Low-altitude aerial imagery collected from a Helikite at Marconi Beach, Wellfleet, MA on March 22, 2023

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Low-altitude aerial imagery collected from a Helikite at Marconi Beach, Wellfleet, MA on March 22, 2023
Abstract:
The data in this release re-map the beach and nearshore environment at Marconi Beach in Wellfleet, MA and provide updated environmental context for the 2021 CoastCam installation that looks out at the coast shared by beachgoers, shorebirds, seals, and sharks. This is related to the field activity 2022-014-FA and a collaboration with the National Park Service at Cape Cod National Seashore to monitor the region that falls within the field of view of CoastCam CACO-02, which are two video cameras aimed at the beach. In March 2023, U.S. Geological Survey and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) scientists conducted field surveys to collect topographic and bathymetric data. Images of the beach for use in structure-from-motion were taken with a camera (SONY a6000) and a post-processed kinematic (PPK) system attached to a helium powered balloon-kite (Helikite). High-precision GPS targets (AeroPoints) and numbered black and white tarps were used as ground control points. Bathymetry was collected in the nearshore using a single-beam echosounder mounted on a surf capable self-righting electric autonomous surface vehicle. Agisoft Metashape (v. 1.8.1) was used to create a digital surface model and orthomosaic with the collected imagery.
Supplemental_Information:
For more information about the WHCMSC Field Activity, see https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2023-012-FA.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Over, Jin-Si R., and Traykovski, Peter A., 20230725, Low-altitude aerial imagery collected from a Helikite at Marconi Beach, Wellfleet, MA on March 22, 2023: data release DOI:10.5066/P99ST3LT, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Over, Jin-Si R., Sherwood, Chris R., and Traykovski, Peter A., 2023, Topographic and bathymetric data, structure from motion imagery, and ground control data collected at Marconi Beach, Wellfleet, Massachusetts in March 2023, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2023-012-FA.: data release DOI:10.5066/P99ST3LT, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Suggested citation: Over, J.R., Sherwood, C.R., and Traykovski, P.A., 2023, Topographic and bathymetric data, structure from motion imagery, and ground control data collected at Marconi Beach, Wellfleet, Massachusetts in March 2023, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2023-012-FA: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P99ST3LT.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -69.96456691
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -69.96192963
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.89578879
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.89097871
  3. What does it look like?
    https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/648b74f4d34ef77fcafe694e?name=2023-012-FA_Marconi_imagery_browse.JPG&allowOpen=true (JPEG)
    Real Color RBG image mosaic of the beach
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Calendar_Date: 22-Mar-2023
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition; one day of data collection on March 22, 2023
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: imagery and 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?
      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.00000001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.00000001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees. The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983 (National Spatial Reference System 2011).
      The ellipsoid used is GRS_1980.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.0.
      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:
      Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    2023012FA_Marconi_f01_photoLocations.csv contains 1,077 data records.
    The CSV file contains the post-processed Helikite navigation GNSS data (approximate position of the camera at the moment of each image capture). (Source: USGS)
    ImageName
    File names of individual images, see the Data_Quality_Information and Process_Description for file naming convention. (Source: USGS) Character string.
    Date
    Date photos were collected in YYYYMMDD (Source: Processor defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:20230322
    Maximum:20230322
    Units:YYYYMMDD
    Time_UTC
    Time in HH:MM:SS of the camera position based on the GPS in coordinated universal time (UTC). (Source: Processor defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:14:12:11
    Maximum:15:17:04
    Units:HH:MM:SS UTC
    Latitude NAD83[2011]
    Post-processed interpolated latitude of kite GNSS antenna position based on time of each image capture, in decimal degrees (NAD83[2011]). (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:41.89097871
    Maximum:41.89591805
    Units:decimal degrees
    Longitude NAD83[2011]
    Post-processed interpolated longitude of kite GNSS antenna position based on time of each image capture, in decimal degrees (NAD83[2011]). (Source: None)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-69.96456691
    Maximum:-69.96227779
    Units:decimal degrees
    Ellipsoid NAD83[2011]
    Post-processed height in meters of kite GNSS antenna position based on time of each image capture based on the NAD83(2011) reference ellipsoid. (Source: None)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-6.620
    Maximum:13.957
    Units:meters
    Northing 19N
    Post-processed X-coordinate of kite GNSS antenna position based on time of each image capture, in NAD83(2011)/UTM Zone 19N. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:4638119.896
    Maximum:4638669.887
    Units:meters
    Easting 19N
    Post-processed Y-coordinate of kite GNSS antenna position based on time of each image capture, in NAD83(2011)/UTM Zone 19N. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:419986.334
    Maximum:420170.441
    Units:meters
    Orthometric NAVD88
    Post-processed Z-coordinate of kite GNSS antenna position based on time of each image using NAVD88 correction with Geoid 18. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:21.179
    Maximum:41.753
    Units:meters
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    The attributes Latitude, Longitude, and Altitude_NAVD88_m were included in the image headers as GPSLatitude, GPSLongitude, and GPSAltitude, respectively. A GPSMapDatum header was also included in the images specifying that the latitude and longitude are in NAD83(2011) and altitude is in NAVD88 Geoid12B. Positions were derived from an Emlid Reach PPK GNSS receiver.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: USGS Field Activity 2023-012-FA

