DisOcean: Distance to the ocean: Coast Guard Beach, MA, 2014

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title: DisOcean: Distance to the ocean: Coast Guard Beach, MA, 2014
Abstract:
Understanding how sea-level rise will affect coastal landforms and the species and habitats they support is critical for crafting approaches that balance the needs of humans and native species. Given this increasing need to forecast sea-level rise effects on barrier islands in the near and long terms, we are developing Bayesian networks to evaluate and to forecast the cascading effects of sea-level rise on shoreline change, barrier island state, and piping plover habitat availability. We use publicly available data products, such as lidar, orthophotography, and geomorphic feature sets derived from those, to extract metrics of barrier island characteristics at consistent sampling distances. The metrics are then incorporated into predictive models and the training data used to parameterize those models. This data release contains the extracted metrics of barrier island geomorphology and spatial data layers of habitat characteristics that are input to Bayesian networks for piping plover habitat availability and barrier island geomorphology. These datasets and models are being developed for sites along the northeastern coast of the United States. This work is one component of a larger research and management program that seeks to understand and sustain the ecological value, ecosystem services, and habitat suitability of beaches in the face of storm impacts, climate change, and sea-level rise.
Supplemental_Information:
For additional information on processing and use of this geospatial dataset, see the USGS Open-File report by Zeigler and others (2019).
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Zeigler, Sara L., Sturdivant, Emily J., and Gutierrez, Benjamin T., 20191220, DisOcean: Distance to the ocean: Coast Guard Beach, MA, 2014: data release DOI:10.5066/P9V7F6UX, 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.

    Sturdivant, Emily J., Zeigler, Sara L., Gutierrez, Benjamin T., and Weber, Kathryn M., 2019, Barrier island geomorphology and shorebird habitat metrics: Sixteen sites on the U.S. Atlantic Coast, 2013–2014: data release DOI:10.5066/P9V7F6UX, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Suggested citation: Sturdivant, E.J., Zeigler, S.L., Gutierrez, B.T., and Weber, K.M., 2019, Barrier island geomorphology and shorebird habitat metrics—Sixteen sites on the U.S. Atlantic Coast, 2013–2014: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9V7F6UX.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -69.96865248
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -69.93495025
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.87014115
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.79827606
  3. What does it look like?
    https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/5daa371ee4b09fd3b0c9ce1b/?name=DisOcean_cei_browse.png (PNG)
    Example of distance to ocean raster. This example is for Cedar Island, VA and does not represent this dataset.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 16-Nov-2013
    Ending_Date: 27-Dec-2014
    Currentness_Reference:
    Ground condition measured by source lidar data.
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital dataset
  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 1602 x 542 x 1, type Grid Cell
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
      Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
      UTM_Zone_Number: 19
      Transverse_Mercator:
      Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.9996
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -69
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.0
      False_Easting: 500000.0
      False_Northing: 0.0
      Planar coordinates are encoded using row and column
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 5.0
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 5.0
      Planar coordinates are specified in Meter
      The horizontal datum used is D_North_American_1983.
      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.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    CG14_DisOcean.tif
    The distance to ocean layer (CG14_DisOcean.tif) is a 1602 x 542 pixel raster layer, where the value of every 5x5 m cell is distance from the center of each 5x5 m GeoTIFF cell to the ocean, with the ocean boundary defined by the mean high water shoreline seaward to the study area boundary. NoData value of ‘-9999’ indicates cells outside the study area extent. (Source: Producer defined)
    Value
    Distance from the center of each 5x5 m GeoTIFF cell to the ocean, with the ocean boundary defined by the mean high water shoreline seaward to the study area boundary. NoData value of ‘-9999’ indicates cells outside the study area extent. (Source: Producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:1889.05
    Units:meters
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    The distance to ocean layer is a GeoTIFF raster layer, where the value of each 5x5 m cell is the Euclidean distance from the center of that cell to the ocean, with the boundary for 'ocean' being the mean high water shoreline seaward to the edge of the study area. Please review the individual attribute descriptions as well as Zeigler and others (2019) for detailed information. NoData value of ‘-9999’ indicates cells outside the study area extent.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: Methods Open-File Report by Zeigler and others (2019)

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Sara L. Zeigler
    • Emily J. Sturdivant
    • Benjamin T. Gutierrez
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: Sara L. Zeigler
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    US

    508-548-8700 x2290 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    szeigler@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

The dataset described here identifies the Euclidean distance from the center of each 5x5 m GeoTiff cell within the boundaries of the Coast Guard Beach, Massachusetts study area to the ocean, with the ocean boundary being the mean high water (MHW) ocean shoreline, according to lidar captured in 2014. See Zeigler and others (2019) for additional details.
This dataset is part of a series of spatial datasets used to describe characteristics of barrier islands found along the North American Atlantic coast in order to identify habitat for the federally protected piping plover (Charadrius melodus). Information contained in these spatial datasets was used within a Bayesian network to model the probability that a specific set of landscape characteristics would be associated with piping plover habitat.

