Shoreline change rates for the coast of Puerto Rico's main island calculated using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System version 5.1 (ver. 2.0, March 2023)

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Shoreline change rates for the coast of Puerto Rico's main island calculated using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System version 5.1 (ver. 2.0, March 2023)
Abstract:
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains shoreline positions for the United States coasts from both older sources, such as aerial photographs or topographic surveys, and contemporary sources, such as lidar-point clouds and digital elevation models. These shorelines are compiled and analyzed in the USGS Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS), version 5.1 software to calculate rates of change. Keeping a record of historical shoreline positions is an effective method to monitor change over time, enabling scientists to identify areas most susceptible to erosion or accretion. These data can help coastal managers understand which areas of the coast are vulnerable to change. This data release, and other associated products, represent an expansion of the USGS national-scale shoreline database to include Puerto Rico and its islands, Vieques and Culebra. The USGS, in cooperation with the Coastal Research and Planning Institute of Puerto Rico—part of the Graduate School of Planning at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus—has derived and compiled a database of historical shoreline positions using a variety of methods. These historical shoreline data are then used to measure the rate of shoreline change over time. Rate calculations are computed within a geographic information system (GIS) using the DSAS version 5.1 software. Starting from a user defined baseline, measurement transects are created by DSAS that intersect the shoreline vectors. The resulting intersections provide the location and time information necessary to calculate rates of shoreline change. The overall project contains shorelines, baselines, shoreline change rates (long-term and short-term), and shoreline intersects (long-term and short-term), for Puerto Rico, and the adjacent islands of Vieques and Culebra.
Supplemental_Information:
Version 2.0 includes rate calculations using the PR shorelines dataset updated with an additional lidar shoreline from 2014/2015 (Heslin and others, 2021).
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Henderson, Rachel E., Heslin, Julia L., and Himmelstoss, Emily A., 20211119, Shoreline change rates for the coast of Puerto Rico's main island calculated using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System version 5.1 (ver. 2.0, March 2023): data release DOI:10.5066/P9FNRRN0, 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.

    Henderson, Rachel E., Heslin, Julia L., and Himmelstoss, Emily A., 2021, Puerto Rico shoreline change — A GIS compilation of shorelines, baselines, intersects, and change rates calculated using the Digital Shoreline Analysis system version 5.1 (ver. 2.0, March 2023): data release DOI:10.5066/P9FNRRN0, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    suggested citation: Henderson, R.E., Heslin, J.L., and Himmelstoss, E.A., 2021, Puerto Rico shoreline change — A GIS compilation of shorelines, baselines, intersects, and change rates calculated using the Digital Shoreline Analysis system version 5.1 (ver. 2.0, March 2023): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9FNRRN0.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -67.272143
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -65.5886
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 18.5171
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 17.9257
  3. What does it look like?
    https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/6149fa12d34e0df5fb96fc1c?name=PR_ShorelineChange_Rates.jpg (JPEG)
    Map of shoreline change rates (long-term) for the main island of Puerto Rico from the 1900s to 2018.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 1901
    Ending_Date: 2018
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
      • String
    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 0.0000001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.0000001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees. The horizontal datum used is 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 1/298.257223563.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    PR_Trans_Rates_LT.shp
    Transects were automatically generated by DSAS at a 90-degree angle to the user-specified baseline using a smoothing algorithm to maintain roughly parallel transects that are orthogonal with respect to the baseline. These attributes are for long-term rates for the main island of Puerto Rico. Vector Object Count: 7603 (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    FID
    Internal feature number used as a unique identifier of an object within a table primarily used in shapefiles. (Source: Esri) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
    Shape
    The geometry field (shape) is automatically created and maintained by ArcGIS. It provides a definition of the feature type (point, line, polygon). (Source: Esri) Feature Type.