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Jin-Si R. Over
    • Peter A. Traykovski
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Jin-Si R. Over
    U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Geographer
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2297 (voice)
    jover@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

These RGB 3-band images were collected of the waterline, beach, and bluffs with sufficient overlap to produce structure-from-motion photogrammetry products. Each image has position information to speed up alignment in the photogrammetry processing.

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: Mar-2023 (process 1 of 4)
    These JPEG images were collected with a camera (Sony a6000) wired to the GNSS receiver 15 cm vertically offset from the focal point and duct taped together, then hung from the Helikite (2023-012-FA_Marconi_imagery_browse.JPG) so that the camera faced downward. The Helikite was on a 60 m string and kitesurfing harness; together the Helikite and gear were walked up and down the beach to achieve overlapping images. The horizontal positions and elevations of each image (2023012FA_Marconi_f01_photoLocations.csv) were recorded from the GNSS receiver (EMLID Reach M2) and processed in PPK mode and processed using a base station set-up in the parking lot. It is recommended when using the imagery for photogrammetric purposes to also use the ground control point locations (see 2023012FA_Marconi_nav_GCPs.csv).
    Date: Apr-2023 (process 2 of 4)
    The GNSS navigation data was processed in Emlid Studio (v 1.4) using the drone data processing workflow. The positions were processed in the NAD83(2011) datum, which provided the latitude, longitude, and ellipsoid attributes. Then Geoid 18 was applied using NAVD88 as the vertical datum and UTM Zone 19N for the horizontal coordinate reference system to produce the northing, easting, and altitude attributes. The GPS offset was not accounted for in this step so the offset should be accounted for when deriving further products. All of the attributes here are provided in the 2023012FA_Marconi_f01_photoLocations.csv but only the latitude, longitude, and altitude (NAVD88) were embedded in the image header using Emlid Studio. Person who carried out this activity:
    Peter Traykovski
    Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
    Associate Scientist
    226 Woods Hole Rd, MS #12
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-289-2638 (voice)
    ptraykovski@whoi.edu
    Date: May-2023 (process 3 of 4)
    The images acquired with the camera were geotagged and processed to add additional information required by the USGS to the EXIF headers using ExifTools (https://exiftool.org/, version: 12.06), and the files were renamed to a unique identifier using Namexif (http://www.digicamsoft.com/softnamexif.html, version 2.1) to avoid any possibility of duplicate names. These steps are described here. For more information on the EXIF tags here and automatically populated by the camera see https://exiftool.org/TagNames/EXIF.html
    1. Using the GNSS navigation from the previous step, ExifTools was used to tag each photo with the following tags: Credit, Copyright, UsageTerms, ImageDescription, Artist, GPSAreaInfo, GPSMapDatum, GPSLatitude, GPSLongitude, and GPSAltitude stored in a CSV file with the command:' -exiftool -csv="C:\directory\name\Geotags_EXIF.csv" C:\directory\name\of\photos *.jpg
    The first row of the CSV are the tag names; the first column is SourceName (unique image names). Keywords were added with the following command in the directory with all the photographs: exiftool -keywords="aerial imagery" -keywords="Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore" -keywords="Massachusetts" -keywords="2023-012-FA" -keywords="USGS" -keywords="SONY a6000" -overwrite_original *.jpg
    To read out the photo information to a CSV when in the directory with the photos the command is: exiftool -csv *.JPG > directory/name/allheaders_out.csv
    2. All the JPEG images were renamed with Namexif (https://us.digicamsoft.com/softnamexif.html v 2.2 accessed April 2020) to ensure unique filenames and compliance with the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program's best practices for image naming convention. Images were renamed with the field survey ID prefix; flight number, and ID that distinguishes USGS cameras by make/camera number, the image acquisition date, coordinated universal time (UTC) in ISO8601 format, and a suffix with the original image name. For example, image name '2023012FA_f01s6000_20230322T155822Z_image####.jpg', 2023012FA is the survey ID, f01 is the flight number, s6000 is the camera make (SONY) and model (6000), and 20230322 is the UTC date in the format YYYYMMDD. A 'T' is used to separate UTC date from UTC time in format HHMMSS followed by a Z, and image####.jpg is the original raw photo name appended to the end of the new filename. Because the camera time was collected in EST the time in Namexif was shifted +4:00:00 to be in UTC. Person who carried out this activity:
    Jin-Si R. Over
    U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Geographer
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2297 (voice)
    jover@usgs.gov
    Date: 07-Nov-2023 (process 4 of 4)
    Updated the transfer size of the images to reflect gigabytes. (20231107). 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?
    Over, Jin-Si R., Sherwood, Chris R., Traykovski, Peter A., and Bartlett, Marie K., 2022, Topographic and bathymetric data, structure from motion imagery, and ground control data collected at Marconi Beach, Wellfleet, MA in March 2022, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2022-014-FA: data release DOI:10.5066/P9L1KCQB, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    This publication is the latest survey data of Marconi Beach from 2022.
    Over, Jin-Si R., Sherwood, Chris R., Traykovski, Peter A., and Marsjanik, Eric E., 2021, Topographic and bathymetric data, sediment samples, structure from motion imagery, and reference mark data collected at Marconi Beach, Wellfleet in winter 2021, U.S Geological Survey Field Activity 2021-022-FA: data release DOI:10.5066/P9POZ9VH, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: This publication is the survey data of Marconi Beach from 2021.

