Geotagged Low-Altitude Aerial Imagery From Unmanned Aerial Systems Flights Over Town Neck Beach, in Sandwich, Massachusetts, on January 25, 2017

Frequently anticipated questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How might this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  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?
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the data, including topology?
• How can someone get a copy of the data set?
  1. Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
  2. Who distributes the data?
  3. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  4. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
  5. How can I download or order the data?
• Who wrote the metadata?

What does this data set describe?

1. How might this data set be cited?
   U.S. Geological Survey, 2019, Geotagged Low-Altitude Aerial Imagery From Unmanned Aerial Systems Flights Over Town Neck Beach, in Sandwich, Massachusetts, on January 25, 2017: data release DOI:10.5066/F7QC02RM, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.5066/F7QC02RM
   • https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/5a871abfe4b00f54eb3a2d3f

   This is part of the following larger work.
   Sherwood, C., Traykovski, P., Montgomery, E., Borden, J., Brosnahan, S., Irwin, B., Marsjanik, E., Martini, M., and Suttles, S., 2019, Geotagged Low-Altitude Aerial Imagery From Unmanned Aerial Systems Flights Over Town Neck Beach, in Sandwich, Massachusetts, With Associated Ground Control Points, and Transects Collected on January 9, January 25, February 14, March 16, April 28, May 4, and September 18, 2017: data release DOI:10.5066/F7QC02RM, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.5066/F7QC02RM
   • https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/5a7daca0e4b00f54eb24a4f5

   Other_Citation_Details:

   Suggested citation: Sherwood, C.R., Traykovski, P.A., Montgomery, E.T., Borden, J., Brosnahan S.M., Irwin, B.J., Marsjanik, E.D., Martini, M.A., and Suttles, S.E., 2019, Geotagged low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems flights over Town Neck Beach in Sandwich, Massachusetts, with associated ground control points and transects, collected on January 9, January 25, February 14, March 16, April 28, May 4, and September 18, 2017: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7QC02RM.

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.4882
   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.4730
   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.7715
   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.7620
   

3. What does it look like?
4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

   Beginning_Date: 25-Jan-2017

   Ending_Date: 25-Jan-2017

   Currentness_Reference:

   ground condition

5. What is the general form of this data set?

   Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: remote-sensing image
   

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. It contains the following raster data types:
      • Dimensions 3000 x 4000, type Pixel
   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 D_WGS_1984.
      The ellipsoid used is WGS_1984.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.0.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257224.
      

      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:

      Altitude_System_Definition:

      Altitude_Datum_Name: IGS08 (EPOCH:2017.8707)
      Altitude_Resolution: 0.01
      Altitude_Distance_Units: meters
      Altitude_Encoding_Method: Attribute values
      

7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

   There are no additional attributes besides the tags described in data quality section associated with these images.

   Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: USGS Field Activity 2017-008-FA
   

Who produced the data set?

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • U.S. Geological Survey
2. Who also contributed to the data set?
3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
   Sandra Brosnahan

   U.S. Geological Survey

   U.S. Geological Survey

   Woods Hole, MA
   

   508-548-8700 x2265 (voice)

   sbrosnahan@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

How was the data set created?

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

   geotagged photos from field activity 2017-008-FA (source 1 of 1)

   U.S. Geological Survey, Unpublished Material, Geotagged photos collected from a UAS during field activity 2017-008-FA.

   Online Links:

   • https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2017-008-FA

   Type_of_Source_Media: disc
   Source_Contribution:

   These JPEG images were collected with an integrated DJI FC330 camera mounted on a DJI Phantom 4 quadcopter unmanned aerial system (UAS). The camera used on the UAS acquired photos at 4000 x 3000 pixels (12 Megapixels). The camera orientaion for most flights was "down", aimed directly below the UAS . The camera angle was changed to 30 degrees above "down" for the last flight. Horizontal positions and elevations were recorded in the UAS onboard navigation and applied to the images during the flight. These JPEG images may be used with photogrammetric software to produce geolocated point clouds, digital elevation models, orthophoto mosaics, and other products.

2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

   Date: 31-Oct-2017 (process 1 of 2)

   A DJI Phantom 4 quadcopter UAS was flown by Peter Traykovski to acquire these images. They were geotagged in flight by the UAS. It used local time, so an adjustment to GMT was made (see first parameter of step 1 below). They were also processed to add USGS required information to the EXIF headers and renamed to unique file names. These steps are described here:
   1. ExifTool (https://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/, version 10.64) was used to add required attribution tags to all the photos. The command used to update and add the tags for all the photos was: exiftool -AllDates+=4 -CopyrightNotice="Public Domain - please credit U.S. Geological Survey " -ImageDescription="Photographs of Town Neck Beach, Sandwich,Massachusetts, USA from survey 2017-008-FA " -Caption-Abstract="Town Neck Beach, Sandwich, Massachusetts, USA from survey 2017-008-FA " -Caption="Town Neck Beach, Sandwich, Massachusetts, USA from survey 2017-008-FA " -sep ", " -keywords="Town Neck Beach, Sandwich, Massachusetts, 2017-008-FA, UAS, aerial imagery, USGS " -comment="Photo from down-looking UAS camera during survey 2017-008-FA." -Credit="U.S. Geological Survey" -Contact="WHSC_data_contact@usgs.gov " -Artist="Peter Traykovski" *.JPG
   2. All the JPEG images were renamed with Namexif (version 1.7, http://www.digicamsoft.com/softnamexif.html) to ensure unique filenames and compliance with USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program's best practices for image naming convention. Images were renamed with a survey ID prefix followed by a local USGS UID, which corresponds to a distinct UAS project; a camera ID that distinguishes among the cameras by make, model, and camera number; the image acquisition date and coordinated universal time (UTC) in ISO8601 format; and a suffix with the original image name. For example, image name '2017027FA_U029DJP4_20170428T092440Z_DJI_0678.JPG', 2017027FA is the survey ID, U029 is the internal identifier code, DJP4 is the internal camera ID, 20170428 is the UTC date in format YYYYMMDD. A 'T' is used to separate UTC date from UTC time, in format HHMMSS followed by a Z, and DJI_0678.JPG is the original raw photo name appended to the end of the new filename. Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Ellyn Montgomery