    BaselineID
    Unique identification number of the baseline segment. If BaselineID=0 no transects will be generated. Used by DSAS to determine transect ordering alongshore if multiple baseline segments exist. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:101
    Maximum:126
    GroupID
    This optional field corresponds to the baseline feature attribute "DSAS_Group", and it is a way to aggregate baseline segments (and transects) on the basis of physical variations alongshore (for example, tidal inlets, change in coastal type, or hard stabilization features). Baseline segments are assigned an ID value and statistics are reported by group in the DSAS summary text file once rates are calculated. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:1
    Maximum:5
    TransOrder
    Assigned by DSAS based on ordering of transects along the baseline. Used to allow user to sort transect data along the baseline from baseline start to baseline end. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:1
    Maximum:12760
    Azimuth
    Assigned by DSAS to record the azimuth of the transect measure in degrees clockwise from North. If a transect position has been adjusted during the editing process, the azimuth value in the attribute table is updated automatically. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:360
    Units:degrees
    ShrCount
    Number of shorelines used to compute shoreline change metrics. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:3
    Maximum:17
    TCD
    The Total Cumulative Distance (TCD) is the measure in meters along shore from the start of the baseline segment with an ID=1 and measured sequentially alongshore to the end of the final baseline segment. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:642208.17
    LRR
    A linear regression rate-of-change statistic was calculated by fitting a least-squares regression line to all shoreline points for a particular transect. The best-fit regression line is placed so that the sum of the squared residuals (determined by squaring the offset distance of each data point from the regression line and adding the squared residuals together) is minimized. The linear regression rate is the slope of the line. The rate is reported in meters per year with positive values indicating accretion and negative values indicating erosion. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Decimal values may be positive or negative, which is used to indicate landward (negative) or seaward (positive) direction from baseline origin. Reported in meters per year.
    LR2
    The R-squared statistic, or coefficient of determination, is the proportion of variance in the data that is explained by a regression. It is a dimensionless index that ranges from 1.0 to 0.0 and measures how successfully the best-fit line accounts for variation in the data. The smaller the variability of the residual values around the regression line relative to the overall variability, the better the prediction (and closer the R-squared value is to 1.0). (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:1
    LSE
    This quantity is the standard error of the regression, also known as the standard error of the estimate. To calculate it, the distance between each data point and the regression line is calculated. These distances are squared then summed. The sum is divided by the number of data point minus two. The square root is taken of the result. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Positive decimal values in meters.
    LCI90
    The standard error of the slope with confidence interval describes the uncertainty of the reported rate. The LRR rates are determined by a best-fit regression line for the shoreline data at each transect. The slope of this line is the reported rate of change (in meters/year). The confidence interval (LCI) is calculated by multiplying the standard error of the slope by the two-tailed test statistic at the user-specified 90 percent confidence. This value is often reported in conjunction with the slope to describe the confidence of the reported rate. For example: LRR = 1.2 LCI90 = 0.7 could be reported as a rate of 1.2 (+/-) 0.7 meters/year. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Positive decimal values in meters.
    SHAPE_Leng
    Length of feature in meter units. (Source: Esri)
    Range of values
    Minimum:18.824421
    Maximum:432.987692
    MUNICIPAL
    Municipality names derived from the Esri Living Atlas layer: Puerto Rico Municipality Boundaries 2020. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Municipality name.
