Summary of analytical data for sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch collected on USGS Field Activity 2016-001-FA

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Summary of analytical data for sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch collected on USGS Field Activity 2016-001-FA
Abstract:
Variability in sediment properties with depth and the thickness of individual sedimentary layers are critical determinants of seabed acoustic response. The New England Mud Patch (NEMP), located south of Cape Cod, is an unusual feature on the U.S. Continental Shelf in that it is composed of fine-grained sediment layers containing a relatively-homogeneous mix of sand, silt, and clay-sized particles bounded by more typical sandy shelf sediments. The unique characteristics and nature of this deposit is due to a derivation of sediments that have been transported to, and deposited in, a basal bowl-shaped depression since the last glacial maximum. Ninety-two piston, vibra-, and gravity cores with a maximum length of 8.2 meters were collected from across the New England Mud Patch during a 2-leg, 10-day cruise aboard the R/V Endeavor in the spring of 2016. Geologic characterization and analysis of a subset of the cores including grain size, CaCO3, mineral composition, and bulk index properties (undrained shear strength, water content, density, and porosity) of discrete samples was carried out at the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center's (WHCMSC) Sediment Analysis Laboratory. This data release contains the results of these analyses, along with visual core descriptions and summary sheets for each core analyzed for this study.
Supplemental_Information:
Cores were collected on the 2016 R/V Endeavor cruise EN577 from April 19, 2016 to May 2, 2016. Information about this expedition, also known as USGS Field Activity 2016-001-FA, is available at https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2016-001-FA
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Boggess, A.A., Buczkowski, B.J., and Chaytor, J.D., 20210819, Summary of analytical data for sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch collected on USGS Field Activity 2016-001-FA: data release DOI: 10.5066/P9ZYK3PX, 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.

    Boggess, A.A., Buczkowski, B.J., and Chaytor, J.D., 2021, Sedimentological and geotechnical analyses of marine sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Suggested citation: Boggess, A.A., Buczkowski, B.J., and Chaytor, J.D., 2021, Sedimentological and geotechnical analyses of marine sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ZYK3PX.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.7979
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.4370
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.5952
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.3058
  3. What does it look like?
    https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/60804620d34e8564d683624b/?name=MudPatchCores_BrowseGraphic.png (PNG)
    Browse image of the core collection locations and spatial extent of the study area
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 19-Apr-2016
    Ending_Date: 02-May-2016
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: spreadsheet
  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?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    EN577_[COREID]_SummarySheet.csv
    Template for each of the spreadsheets in this dataset. Each attribute definition and description applies to all of the 68 comma-separated value spreadsheet files in this collection. Maximum and minimum values for each attribute represent the range of the entire dataset. (Source: Producer Defined)
    Depth (cm)
    Top of the depth interval at which the core was sampled. All physical samples in this dataset were taken at a 1 centimeter interval. (Source: Producer Defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:10
    Maximum:410
    Units:centimeters
    % Organic Matter
    Weight percent of organic carbon in sample, measured with loss-on-ignition analysis. (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Bulk carbon content analysis was not performed on this sample.
    Range of values
    Minimum:5.32
    Maximum:5.94
    Units:weight percent
    Resolution:0.01
    %CaCO3
    Weight percent of calcium carbonate in sample, measured with loss-on-ignition analysis. (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>No Data
    Range of values
    Minimum:3.84
    Maximum:5.16
    Units:weight percent
    Resolution:0.01
    Water Content (%)
    Weight of water loss as a percentage of initial weight, measured using water content or moisture and density (MAD) analysis. (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Water content analysis was not performed on this sample.
    Range of values
    Minimum:34.15
    Maximum:41.62
    Units:weight percent
    Resolution:0.01
    Wet Bulk Density (g/cm3)
    Density of wet sample, measured using water content or moisture and density (MAD) analysis. (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Moisture and density (MAD) analysis was not performed on this sample
    Range of values
    Minimum:1.34
    Maximum:1.72
    Units:grams per cubic centimeter
    Resolution:0.01
    Dry Bulk Density (g/cm3)
    Density of dry sample, measured using water content or moisture and density (MAD) analysis. (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Moisture and density (MAD) analysis was not performed on this sample
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.79
    Maximum:1.13
    Porosity (plug)
    Fraction of total initial sample volume occupied by pore water prior to drying process, measured using water content or moisture and density (MAD) analysis. (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Moisture and density (MAD) analysis was not performed on this sample
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.55
    Maximum:0.64
    Units:percent of 1
    Resolution:0.01
    Porosity (Pyc)
    Porosity of dry sample measured by pycnometer, not including salt precipitated during drying process. (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Pycnometer density analysis was not performed on this sample.
    Range of values
    Minimum:nan
    Maximum:nan
    Units:percent of 1
    Resolution:0.01
    Grain Density Plug (g/cm3)
    Density of solid materials (sediment grains) in initial sample prior to drying process, not including the dissolved salt in pore water, measured using water content or moisture and density (MAD) analysis. (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>No Data
    Range of values
    Minimum:1.75
    Maximum:2.79
    Units:grams per cubic centimeter
    Resolution:0.01
    Grain Density Pyc (g/cm3)
    Grain density of dry sample measured by pycnometer (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Pycnometer density analysis was not performed on this sample.
    Range of values
    Minimum:nan
    Maximum:nan
    Units:grams per cubic entimeter
    Su (kPa)
    Shear strength of sediment, measured with a vane torque gauge and converted to kPa (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>No Data
    Range of values
    Minimum:5.27
    Maximum:22.29
    Units:kilopascals
    Resolution:0.02
    Gravel %
    Gravel content in percent dry weight of the sample (particles with nominal diameters greater than 2 mm; -1 Phi and larger) (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Grain size data was not performed on this sample.
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.0
    Maximum:0.04
    Units:weight percent
    Sand %
    Sand content in percent dry weight of the sample (particles with nominal diameters less than 2 mm, but greater than or equal to 0.0625 mm; 0 Phi through 4 Phi). (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Grain size data was not performed on this sample.
    Range of values
    Minimum:9.08
    Maximum:30.53
    Units:weight percent
    Resolution:0.01
    Silt %
    Silt content in percent dry weight of the sample (particles with nominal diameters less than 0.0625 mm, but greater than or equal to 0.004 mm; 5 Phi through 8 Phi, inclusive). (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Grain size data was not performed on this sample.
    Range of values
    Minimum:39.45
    Maximum:68.02
    Units:weight percent
    Resolution:0.01
    Clay %
    Clay content in percent dry weight of the sample (particles with nominal diameters less than 0.004 mm; 9 Phi and smaller). (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Grain size data was not performed on this sample.
    Range of values
    Minimum:7.22
    Maximum:44.66
    Units:weight percent
    Resolution:0.01
    Sediment Classification
    Sediment description based on the classification scheme of the USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary (Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Grain size data was not performed on this sample.
    character string; see "Grain size analyses of sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch collected on USGS Field Activity 2016-001-FA" within the greater work for a list of sediment classifications present in the greater dataset.
    Mean Phi
    Average value in the grain size distribution in phi units (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Grain size data was not performed on this sample.
    Range of values
    Minimum:4.83
    Maximum:7.25
    Units:phi
    St. Dev Phi
    Standard deviation (root mean square of the deviations) of the grain size distribution in phi units (sorting). (Source: Producer Defined)
    ValueDefinition
    << empty cell >>Grain size data was not performed on this sample.
    Range of values
    Minimum:1.68
    Maximum:2.07
    Units:phi
    Resolution:0.01
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    This dataset is comprised of 68 CSV spreadsheet files, each pertaining to an individual core. The naming convention of the files is "[CORE ID]_SummarySheet.csv", where [CORE ID] indicates the core identification assigned in the field. Geographical data about the core collection location can be found in "Collection locations of sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch collected on USGS Field Activity 2016-001-FA" within the greater work.
    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)
    • A.A. Boggess
    • B.J. Buczkowski
    • J.D. Chaytor
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Jason Chaytor
    U.S. Geological Survey, Northeast Region
    Research Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    US

