Ground control and transect points collected during uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) operations: Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), November 14, 2017 and March 28, 2019

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, 20221222, Ground control and transect points collected during uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) operations: Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), November 14, 2017 and March 28, 2019: data release DOI:10.5066/P9PP35F4, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.5066/P9PP35F4
   • https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/62a22d14d34ec53d2770697f

   This is part of the following larger work.
   Cramer, Jennifer M., Huntley, Emily C., Brosnahan, Sandra M., Ganju, Neil K., Sturdivant, Emily J., Pendleton, Elizabeth A., Ackerman, Seth D., and Borden, Jonathan, 2022, Aerial imagery and ground control points collected during an uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) survey at Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), November 14, 2017 and March 28, 2019: data release DOI:10.5066/P9PP35F4, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.5066/P9PP35F4
   • https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/62718655d34e76103cd586a1

   Other_Citation_Details:

   Suggested citation: Cramer, J.M., Huntley, E.C., Brosnahan, S.M., Ganju, N.K., Sturdivant, E.J., Pendleton, E.A., Ackerman, S.D., and Borden, J., 2022, Aerial imagery and ground control points collected during an uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) survey at Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), November 14, 2017 and March 28, 2019: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9PP35F4.

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.822757
   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.805472
   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.778568
   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.769522
   

3. What does it look like?

   https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/62a22d14d34ec53d2770697f?name=2017057FA_2019009FA_gcptrans_browse.jpg (JPEG)

   Ground control and transect point locations for 2017 and 2019 surveys.

4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

   Calendar_Date: 14-Nov-2017

   Currentness_Reference:

   ground condition

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

   Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data
   

6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Point data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
      • Point (142)
   2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      The map projection used is Universal Transverse Mercator.
      

      Projection parameters:

      Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.999600
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -75.00000
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.000
      False_Easting: 500000.0000
      False_Northing: 0.0000
      

      Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.0001
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.0001
      Planar coordinates are specified in meters
      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983 (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 (NAVD88)
      Altitude_Resolution: 0.0001
      Altitude_Distance_Units: meters
      Altitude_Encoding_Method:

      Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates

7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   2017057FA_PlumIsland_GCP.csv

   Target points and transect points collected using surveying techniques. These points are used in post-processing to improve the quality of the positioning in the final photogrammetric products (ground control points) and in assessing the vertical accuracy of the final products (transects) (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

   ORIGINAL_ID

   Provides the unique name for each target or the transect identifier to which the point belongs. Transects consists of several records - and in this case the only transect has the unique identifier ROAD. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) character set

   Northing

   Northing coordinate in UTM Zone 19N meters, NAD83 (2011) (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	4736802.194
   Maximum:	4737835.682
   Units:	meters

   Easting

   Easting coordinate in UTM Zone 19N meters, NAD83 (2011) (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	350895.7244
   Maximum:	352272.8031
   Units:	meters

   Elevation

   Orthometric elevation relative to NAVD88 (geoid12b) (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1.4234
   Maximum:	2.7173
   Units:	meters

   DATE_Collected

   Date of point collection in mm/dd/yy format (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) character set to represent calendar date of collection

   Description

   simple descriptor used to distinguish between ground control points (Target) and transect points (TRANS) (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) character set

   2019009FA_PlumIsland_GCP.csv

   Target points collected using surveying techniques. These points are used in post-processing to improve the quality of the positioning in the final photogrammetric products (ground control points). (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

   ORIGINAL_ID

   Provides the unique name for each target where A denoting an AeroPoint, T denoting a commercial PVC target, and P denoting a plywood target. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) character set

   Northing

   Northing coordinate in UTM Zone 19N meters, NAD83 (2011) (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	4736863.296
   Maximum:	4737689.154
   Units:	meters

   Easting

   Easting coordinate in UTM Zone 19N meters, NAD83 (2011) (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	350982.6850
   Maximum:	352262.5530
   Units:	meters

