Swath bathymetry 13-m-cell-size grid of quadrangle 5 on Stellwagen Bank offshore of Boston, Massachusetts collected by the U.S. Geological Survey aboard the CCGS Frederick G. Creed from 1994-1996

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Swath bathymetry 13-m-cell-size grid of quadrangle 5 on Stellwagen Bank offshore of Boston, Massachusetts collected by the U.S. Geological Survey aboard the CCGS Frederick G. Creed from 1994-1996
Abstract:
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Marine Sanctuary Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has conducted seabed mapping and related research in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS) region since 1993. The interpretive datasets and source information presented here are for quadrangle 5, which is one of 18 similarly sized segments of the 3,700 square kilometer (km2) SBNMS region. The seabed of the SBNMS region is a glaciated terrain that is topographically and texturally diverse. Quadrangle 5 includes the shallow, rippled, coarse-grained sandy crest and upper eastern and western flanks of southern Stellwagen Bank, its fine-grained sandy lower western flank, and the muddy seabed in Stellwagen Basin. Water depths range from <25 m on the bank crest to ~100 m in the basin. The data presented here for quadrangle 5 are the foundation for Scientific Investigations Map 3515 (Valentine and Cross, 2024), which presents maps of seabed topography, ruggedness, backscatter intensity, distribution of geologic substrates, sediment mobility, distribution of fine- and coarse-grained sand, and substrate mud content. The maps of quadrangle 5 show the distribution of substrates across the southern part of Stellwagen Bank and the adjacent basins. Bathymetric and seabed backscatter imagery, photographs, video, and grain-size analyses were used to create the geologic interpretations presented here and have been reprocessed and released in segments to supports these interpretations. For the quadrangle 5 interpretations, data from 729 stations were analyzed, including 620 sediment samples. The seabed geology map of quadrangle 5 shows the distribution of 20 substrate types ranging from boulder ridges to mobile and rippled sand, to mud. Substrate types are defined or inferred through sediment grain-size composition, surface morphology, sediment layering, the mobility or immobility of substrate surfaces, and water depth range. Scientific Investigations Map 3515 portrays the major geological elements (substrates, topographic features, processes) of environments within quadrangle 5. It is intended to be a basis for the study of sediment transport processes that affect a shallow, offshore bank, for the study of the ecological requirements of invertebrate and vertebrate species that use these substrates, and to support seabed management in the region.
Supplemental_Information:
Over 50 scientific cruises have been conducted in an in an effort to map Stellwagen Bank. The bathymetry of Quadrangle 5 on Stellwagen Bank is from the following five USGS WHCMSC field activities (ship cruises): 1994-008-FA, 1995-013-FA, 1995-033-FA, 1996-032-FA, 1996-043-FA. More information on each of these activities can be found by replacing the XXXX in the following URL with the cruise ID: https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=XXXX. For example: https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=1994-008-FA.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Valentine, Page C., 20240320, Swath bathymetry 13-m-cell-size grid of quadrangle 5 on Stellwagen Bank offshore of Boston, Massachusetts collected by the U.S. Geological Survey aboard the CCGS Frederick G. Creed from 1994-1996: data release DOI:10.5066/P9W9BN3S, 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.

    Valentine, Page C., and Cross, VeeAnn A., 2024, Geospatial datasets of seabed topography, sediment mobility, and the distribution of geologic substrates in quadrangle 5 of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region offshore of Boston, Massachusetts: data release DOI:10.5066/P9W9BN3S, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Suggested citation: Valentine, P.C., and Cross, V.A., 2024, Geospatial datasets of seabed topography, sediment mobility, and the distribution of geologic substrates in quadrangle 5 of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region offshore of Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9W9BN3S.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.41119
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.22236
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.32232
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.20281
  3. What does it look like?
    https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/63a09196d34e0de3a1f27736?name=q5_13mbathy_browse.png&allowOpen=true (PNG)
    Browse graphic of the bathymetry grid of quadrangle 5 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 1994
    Ending_Date: 1996
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Raster Digital Data
  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 1031 x 1210 x 1, type Grid Cell
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      The map projection used is NAD 1983 Mercator (ESRI Full Name: NAD_1983_Mercator).
      Projection parameters:
      Standard_Parallel: 41.65
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -70.3166666667
      False_Easting: 0.0
      False_Northing: 0.0
      Planar coordinates are encoded using row and column
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 13.0
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 13.0
      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.
      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
      Depth_System_Definition:
      Depth_Datum_Name: Mean lower low water
      Depth_Resolution: 0.01
      Depth_Distance_Units: meters
      Depth_Encoding_Method: Implicit coordinate
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    q5_13mbathy
    Table containing attribute information associated with the data set. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Value
    These values represent depth relative to mean lower low water. The more negative the value, the deeper the water. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-105.7
    Maximum:-22.53
    Units:meters

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Page C. Valentine
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    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 source of this information.
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: Page C. Valentine
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2239 (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 the USGS.