    508-457-2351 (voice)
    jchaytor@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

The data gained through the analyses of cores collected from the New England Mud Patch help provide a comprehensive understanding of the nature and properties of the sediments found in this geographic location. The summary sheet for each individual core can be used as a quick reference for identifying the core's general geophysical properties.

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: 2021 (process 1 of 2)
    Sediment cores were cut into sections on the research vessel and later split in half in the laboratory. The data collected for each core includes loss-on-ignition for bulk carbon content, moisture and grain density analysis, undrained vane shear strength, and grain size. In addition to being compiled by analysis type for other items within this data release, data were compiled into summary sheets for individual core ID's. Each summary sheet contains all available data from analyses that were performed on a particular core.
    Date: 17-Nov-2021 (process 2 of 2)
    Tweaked a thesaurus name (20211117). 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?
    Chaytor, Jason D., Ballard, Megan S., Buczkowski, Brian J., Goff, John A., Lee, Kevin M., Reed, Allen H., and Boggess, Allyson A., 2021, Measurements of Geologic Characteristics and Geophysical Properties of Sediments from the New England Mud Patch: IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society, Piscataway, NJ.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    This journal article is the publication supported by this data release.

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    Each type of analysis compiled into the summary sheets has its own respective method of quality assurance and quality control. The data was checked to ensure that the data results matched up with their respective depth intervals.
  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?
    Of the 98 cores collected during the R/V Endeavor EN577 cruise, 69 cores have summary spreadsheets of their data. No vibracores are included in this dataset because of the four analyses reflected in these summary sheets (bulk carbon content, moisture and grain density analysis, undrained vane shear strength, and grain size), only bulk carbon content analyses were performed on this core type. See "Bulk organics and carbonate content of sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch collected on USGS Field Activity 2016-001-FA" within the greater work for vibracore carbon content data.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    Summary sheets are a compilation of multiple types of data. Logical consistency reports for each type of data in this dataset can be found in other items of the data release. For example, reports for bulk carbon and organics can be found in "Bulk organics and carbonate content of sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch collected on USGS Field Activity 2016-001-FA" within the larger work.

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. The 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.
  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
    United States

    1-888-275-8747 (voice)
    sciencebase@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? 68 comma-separated value spreadsheets (EN577_[CORE_ID]_SummarySheet.csv, where [CORE_ID] indicates core identification number), the browse graphic (MudPatchCores_BrowseGraphic.png) and the FGDC CSDGM metadata in XML format (EN577_SummarySheet_Metadata.xml).
  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 on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.
  4. How can I download or order the data?

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 22-May-2023
Metadata author:
Allyson A Boggess
U.S. Geological Survey, NORTHEAST REGION
Geologist
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA
US

508-457-2341 (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 metadata contact is no longer with the USGS or the email is otherwise invalid.
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_P9ZYK3PX/EN577_SummarySheet_Metadata.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.51 on Mon May 22 15:13:28 2023