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    The camera (Sony a6000) used on the Helikite acquired 24-megapixel photos, with file sizes generally between 1 and 3 MB on disc, depending on image complexity. Some images were blurry due to movement and changing low light conditions.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    Though the images do not represent spatial data, the spatial information is embedded in the photo and available in the EXIF header of each image, which is derived from the provided Helikite navigation file (2023012FA_Marconi_f01_photoLocations.csv) in the larger work citation. The location information was acquired from a GNSS receiver (EMLID Reach M2) in PPK mode with a Multi-band GNSS antenna and hot shoe adapter with an estimated horizontal accuracy of 2-10 cm.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    Though the images do not represent spatial data, the spatial information is available in the EXIF header of each image, which is derived from the provided Helikite navigation file (2023012FA_Marconi_f01_photoLocations.csv) in the larger work citation. The location information was acquired from a GNSS receiver (EMLID Reach M2) in PPK mode with a multi-band GNSS antenna and hot shoe adapter with an estimated vertical accuracy of 5-10 cm.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Photographs were captured every 5 seconds for a total of 1,346 images, but only 1,077 are provided; images taken while the Helikite was launched and put away were removed. All photos included have location information. Due to tide and wind conditions the lower beach was not captured and the total area surveyed is smaller than previous surveys (see Cross References).
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    One flight was flown at a target elevation of 40-60 m to map the Marconi Beach shoreline and bluff face in Wellfleet, MA, on March 22, 2023.

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)
    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? The Windows 10 zip file 2023012FA_Marconi_f01.zip contains 1,077 JPEG images and 2022014FA_Marconi_photolocations.csv contains the PPK GNSS navigation data.
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data for other purposes, nor on all computer systems, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data for other purposes, nor on all computer systems, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. The USGS or the U.S. Government shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein.
  4. How can I download or order the data?
  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    Use of these files requires software capable of opening JPG images and, if desired, capable of reading the associated EXIF information. Additionally, the location information is provided in a CSV file for the user to utilize with appropriate software.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 07-Nov-2023
Metadata author:
Jin-Si R. Over
U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Geographer
U.S. Geological Survey
Woods Hole, MA

508-548-8700 x2297 (voice)
whsc_data_contact@usgs.gov
Contact_Instructions:
The metadata contact email address is a generic address in the event the person is no longer with USGS.
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/whcmsc/SB_data_release/DR_P99ST3LT/2023012FA_Marconi_imagery_meta.faq.html>
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