    PR_Trans_Rates_ST.shp
    Transects were automatically generated by DSAS at a 90-degree angle to the user-specified baseline using a smoothing algorithm to maintain roughly parallel transects that are orthogonal with respect to the baseline. These attributes are for short-term rates for the main island of Puerto Rico. Vector Object Count: 7384 (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    FID
    Internal feature number used as a unique identifier of an object within a table primarily used in shapefiles. (Source: Esri) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
    BaselineID
    Unique identification number of the baseline segment. If BaselineID=0 no transects will be generated. Used by DSAS to determine transect ordering alongshore if multiple baseline segments exist. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:101
    Maximum:126
    GroupID
    This optional field corresponds to the baseline attribute "DSAS_Group", and it is a way to aggregate baseline segments (and transects) on the basis of physical variations alongshore (for example, tidal inlets, change in coastal type, or hard stabilization features). Baseline segments are assigned an ID value and statistics are reported by group in the DSAS summary text file once rates are calculated. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:1
    Maximum:5
    TransOrder
    Assigned by DSAS based on ordering of transects along the baseline. Used to allow user to sort transect data along the baseline from baseline start to baseline end. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:1
    Maximum:12760
    Azimuth
    Assigned by DSAS to record the azimuth of the transect measure in degrees clockwise from North. If a transect position has been adjusted during the editing process, the azimuth value in the attribute table is updated automatically. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:360
    Units:degrees
    ShrCount
    Number of shorelines used to compute shoreline change metrics. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:3
    Maximum:12
    TCD
    The Total Cumulative Distance (TCD) is the measure in meters along shore from the start of the baseline segment with an ID=1 and measured sequentially alongshore to the end of the final baseline segment. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:642208.17
    LRR
    A linear regression rate-of-change statistic was calculated by fitting a least-squares regression line to all shoreline points for a particular transect. The best-fit regression line is placed so that the sum of the squared residuals (determined by squaring the offset distance of each data point from the regression line and adding the squared residuals together) is minimized. The linear regression rate is the slope of the line. The rate is reported in meters per year with positive values indicating accretion and negative values indicating erosion. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Decimal values may be positive or negative, which is used to indicate landward (negative) or seaward (positive) direction from baseline origin. Reported in meters per year.
    LR2
    The R-squared statistic, or coefficient of determination, is the proportion of variance in the data that is explained by a regression. It is a dimensionless index that ranges from 1.0 to 0.0 and measures how successfully the best-fit line accounts for variation in the data. The smaller the variability of the residual values around the regression line relative to the overall variability, the better the prediction (and closer the R-squared value is to 1.0). (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:1
    LSE
    This quantity is the standard error of the regression, also known as the standard error of the estimate. To calculate it, the distance between each data point and the regression line is calculated. These distances are squared then summed. The sum is divided by the number of data point minus two. The square root is taken of the result. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Positive decimal values in meters.
    LCI90
    The standard error of the slope with confidence interval describes the uncertainty of the reported rate. The LRR rates are determined by a best-fit regression line for the shoreline data at each transect. The slope of this line is the reported rate of change (in meters/year). The confidence interval (LCI) is calculated by multiplying the standard error of the slope by the two-tailed test statistic at the user-specified 90 percent confidence. This value is often reported in conjunction with the slope to describe the confidence of the reported rate. For example: LRR = 1.2 LCI90 = 0.7 could be reported as a rate of 1.2 (+/-) 0.7 meters/year. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Positive decimal values in meters.
    SHAPE_Leng
    Length of feature in meter units (Source: Esri)
    Range of values
    Minimum:18.824421
    Maximum:432.987692
    MUNICIPAL
    Municipality names derived from the Esri Living Atlas layer: Puerto Rico Municipality Boundaries 2020. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Municipality name.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    The entity and attribute information provided here describes the tabular data associated with long-term (~120 years) and short-term ~40 years) shoreline change rates. Please review the individual attribute descriptions for detailed information. All calculations for length are in meter units.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: U.S. Geological Survey

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Rachel E. Henderson
    • Julia L. Heslin
    • Emily A. Himmelstoss
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: Rachel E. Henderson
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 (voice)
    rehenderson@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

The datasets described by this metadata file include the long-term (~120 years) and short-term (~40 years) shoreline change rates for the coastal region of Puerto Rico’s Main Island. Rate calculations were computed within a GIS using DSAS version 5.1, an ArcGIS extension developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. A reference baseline was used as the originating point for the orthogonal transects cast by the DSAS software. The transects intersect each shoreline establishing measurement points which provide location and time information used to calculate rates of change. Long-term and short-term rates of shoreline change were calculated using a linear regression rate based on available shoreline data.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    PR_Shorelines (source 1 of 2)
    Heslin, Julia L., Henderson, Rachel E., and Himmelstoss, Emily A., 2021, Shorelines for Vieques, Culebra, and the main island of Puerto Rico from the 1900s to 2018 (ver. 2.0, March 2023): data release DOI:10.5066/P9FNRRN0, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Type_of_Source_Media: online
    Source_Contribution:
    Shoreline data from four corresponding Puerto Rico shorelines Data releases which have been merged into a single feature class (PR_shorelines). Note the range of shoreline dates will vary by location.