Why was the data set created?

The purpose of this dataset is to release the 13-meter by 13-meter cell-size bathymetry grid that was used as the basis for analysis and the interpretation of quadrangle 5 of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region. Additionally this dataset was used to generate subsequent datasets, some of which are released in other publications. These derivative products include datasets such as 1-m contours and terrain ruggedgness.

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: 1996 (process 1 of 4)
    Initial data collection and processing is described in Valentine and others 1999, Valentine 2005, and Butman and others, 2007. A summary of that information is presented here. Surveying was conducted aboard the Canadian Hydrographic Service vessel Frederick G. Creed using a hull mounted multibeam echo sounder. These data were collected using a Simrad Subsea EM1000 operating at 95 kHz. SwathEd software (version unknown) developed by the Ocean Mapping Group, University of New Brunswick, was used to process the bathymetric and navigation data. The processing included editing the data to remove spurious points as well as incorporate tidal corrections. Processing took place over a span of time, 1994 to 1996.
    Date: 2001 (process 2 of 4)
    The remaining process steps are a function of incorporating information from the previous publications (noted in cross-references), along with processing notes maintained during data processing. The final SwathEd-produced file (based on a 10-meter-grid-cell size) was converted to an ASCII file using the University of New Brunswick script r4toASCII. The format of the ASCII file is latitude, longitude, and depth. The ASCII file was converted to an ArcInfo ungenerate format using a Perl script. The resulting format is ID, longitude, latitude, and negative depth. Each point has a unique ID value. Using ArcInfo 7.03, the ungenerate format was converted to a coverage format using the 'convert to arc' from 'generate tool' available in ArcTools. The 'build' command with the point option was then used to convert the data to a point coverage. This procedure generates the point locations stored in the ungenerate file, but does not incorporate the depth values. In order to include depth, the ungenerate file - which has location as well as depth - was converted to an ArcInfo table, using 'Tables' in ArcInfo. The structure of the ArcInfo table was defined to include the ID, longitude, latitude, and depth in the appropriate format and size. Longitude and latitude were defined as floating point numbers with six decimal places, while depth was defined as a floating point number with two decimal places. To add the depth value to the point coverage, ArcInfo 'Tables' was used to join the point attribute table (pat) of the coverage to the newly-generated data table based on the ID value. In order to join the tables, the data table ID field had to be renamed to match the automatically assigned coverage ID field. The projection of the point coverage was defined in ArcInfo with the PROJECTDEFINE command and the following parameters: Projection Geographic; Datum NAD83; Units DD; Spheroid GRS80. This process was performed by Jessica Baker in 1997. Then the coverage was projected to the custom Mercator projection using the ArcInfo PROJECT command with the following options: Projection Mercator; Datum NAD83, Spheroid GRS1980; Units Meters; Longitude of Central Meridian -70degrees 19minutes; Latitude of true scale 41degrees 39minutes; False Easting 0; False northing 0. This process was performed by Jessica Baker in 1997. The final step was to convert the points to a grid. This was accomplished using the ArcInfo 'pointgrid' command. The depth attribute was gridded at a cell size of 13 meters, and the background value was set to nodata. This final processing step was performed in 1997, and then again by Tammie Middleton in 2001 and is the grid presented here. The 13-meter cell-size was chosen because it appeared to be the best cell size to avoid striping in the data when processing with the SwathEd software.
    Date: 2022 (process 3 of 4)
    The original work on Stellwagen Bank was based on 18 individual quadrangles, and the 13-m cell size grid was the foundation of much of the subsequent work that appears on maps of the Stellwagen Bank area. The information used to generate metadata was based on previous publications, the extensive data processing log prepared by Tanya Unger and Jessica Baker, as well as the individual log files generated during ArcInfo data processing. The information from the various sources was compiled to write the metadata describing this dataset. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: VeeAnn A. Cross
    Marine Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2251 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    vatnipp@usgs.gov
    Date: 2022 (process 4 of 4)
    The grid was added to ArcMap 10.8.1 and converted to a 32-bit GeoTIFF by right-mouse clicking the dataset then selecting 'Data-Export'. Using the dataset for the extent, spatial reference and cell size parameters, and saving in TIFF format. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: VeeAnn A. Cross
    Marine Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    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?
    Valentine, Page C., Unger, Tanya S., Baker, Jessica L., and Polloni, Christopher F., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topographic maps and perspective-view imagery of quadrangles 1-18, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: Open-File Report 99-363, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    This publication describes data collection and initial processing of multibeam bathymetry collected on Stellwagen Bank.
    Page C. Valentine, editor, 2005, Sea floor image maps showing topography, sun-illuminated topography, backscatter intensity, ruggedness, slope, and the distribution of boulder ridges and bedrock outcrops in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts: Scientific Investigations Map 2840, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    This publication describes data collection and initial processing of multibeam bathymetry collected on Stellwagen Bank.
    Butman, Bradford, Valentine, Page C., Middleton, Tammie J., and Danforth, William W., 2007, A GIS library of multibeam data for Massachusetts Bay and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, offshore of Boston, Massachusetts: Data Series 99, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    This publication describes data collection and initial processing of multibeam bathymetry collected on Stellwagen Bank.
    Valentine, Page C., and Gallea, Leslie B., 2015, Seabed maps showing topography, ruggedness, backscatter intensity, sediment mobility, and the distribution of geologic substrates in quadrangle 6 of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region offshore of Boston, Massachusetts: Scientific Investigations Map 3341, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    This publication contains the equivalent information as this data release, but for quadrangle 6.
    Valentine, Page C., and Cross, VeeAnn A., 2024, Seabed maps showing topography, ruggedness, backscatter intensity, sediment mobility, and the distribution of geologic substrates in quadrangle 5 of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region offshore of Boston, Massachusetts: Scientific Investigations Map 3515, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    This report is the companion publication of the data release that provides the additional details and information related to the interpretation and methods. Additionally, the report contains PDF map representations of the seabed interpretation. The report also provides additional references related to the work in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

