
    U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    USA

    727-502-8000 (voice)
    gs-g-spcmsc_data_inquiries@usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • netCDF timestack
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • *.nc
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
    Bruder, Brittany L., and Brodie, Katherine L., 20200909, CIRN Quantitative Coastal Imaging Toolbox: SoftwareX Volume 12, 100582, Elsevier, Online.

    Online Links:

    Holman, Robert A., and Stanley, John, 20070416, The History and Technical Capabilities of Argus: Coastal Engineering Volume 54, Issues 6–7, Elsevier, Online.

    Online Links:

    Plant, Nathaniel G., Holland, K.Todd, and Puleo, Jack A., 20021005, Analysis of the Scale of Errors in Nearshore Bathymetric Data: Marine Geology Volume 191, Issues 1–2, Elsevier, Online.

    Online Links:

    Palmsten, Margaret L., and Brodie, Katherine L., 20220118, The Coastal Imaging Research Network (CIRN): Remote Sensing Volume 14, Issues 3, MDPI, Online.

    Online Links:

    Holland, K. Todd, Holman, Robert A., Lippmann, Thomas C., Stanley, John, and Plant, Nathaniel, 19970101, Practical Use of Video Imagery in Nearshore Oceanographic Field Studies: IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering Volume 22, Issue 1, IEEE, Online.

    Online Links:

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    The video camera collected 5-megapixel images. Images may be obscured by water droplets, insects, birds, salt, sand and dirt, poor visibility from adverse weather conditions or sun glare, and thus may not reflect the true state of the beach and ocean.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    The horizontal accuracy of the camera's external orientation was verified using data collected in field activity 2018-328-FA and processed with the CIRN Quantitative Coastal Imaging Toolbox (Bruder and Brodie, 2020). An extrinsic calibration survey was performed at the Sand Key site on April 19, 2018. Horizontal accuracy was obtained by comparing the ground control points from the extrinsic calibration surveys in the Brown and others (2024) to user selected ground control points in the camera images. For the April 19, 2018, survey: the mean x error is 4.16 meters, and the mean y error is 12.34 meters. Please refer to the sandkey_c2_20180419_EO zip file and the sandkey_c2_calibration_metadata record included in Brown and others (2024) for more information. Horizontal coordinates are referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (National Spatial Reference System 2011) Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 17 North (NAD83(2011)/UTM Zone 17N) coordinate system. Additionally, coordinates in the local coordinate system, as well as latitude and longitude (WGS84), are included. These additional coordinates are derived from the UTM coordinates.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    The vertical accuracy of the camera's external orientation was verified using data collected in field activity 2018-328-FA and processed with the CIRN Quantitative Coastal Imaging Toolbox (Bruder and Brodie, 2020). Please refer to the sandkey_c2_20180419_EO zip file and the sandkey_c2_calibration_metadata record included in Brown and others (2024) for more information. Vertical positions are referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) coordinate system.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    The imagery represents a fixed location at Sand Key, FL. Images may not be available every hour of operation due to camera malfunction. Images may be obscured by water droplets, insects, birds, salt, sand and dirt, poor visibility from adverse weather conditions or sun glare, and thus may not reflect the true state of the beach and ocean. This product 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?
    The camera system installed (FLIR, BFLY-PGE-50S5C-C) was programmed to collect three-band images every hour during daylight hours and take video for approximately 17 minutes. A timestack image for the 17-minute period was created by sampling a single transect on the beach.

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 Public domain data from the U.S. Government are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as the source of this information.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    USGS SPCMSC Data Management Group
    U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, Florida
    USA

    727-502-8000 (voice)
    gs-g-spcmsc_data_inquiries@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? *.nc
  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: 10-May-2024
Metadata author:
USGS SPCMSC Data Management Group
U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
600 4th Street South
Saint Petersburg, FL

727-502-8000 (voice)
gs-g-spcmsc_data_inquiries@usgs.gov
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/spcmsc/sandkey_c2_timestacks_metadata.faq.html>
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