    PR_Baselines (source 2 of 2)
    Heslin, Julia L., Henderson, Rachel E., and Himmelstoss, Emily A., 2021, Baseline for the coast of Puerto Rico's main island generated to calculate shoreline change rates using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System version 5.1 (ver. 2.0, March 2023): data release doi:10.5066/P9FNRRN0, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Type_of_Source_Media: online
    Source_Contribution:
    Baselines used by DSAS to cast transects from which shoreline changes can be measured.
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 2022 (process 1 of 10)
    Explanation of the methods used to calculate shoreline change rates as part of the Puerto Rico shoreline change project. Compiled shorelines and baselines were used to create interim transect files. These transect files were then used, with the shorelines to generate shoreline intersection points and calculate rates of change for both short-term and long-term time periods. This process step and all subsequent process steps were performed by the same person: Rachel E. Henderson VERSION 2 NOTE: The shoreline input file (PR_Shorelines.shp) was found to be missing the 2015 lidar shoreline. This shoreline has been replaced in the version 2 of PR_Shorelines.shp. The following steps do not deviate from the original, but they were re-run in 2022 with the updated shoreline data. Person who carried out this activity:
    Rachel E. Henderson
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Researcher VII
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 (voice)
    rehenderson@usgs.gov
    Date: 2022 (process 2 of 10)
    DSAS v5.1 was used to create transect features (stored in a personal geodatabase) to calculate long-term shoreline change. DSAS input parameters Used: shoreline layer = PR_Shorelines, baseline layer= PR_Baseline, baseline group field=DSAS_group, transect spacing=50 meters, search distance=200 meters, land direction=right, shoreline intersection=seaward. Files produced and saved to personal geodatabase = PR_Trans_LT. For additional details on these parameters, please see the DSAS help file distributed with the DSAS software or visit the USGS website at: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/whcmsc/science/digital-shoreline-analysis-system-dsas Some transects were manually edited for length, moved, or deleted in an edit session using standard editing tools in ArcMap v10.6. This process step and all subsequent process steps were performed by the same person: Rachel E. Henderson Person who carried out this activity:
    Rachel E. Henderson
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Researcher VII
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 (voice)
    rehenderson@usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • PR_Shorelines
    • PR_Baselines
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • PR_Trans_LT
    Date: 2022 (process 3 of 10)
    To calculate the long-term shoreline change rate the entire range of shorelines from 1901 to 2018 were utilized. DSAS generates shoreline intersects and shoreline change calculations stored as rate transects. Depending on the available data, the shoreline intersects used for analysis may include those referenced to the datum-based mean high water (MHW), or a proxy-based feature such as the high water line (HWL) or wet-dry line (WDL). Input parameters used: shoreline layer= PR_Shorelines, shoreline date field=Date_, shoreline uncertainty field name=Uncy, the default accuracy=10 meters, shoreline intersection=seaward, transect layer= PR_Trans_LT, stats calculations=[LRR], shoreline threshold=0, confidence interval=90%. Files produced and saved to personal geodatabase = PR_Trans_LT_rates, PR_Trans_LT_intersects. NOTE: All shorelines have an uncertainty value listed in the attribute table that provides the horizontal uncertainty associated with the shoreline, regardless of the method used. The shoreline database contains both MHW and HWL shorelines. Data sources used in this process:
    • PR_Shorelines
    • PR_Trans_LT
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • PR_Trans_LT_rates