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: 14-Dec-2017 (process 1 of 2)
    Full methods are provided in the associated USGS Open-File Report (Zeigler and others, 2019). The following steps were all performed in ArcGIS 10.4.1.
    Using ArcGIS, we started by locating the ‘ocean’ boundary in the study area. Using the geomorphic settings GeoTIFF (CG14_GeoSet.tif in larger work), we selected all raster cells defined as ‘beach’ and exported the selected features as a polygon using the ‘Raster to Polygon’ conversion tool. Here, ‘beach’ is defined as the area between the shoreline (cg14_shoreline.shp contained in the larger work) and the study area boundary. The custom study area boundary spans the entire coverage of Coast Guard Beach relevant to the broader research program (see Zeigler and others, 2019 for more details). Its extent beyond the Coast Guard Beach site is otherwise irrelevant and does not affect data quality or completeness.
    In an Edit session in ArcGIS, we used the ‘Cut Polygons’ tool to manually clip the beach polygon so that only the portion of the polygon on the ocean-facing side of the barrier remained. The mean high water (MHW) shoreline points (cg14_SLpts.shp in larger work) were referenced to identify the extent of the ocean-facing portion of the beach. For these purposes, this clipped beach area from the MHW shoreline seaward to the edge of the study area was considered the ocean boundary.
    Using the ‘Euclidean Distance’ tool, we created a raster layer with a 5x5 m cell size that measured the straight-line distance from each cell within the study area to the closest cell in the clipped beach polygon (considered the ocean boundary). Cells landward of the MHW shoreline received a positive distance to ocean value and those seaward of the MHW shoreline received a value of 0 m. See Zeigler and others (2019) for example figures.
    No transformations were performed because shoreline polygons and geomorphic setting rasters were acquired in the NAD83 UTM projection.
    Date: 10-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?
    Zeigler, Sara L., Sturdivant, Emily J., and Gutierrez, Benjamin T., 2019, Evaluating barrier island characteristics and piping plover (Charadrius melodus) habitat availability along the U.S. Atlantic coast—Geospatial approaches and methodology: Open-File Report 2019–1071, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Details the methods used to process these data for use in barrier island and piping plover habitat modeling.
    Doran, Kara J., Long, Joseph W., Birchler, Justin J, Brenner, Owen T., Hardy, Matthew W., Karen L. M. Morgan, Stockdon, Hilary F., and Torres, Miguel L., 2017, Lidar-derived Beach Morphology (Dune Crest, Dune Toe, and Shoreline) for U.S. Sandy Coastlines: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

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?
    We assume an accuracy within 5 m horizontally. No formal accuracy assessments of the horizontal positional information in the dataset have been conducted. However, the accuracy is dependent on that of the source data.
    Horizontal accuracy is inherited from the edges of the shoreline polygons (cg14_shoreline.shp in the larger work) adjacent to the open ocean, which were derived from the shoreline points (cg14_SLpts.shp in larger work). Ocean-facing segments of the shoreline polygons are accurate to about 5 m.
    Shoreline point coordinates were transformed with the datum transformation WGS_1984_(ITRF00)_To_NAD_1983 (WKID: 108190, accuracy: 0.1 m) using the 'Project' tool in ArcGIS.
    This raster file was created in reference system North American Datum (NAD) 1983 Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) zone 19N at a resolution of 5 m.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    This dataset is clipped to a custom boundary and may not include the entire spatial extent of source datasets as they are published in original form. However, the custom boundary spans the entire coverage of Coast Guard Beach relevant to the broader research program (see Zeigler and others, 2019 for more details). This dataset is therefore considered complete for the information presented as described in the abstract section. Users are advised to read the rest of the metadata record carefully for additional details.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    This file consists of GeoTIFF raster data produced in reference to the shoreline polygon dataset (cg14_shoreline.shp) published within the larger work. The portion of this shoreline adjacent to the open ocean, which is the only component of the shoreline relevant to the present dataset, was originally derived from mean high water (MHW) shoreline points (cg14_SLpts.shp in larger work; 13CNT05_morphology.csv in Doran and others, 2017). These shoreline points were QA/QC'd in ArcMap and edited in MATLAB. The shoreline was not further checked for topological consistency. No further logical accuracy tests were conducted on the present dataset.

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
    USA

    1-888-275-8747 (voice)
    sciencebase@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? These data files comprise a 32-bit GeoTIFF (CG14_DisOcean.tif), which provides a continuous distance value for each 5x5 m cell. Additionally, the CSDGM FGDC metadata (CG14_DisOcean.tif.xml) and the browse graphic (disocean_cei_browse.png) are included. These data can be downloaded individually or packaged on-demand in a zip file (see the Digital Transfer Option section).
  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 USGS in the use of these data or related materials. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and have been processed successfully on a computer system at the 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. Any use of trade, firm, or product 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?
    To utilize these data, the user must have software capable of reading a 32-bit GeoTIFF format.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 19-Mar-2024
Metadata author:
Sara L. Zeigler
U.S. Geological Survey
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA
United States

508-548-8700 x2290 (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. (updated on 20240319)
Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/whcmsc/SB_data_release/DR_P9V7F6UX/CG14_DisOcean.tif.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.51 on Wed Jun 26 15:25:09 2024