   Elevation

   Orthometric elevation relative to NAVD88 (geoid12b) (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-0.5100
   Maximum:	2.4400
   Units:	meters

   DATE_Collected

   Date of point collection in mm/dd/yy format (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) character set to represent calendar date of collection

   Description

   simple descriptor used to distinguish between ground control points (Target) and transect points (Trans) (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) character set

   Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

   The files 2017057FA_PlumIsland_GCP.csv and 2019009FA_PlumIsland_GCP.csv list the locations of all ground control points and transect points. The text contains one header record, and data records with six columns of comma-separated values defined by the attribute labels. The columns contain, in order, the ORIGINAL_ID, Northing (UTM), Easting (UTM), Elevation (m), DATE_collected, and Description, whether it's a target or transect. The target names (ORIGINAL_ID) are uniquely named (e.g T20, P03); the transect (consisting of several GPS fixes along a survey line) has a unique name (ROAD).

   Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: USGS Field Activities 2017-057-FA and 2019-009_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?
   U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

   Attn: Sandra Brosnahan

   Physical Scientist

   384 Woods Hole Road

   Woods Hole, Massachusetts
   

   508-548-8700 x2265 (voice)

   508-457-2310 (FAX)

   sbrosnahan@usgs.gov

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?

   Date: 04-Apr-2022 (process 1 of 1)

   Ground control points and transect points, are listed in the CSV files 2017057FA_PlumIsland_GCP.csv and 2019009FA_PlumIsland_GCP.csv Finalized versions were created 2/6/2019 and 5/4/2022, respectively. Targets and transect measurements collected with the rover GPS were exported from the data collectors as text file in the RW5 format and then processed (referenced to the base OPUS rapid static solution) and exported to comma-separated values (CSV) files using the Carlson Report Generator for a SurvCE RW5 Report (https://www.carlsonemea.com/cwa/report ), while measurements collected by the AeroPoints were exported to comma-separated values (CSV) files from the Propeller website (www.propelleraero.com). Rover and AeroPoint datasets were combined and manually edited to filter by transect point or ground control point and extraneous columns were removed. The target data are used as an input to the Agisoft Photoscan or Pix4D software to control the data horizontally and vertically. The transect points collected within the study area are used to ground truth data products (Point Cloud, DEM and Orthomosaic) created in Agisoft Photoscan, and Pix4D. Person who carried out this activity:
   

   U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

   Attn: Sandra Brosnahan

   Physical Scientist

   384 Woods Hole Road

   Woods Hole, Massachusetts
   

   U.S.A.

   508-548-8700 x2265 (voice)

   508 457 2310 (FAX)

   Sbrosnahan@usgs.gov

3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
   Ganju, Neil K., Brosnahan, Sandra M., Sturdivant, Emily J., Pendleton, Elizabeth A., and Ackerman, Seth D., 20190529, Aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flights and ground control points-Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), February 27th, 2018: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.5066/P9O9NSRK

   Other_Citation_Details:

   This publication represents data collected in the same way and in the same place in 2018