   U.S. Geological Survey

   Oceanographer

   U.S. Geological Survey

   Woods Hole, MA
   

   508-548-8700 x2356 (voice)

   508-457-2310 (FAX)

   emontgomery@usgs.gov

   Date: 07-Aug-2020 (process 2 of 2)

   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?

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

1. How well have the observations been checked?
   The camera used on the UAS was a DJI FC330 that acquired photos 4000 x 3000 pixels (12 Megapixels), with file sizes generally between 4.5 and 6.5 MB on disc, depending on image complexity. GPS locations were recorded in the EXIF portion of the images. The GPS used on the UAS has practical accuracies of 3 meters horizontally and 10 m vertically, and the time stamps are accurate to better than 1 millisecond. However, the altitudes recorded in the EXIF portion of the image metadata include uncorrected offsets and may be biased by as much as 250 m. The relative altitudes stored in the XMP portion of the image metadata are accurate to +/- 10 m.
2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
   Horizontal positions recorded by the UAS GPS were written into the EXIF portion of the images during the flights. Horizontal locations are considered accurate to approximately 3 meters, but may be off by as much as 10 meters.
3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
   Vertical positions recorded by the UAS GPS were written directly into the metadata (EXIF and XMP) portions of the images during the flights. The altitude measurements are accurate to approximately +/- 10 m, but uncorrected offsets in the take-off altitude introduced biases of as much as 250 meters in the EXIF tag "Absolute Altitude". The most acccuate altitude information can be read from the "Relative Altitude", which is stored in the XMP portion of the image. These altitudes are accurate to approximately +/- 10 m.
4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
   UAS flights were conducted to map the Town Neck Beach shoreline in Sandwich, MA on January 25, 2017. Most images were collected with the camera oriented down (nadir), but a subset had the camera pointed 30 degrees from nadir (oblique). Gaps in sequential photos exist because some photos were deleted because, for example, of overexposure, or to avoid multiple photos of the landing area. GPS times were not recorded by the DJI firmware, but the local times in the EXIF tag "DateTime" are accurate.
5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
   All aerial photographs were acquired by with the integrated DJI FC330 camera mounted on a DJI Phantom 4 quadcopter unmanned aerial system (UAS). Images were collected along pre-planned lines with 50 to 60% cross-track overlap. Flight lines were oriented approximately northwest/southeast, roughly parallel to the shoreline. Flights lasted the duration of the UAS battery life (maximum about 22 minutes) or until the flight was completed or aborted. The flight lines and camera shutter timing were planned to record images with 65 to 70% along-track overlap.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

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? This data release includes raw data in the form of geotagged aerial images in JPEG format. Aerial images were collected with the camera set at two different angles and are distributed in separate zip files. All 909 images collected with the camera perpendicular to the ground are in 2017008FA_U021_Sandwich_nadir.zip and the 49 images collected with the camera set at a 30 degree offest are in 2017008FA_U021_Sandwich_oblique.zip.
3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
   Neither the U.S. Government, the Department of the Interior, nor the USGS, nor any of their employees, contractors, or subcontractors, make any warranty, express or implied, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, nor represent that its use would not infringe on privately owned rights. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Geological Survey in the use of these data or related materials. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
4. How can I download or order the data?
   • Availability in digital form:

     Data format:	Zipped files contain geotagged aerial images collected by the U.S. Geological Survey - Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center along Sandwich Town Neck Beach, MA. Transfer size refers to the first file. in format JPEG Size: 4601.384
     Network links:	https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/5a871abfe4b00f54eb3a2d3f https://doi.org/10.5066/F7QC02RM

   • Cost to order the data: none

5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
   Use of this file requires software capable of opening JPEG images and, if desired, capable or reading the associated EXIF information.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 07-Jul-2022

Metadata author:

Ellyn Montgomery

U.S. Geological Survey

oceanographer

U.S. Geological Survey

Woods Hole, MA

508-548-8700 x2356 (voice)

508-457-2310 (FAX)

whsc_data_contact@usgs.gov

Contact_Instructions:

The metadata contact email address is a generic address in the event the metadata contact is no longer with the USGS or the email is otherwise invalid.

Metadata standard:

Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)