    • PR_Trans_LT_intersects
    Date: 2022 (process 4 of 10)
    DSAS v5.1 was used to create transect features (stored in a personal geodatabase) to calculate short-term shoreline change. DSAS input parameters Used: shoreline layer = PR_Shorelines, baseline layer= PR_Baseline, baseline group field=DSAS_group, transect spacing=50 meters, search distance=200 meters, land direction=right, shoreline intersection=seaward. Files produced and saved to personal geodatabase = PR_Trans_ST. For additional details on these parameters, please see the DSAS help file distributed with the DSAS software or visit the USGS website at: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/whcmsc/science/digital-shoreline-analysis-system-dsas Some transects were manually edited for length, moved, or deleted in an edit session using standard editing tools in ArcMap v10.6. Data sources used in this process:
    • PR_Shorelines
    • PR_Baselines
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • PR_Trans_ST
    Date: 2022 (process 5 of 10)
    To calculate the short-term shoreline change rates, shorelines from 1977 to 2018 were selected. DSAS generates shoreline intersects and shoreline change calculations stored as rate transects. Depending on the available data, the shoreline intersects used for analysis may include those referenced to the datum-based mean high water (MHW), or a proxy-based feature such as the high water line (HWL) or wet-dry line (WDL). Input parameters used: shoreline layer= PR_Shorelines, shoreline date field=Date_, shoreline uncertainty field name=Uncy, the default accuracy=10 meters, shoreline intersection=seaward, transect layer= PR_Trans_ST, stats calculations=[LRR], shoreline threshold=0, confidence interval=90%. Files produced and saved to personal geodatabase = PR_Trans_ST_rates, PR_Trans_ST_intersects. NOTE: All shorelines have an uncertainty value listed in the attribute table that provides the horizontal uncertainty associated with the shoreline, regardless of the method used. The shoreline database contains both MHW and HWL shorelines. Data sources used in this process:
    • PR_Shorelines
    • PR_Trans_ST
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • PR_Trans_ST_rates
    • PR_Trans_ST_intersects
    Date: 2022 (process 6 of 10)
    A coastal shoreline classification (Bracero-Marrero and others, 2021) was used to identify areas of sandy shoreline and remove transects/intersects (using basic ArcMap editing tools) from analysis in areas of mangrove vegetation, rocky cliff-backed coastlines, and some areas with significant anthropogenic modification.
    Date: 2022 (process 7 of 10)
    FOR PUBLICATION: Long-term and short-term rate transect features were exported from a personal geodatabase to shapefiles in ArcMap v10.6 by right-clicking the transect layer > data > export data. Data sources used in this process:
    • PR_Trans_LT_rates
    • PR_Trans_ST_rates
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • PR_Trans_Rates_LT
    • PR_Trans_Rates_ST
    Date: 2022 (process 8 of 10)
    FOR PUBLICATION: The exported rate transect shapefiles were projected in Esri's ArcToolbox (v10.6) > Data Management Tools > Projections and Transformations > Project. Parameters: input projection - NAD_1983_NSRS2007_StatePlane_Puerto_Rico_Virgin_Isls_FIPS_5200v; output projection - geographic coordinates (WGS84); transformation = none.
    Date: 2022 (process 9 of 10)
    FOR PUBLICATION: A field name was added for Municipality, and values were joined based on the Esri dataset "Puerto Rico Municipality Boundaries 2020" https://esri.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=52bc4062cbac4f5093e18bce4a818b9d In instances where a transect spanned two municipalities, precedence went to the municipality where the shorelnie intersects were located. In instances where a transect did not intersect a municipality, the closest municipality was chosen.
    Date: 2024 (process 10 of 10)
    The metadata was modified to add the Data Report cross-reference and the distribution liability was updated to the current standards (20240513).