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

1. How well have the observations been checked?
   Spectra Precision SP80 GNSS receivers were used to collect the ground control points and transect coordinates.
2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
   Horizontal positions were determined with GNSS rovers receiving real-time differential corrections from a GNSS base station established over a temporary benchmark. The base station was a Spectra model SP80 GNSS receiver with UHF radio and external antenna mounted on a tripod. The antenna height was 2.25 m. The coordinates of the reference point were determined from an ultra-rapid precise orbit On-line Positioning User Service (OPUS) solution. Spectra Precision model SP80 GNSS receivers were also used as rovers, which linked via Bluetooth to a data collector (Carlson CHC LT30 Handheld Terminal running Carlson SurvCE v. 4.06 software under Windows Mobile v. 6.1 Professional operating system). Rover antennas were mounted on 2-m survey rods with bubble levels and 5-cm (2-inch) sand feet. Conversions from satellite coordinates to NAD83(2011) UTM zone 19N (EPSG::6348) and NAVD88 (Geoid 12b) were made by Carlson SurvCE software in the data collector. Horizontal accuracy based on the reoccupation of a stake locations was 1.5 cm. The uncertainty of OPUS fixes for the RTK-GPS base stations adds another 0.26 cm of uncertainty, therefore, the theoretical horizontal accuracy of the GCP and transect points is + or - 1.76 cm. Horizontal positions for the AeroPoint targets are determined from the embedded GPS. Conversions from satellite coordinates to NAD83(2011) UTM zone 19N (EPSG::6348) and NAVD88 were made using the Propeller Aero Network Correction. The theoretical horizontal accuracy is 3.00 cm.
3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
   Vertical positions were determined with the GNSS rovers receiving real-time differential corrections from a GNSS base station established over a temporary benchmark. The theoretical vertical accuracy of the RTK GPS is 2.5 cm. For a similar survey in 2018 with the same survey equipment, an accuracy assessment determined an uncertainty of 0.54 cm. Vertical positions for the AeroPoint targets are determined from the embedded GPS. The theoretical vertical accuracy is 3.00 cm.
4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
   Locations for all ground control points and transect points collected are listed in the CSV text files.
5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
   The CSV files list the locations for all ground control and transect points. The columns contain, in order, ORIGINAL_ID, Northing (UTM), Easting (UTM), Elevation (in meters), DATE_collected, and Description (whether the ground control is a target or a transect). The target names (ORIGINAL_ID) are uniquely named (e.g. P01, T20, T31); each transect (consisting of several GPS fixes along a survey line) has a unique location, however the points for that transect are all named similarly (e.g. Road). Targets included commercial targets (4 ft x 4 ft x 4 mm PVC plastic sheets with black and white checkered pattern at diagonals and grommets in corners; Berntsen International, Inc. product number AT48IC-STK), plywood targets (2 ft x 2 ft x 1/2-in plywood boards painted with black and white square checkered pattern), and black and white checkered AeroPoints (1.8 ft x 1.8 ft x 1 + 1/4-inch); manufactured by PropellerAero (only used in 2019 survey). The commercial targets were designated Tnn, the plywood targets were designated Pnn, and the AeroPoint targets were designated Ann, where nn is the one- or two- digit target number. GPS rover instruments were used by field crews to map targets for ground control points. AeroPoint targets A03, A04, and A05 were surveyed by the rover GPS due to unsuccessful upload of their internal survey measurements. Additionally, target A04 was mistakenly moved mid-survey sometime between 16:50:51 UTC and 17:01:26 UTC so only photos collected prior to it being moved were used to mark the target during photogrammetry processing. This target does not appear in the correct location in photos taken during flight 11 of field activity 2019-009-FA.

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? The dataset contains a CSV file of ground control and transect points for field activities 2017-057-FA (2017057FA_GCP_PlumIsland.csv) and 2019-009-FA (2019009FA_GCP_PlumIsland.csv), a browse graphic showing the location of the points (2017057FA_2019009FA_gcptrans_browse.jpg), and one CSDGM metadata file for both field activities in XML format (2017057FA_2019009FA_GCP_PlumIsland.xml).
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:	The downloaded data consists of the CSV files of ground control points and transect, browse graphics, and the CSDGM metadata. in format CSV Size: 0.01
     Network links:	https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/62a22d14d34ec53d2770697f https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/62a22d14d34ec53d2770697f https://doi.org/10.5066/P9PP35F4

   • Cost to order the data: none

5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
   Adequate computer capability is the only technical prerequisite for viewing data in digital form.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 22-Dec-2022

Metadata author:

Jennifer M Cramer

U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Geographer

U.S. Geological Survey

Woods Hole, MA

508-548-8700 x2314 (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 person is no longer with USGS.

Metadata standard:

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