Low-altitude georeferenced aerial imagery collected from a Helikite at Marconi Beach, Wellfleet on March 11, 2022

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Low-altitude georeferenced aerial imagery collected from a Helikite at Marconi Beach, Wellfleet on March 11, 2022
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 2022, 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 with the collected imagery, which was merged with the bathymetry in MATLAB (v. 2020b) to create a continuous topobathy product.
Supplemental_Information:
For more information about the WHCMSC Field Activity, see https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2022-014-FA.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Over, Jin-Si R., and Traykovski, Peter A., 20221006, Low-altitude georeferenced aerial imagery collected from a Helikite at Marconi Beach, Wellfleet on March 11, 2022: data release DOI:10.5066/P9L1KCQB, 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., 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:
    Suggested citation: Over, J.R., Sherwood, C.R., Traykovski, P.A., and Bartlett, M.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: U.S Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9L1KCQB.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -69.96466768
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -69.96192963
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.89578879
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.89099927
  3. What does it look like?
    https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/62deeb0ad34e952be9094195?name=2022014FA_HelikiteCameraAttachment.JPG&allowOpen=true (JPEG)
    Photograph showing how the camera, GNSS, and antenna configuration attaches to the Helikite.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Calendar_Date: 11-Mar-2022
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition; one day of imagery collection on March 11, 2022
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster 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?
    2022014FA_Marconi_photolocations.csv contains 1,275 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.
    Time_EST
    Time in HH:MM:SS of each corrected camera position in eastern standard time (EST). (Source: Processor defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:11:06:22
    Maximum:12:21:52
    Units:HH:MM:SS EST
    Latitude
    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:41.89099927
    Maximum:41.89578879
    Units:decimal degrees
    Longtitude
    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:-69.96466768
    Maximum:-69.96192963
    Units:decimal degrees
    Ellipsoid_NAD83_2011_m
    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:6.222
    Maximum:30.724
    Units:meters
    Northing
    Post-processed interpolated 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:4638121.571
    Maximum:4638654.869
    Units:meters
    Easting
    Post-processed interpolated 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:419977.420
    Maximum:420199.534
    Units:meters
    Altitude_NAVD88_m
    Post-processed interpolated Z-coordinate of kite GNSS antenna position based on time of each image using NAVD88 correction with Geoid 12B. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:34.023
    Maximum:58.520
    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 2022-014-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: 11-Mar-2022 (process 1 of 3)
    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 (2022014FA_Marconi_HelikiteCameraAttachment_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 (2022014FA_Marconi_photolocations.csv) were recorded from the GNSS receiver (EMLID Reach M2) and processed in PPK mode using the MASS CORS network. The navigation data was added to the image EXIF information after the flight as described in the process steps. It is recommended when using the imagery for photogrammetric purposes to also use the ground control point locations (see 2022014FA_Marconi_nav_GCPs.csv). Photos were downloaded and adjusted in Adobe Lightroom Classic for brightness due to the changing cloud conditions. 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: Mar-2022 (process 2 of 3)
    The GNSS navigation data was processed in Inertial Explorer (https://novatel.com/products/waypoint-software/inertial-explorer, version 8.70.8722). The positions were processed in the NAD83(2011) datum, which provided the Latitude, Longitude, and Ellipsoid attributes. Then Geoid 12B 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 2022015FA_Truro_photolocations.csv but only the latitude, longitude, and altitude (NAVD88) were embedded in the image header. 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: Apr-2022 (process 3 of 3)
    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.
    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" -keywords=Massachusetts -keywords="2022-014-FA" -keywords=USGS -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 '2022014FA_f01s6000_20220312T165822Z_image####.jpg', 2022014FA is the survey ID, f01 is the flight number, s6000 is the camera make (SONY) and model (6000), and 20220311 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
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
    Over, Jin-Si R., Sherwood, Chris R., Traykovski, Peter A., and Marsjanik, Eric, 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 original/first 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. Images were corrected in Adobe Lightroom to improve color balance.
  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 (2022014FA_Marconi_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 (2022014FA_Marconi_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 cm.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Photographs were captured every 5 seconds for a total of 1346 images, but only 1275 are provided; images taken while the Helikite was launched and put away were removed. All photos included have location information.
  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 11, 2022.

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 2022014FA_Marconi_f1.zip contains 1,275 JPEG images and 2022014FA_Marconi_photolocations.csv contains the PPK GNSS navigation data.
  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?
  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 or 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: 06-Oct-2022
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_P9L1KCQB/2022014FA_imagery_meta.faq.html>
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