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?
    These data were navigated with a differential global positioning system (DGPS) with an assumed accuracy of +/- 10 meters.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    These data have been corrected for vessel motion (roll, pitch, heave, yaw) and tidal offsets, and referenced to mean lower low water. The manufacturer reported vertical resolution of the Simrad EM-1000 multibeam echo sounder is 1% of water depth, which is better than 2 m given the depths within the study area (~30 to 184 meters). Data were corrected for tidal elevation using the NOAA Boston tide gauge.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    These data represent all the multibeam bathymetry data available in quadrangle 5 of the Stellwagen Bank study area collected as part of this study. This grid represents a less polished version of the Creed data that has not undergone extensive filtering, interpolation, or smoothing compared to some of the bathymetric products listed in the cross-references (for example, Butman and others, 2007). There are some no data gaps within the grid that have been left uninterpolated.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    The original bathymetry data were acquired and processed using an established workflow. Although several individuals were responsible for processing the data, everyone followed the established workflow and best practices.

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 Not to be used for navigation.
  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 the Esri binary grid of the bathymetry data provided in a zip file (q5_13mbathygrd.zip), the same data in GeoTIFF format with an accompanying world file (q5_13mbathy.tif), the browse graphic of the data (q5_13mbathy_browse.png) along with FGDC CSDGM compliant metadata in XML format. The binary grid is comprised of two folders - info and q5_13mbathy, each having numerous files combining to make the Esri binary format. For ease of transfer, the grid format is provided in a zip file.
  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.
  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 as an ArcInfo 32-bit floating point binary grid in Esri format. The data are also available in GeoTIFF format. The user must have a software program capable of uncompressing archived zip files as well as reading one of these formats. The directory structure as it appears in the WinZip file of the Esri grid format must be maintained or else the binary grid is unusable.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 20-Mar-2024
Metadata author:
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)
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 the USGS.
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_P9W9BN3S/q5_13mbathy_meta.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.51 on Wed Aug 14 15:37:14 2024