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
    Himmelstoss, Emily A., Farris, Amy S., Henderson, Rachel E., Kratzmann, Meredith G., Ergul, Ayhan, Zhang, Ouya, and Zichichi, Jessica L., 2021, Digital Shoreline Analysis System (version 5.1): U.S. Geological Survey Software: USGS Software Release version 5.1, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: Current version of software at time of use was 5.1
    Himmelstoss, Emily A., Henderson, Rachel E., Kratzmann, Meredith G., and Farris, Amy S., 2021, Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) Version 5.1 User Guide: Open-File Report 2021-1091, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Heslin, Julia L., Henderson, Rachel E., and Himmelstoss, Emily A., 2021, A GIS Compilation of Vector Shorelines for Puerto Rico from 2015 to 2018: data release DOI:10.5066/P9AZYW74, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    U.S. Geological Survey, 2021, Historical Shorelines for Puerto Rico from 1901 to 1987: data release DOI:10.5066/P9CLXCEG, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Bracero-Marrero, Loderay, Barreto-Orta, Maritza, Hernández-Montcourt, Nias, Maldonado-González, Rubén, Himmelstoss, Emily A., and Heslin, Julia L., 2021, A GIS Compilation of Vector Shorelines and Shoreline Classification for Puerto Rico from 1970 and 2010: data release doi:10.5066/P9SEUAHC, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    suggested citation: Bracero-Marrero, L., Barreto-Orta, M., Hernández-Montcourt, N., Maldonado-González, R., Himmelstoss, E.A., Heslin, J.L. 2021, A GIS Compilation of Vector Shorelines and Shoreline Classification for Puerto Rico from 1970 and 2010: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9SEUAHC
    Thieler, E.R., Rodriguez, R.W., and Himmelstoss, Emily A., 2007, Historical Changes at Rincon, Puerto Rico, 1936-2006: U.S.Geological Survey Open File Report doi:10.3133/ofr20071017, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Henderson, Rachel E., Heslin, Julia L., Himmelstoss, Emily A., and Barreto-Orta, Maritza, 2024, National Shoreline Change—Summary Statistics for Vector Shorelines from the Early 1900s to the 2010s for Puerto Rico: Data Report 1191, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Henderson, R.E., Heslin, J.L., Himmelstoss, E.A., and Barreto-Orta, M., 2024, National shoreline change—Summary statistics for vector shorelines from the early 1900s to the 2010s for Puerto Rico: U.S. Geological Survey Data Report 1191, 41 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/dr1191.

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    The attributes of this dataset are based on the field requirements of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System and were automatically generated by the software during the generation of the transect layer or during the calculation of shoreline change rates performed by the software.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    The uncertainty of the linear regression rate is estimated by the elements LR2, LSE and LCI90. See the attribute definition of each for more information.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    This dataset contains the transects generated by the DSAS software application that were used to calculate shoreline change rates for the region. Additional transects may have been generated but did not meet the required number of shorelines or time period requirements.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    These data were generated using DSAS v5.1. The transects automatically generated by the software were visually inspected along with the shoreline data prior to rate calculations. If needed, transect positions were manually edited within a standard ArcMap edit session to adjust the position at which individual transects intersect the shorelines to better represent an orthogonal position to the general trend of the coast over time.

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 These data were automatically generated using the DSAS v5.1 software application. 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. These data are not to be used for navigation.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase
    Federal Center, Building 810, MS 302
    Denver, CO
    USA

    1-888-275-8747 (voice)
    sciencebase@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? The dataset contains the polyline rates of shoreline change data, (PR_Trans_Rates_LT.shp, PR_Trans_Rates_ST.shp and other shapefile components), browse graphic, and the FGDC CSDGM metadata.
  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?
    These data are available in a polyline shapefile format. The user must have software to read and process the data components of a shapefile.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 13-May-2024
Metadata author:
Rachel E. Henderson
U.S. Geological Survey
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA
USA

508-548-8700 (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 Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/whcmsc/SB_data_release/DR_P9FNRRN0/PR_Trans_Rates_metadata.faq.html>
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