Survey tracklines along which bathymetric data were collected with a SEA Ltd., SWATHplus-H interferometric sonar with in the Barnegat Bay, New Jersey by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2011, 2012, and 2013 (Esri polyline shapefile, Geographic, WGS 84)

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Survey tracklines along which bathymetric data were collected with a SEA Ltd., SWATHplus-H interferometric sonar with in the Barnegat Bay, New Jersey by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2011, 2012, and 2013 (Esri polyline shapefile, Geographic, WGS 84)
Abstract:
Water quality in the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor estuary along the New Jersey coast is the focus of a multidisciplinary research project begun in 2011 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. This narrow estuary is the drainage for the Barnegat Watershed and flushed by just three inlets connecting it to the Atlantic Ocean, is experiencing degraded water quality, algal blooms, loss of seagrass, and increases in oxygen -depletion events, seaweed, stinging nettles, and brown tide. The scale of the estuary and the scope of the problems within it necessitate a multidisciplinary approach that includes characterizing its physical characteristics (for example, depth, magnitude and direction of tidal currents, distribution of seafloor and subseafloor sediment) and modeling how the physical characteristics interact to affect the estuary's water quality. Scientists from USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program offices in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and St. Petersburg, Florida, began mapping the seafloor of the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor estuary in November 2011 and completed in September 2013. With funding from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and logistical support from the USGS New Jersey Water Science Center, they collected data with a suite of geophysical tools, including swath bathymetric sonar for measuring seafloor depth, a sidescan sonar for collecting acoustic-backscatter data (which provides information about seafloor texture and sediment type), and a subbottom profiler for imaging sediment layers beneath the floor of the estuary. 2011-041-FA: http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2011-041-FA 2012-003-FA: http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2012-003-FA 2013-014-FA: http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2013-014-FA 2013-030-FA: http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2013-030-FA
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    U.S. Geological Survey, 2015, Survey tracklines along which bathymetric data were collected with a SEA Ltd., SWATHplus-H interferometric sonar with in the Barnegat Bay, New Jersey by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2011, 2012, and 2013 (Esri polyline shapefile, Geographic, WGS 84): Data Series 937, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Andrews, Brian D., Miselis, Jennifer L., Danforth, William W., Irwin, Barry J., Worley, Charles R., Bergeron, Emile M., and Blackwood, Dann S., 2015, Marine geophysical data collected in a shallow back-barrier estuary, Barnegat Bay, New Jersey: Data Series 937, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -74.318604
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -74.049521
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.089499
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 39.468328
  3. What does it look like?
    BarnBayBathTrks.jpg (JPEG)
    Image of tracklines along which bathymetry was collected with Barnegat Bay, NJ. File is located in the compressed zip file.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 01-Nov-2011
    Ending_Date: 16-Sep-2013
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition of individual surveys during bathymetry collection: 20111101-20111107; 20120321-20120408; 20130313-20130326; 20130911-20130916.
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
      • String (1084)
    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 0.000001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.000001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees. The horizontal datum used is D_WGS_1984.
      The ellipsoid used is WGS_1984.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257224.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    BarnBayBathTrks
    SWATHplus bathymetry tracklines collected in Barnegat Bay, NJ. (Source: USGS)
    FID
    Internal feature number. (Source: Esri) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
    Shape
    Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI) Coordinates defining the features.
    JDay
    The Julian Day the data were collected where Julian day is the integer number representing the interval of time in days since January 1 of the year of collection. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:72
    Maximum:311
    Survey
    Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Field Activity Number. For example, the Field Activity number 2011-041-FA:where the first 4 characters are the year of the survey (2011), followed by the sequential number of the survey (041), followed by "FA" for Field Activity. (Source: USGS) Character set.
    Shape_Leng
    Length of each feature in meters (UTM 18 WGS 84), automatically calculated in the feature class before exporting to shapefile (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.85
    Maximum:14865.89
    Resolution:0.1
    Grid
    Attribute records whether the data were used in the final bathymetric grid published in this report. "Yes" means this line is a source for the grid bbbath2m http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0937/downloads/raster/bbbath2m.zip, "no" mean it was not used in the bbbath2m grid (Source: USGS) Character set.
    LineName
    Name of the survey line and corresponding raw data file that was collected along that line. For example "L123F2" is survey line (L) 123, File2 (F2) (Source: USGS) Character set

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?
    Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as the source of this information
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Brian Andrews
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geographer
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2348 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bandrews@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

The purpose of these data are to manage the location and filenames of the approximately 2,164 kilometers of bathymetry files collected by the USGS in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    raw sxr files (source 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey, Unpublished Material, raw SWATHplus-H bathymetry files in .SXR format.

    Type_of_Source_Media: disc
    Source_Contribution:
    SONAR CONFIGURATION: Bathymetry data were acquired using Systems Engineering and Assessment Ltd (SEA) SWATHplus-H interferometric sonar operating at a frequency of 468 kHz. The sonar transducers were mounted on a rigid pole installed on the bow of the R/V Rafael.
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 2013 (process 1 of 10)
    Step 1: Raw to Processed Conversion: Navigation information is recorded and stored within each SWATHplus raw (sxr) data file and converted to a processed file (sxp) using SEA Swath Processor software (v. 3.07). Data were converted during each survey in the year 2011, 2012, and 2013. Person who carried out this activity:
    Brian Andrews
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geographer
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2348 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bandrews@usgs.gov
    Date: 2013 (process 2 of 10)
    Step 2: CARIS Processing: A new Computer Aided Resource Information System (CARIS) Hydrographic Information Processing System (HIPS) project (v. 7.2) was created for each of the four surveys with projection information set to Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 18, WGS 84. Each SWATHplus processed file (sxp) was imported to the new CARIS project using the Import/Conversion Wizard. Navigation was checked and edited as needed using the Navigation Editor tool.Data were processed during each survey in the year 2011, 2012, and 2013. Person who carried out this activity:
    Brian Andrews
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geographer
    384 Woods Hole Rd
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2348 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bandrews@usgs.gov
    Date: 28-Jan-2014 (process 3 of 10)
    Step 3: Convert CARIS Tracklines to a shapefile: The tracklines in the separate CARIS projects were converted to an Esri shapefile during a two-step process. First the CARIS tracklines were converted to a CARIS Map (.des) using the export tool within HIPS "HIPS to CARIS Map" Input File: All lines in the HIPS project. The "Export Track Lines" option was checked. Output File: "SurveyName"BathTrks.des Second, using CARIS Conversion Utility (v. 2.1) The CARIS Map (.des) file was converted to an Esri shapefile. During the conversion the name of the HIPS line file "Source" and "Day" were carried over to the shapefile. Input File: "SurveyName"BathTrks.des Output File: "SurveyName"BathTrks.shp.
    Date: 2013 (process 4 of 10)
    Step 4. Add Attributes to each survey shapefile: The following string attributes were added to each of the four trackline shapefiles by using the context menu within ArcCatalog (v. 9.3.1). "JDay", "Survey", and "LineName" The JDay was derived from the "Day" attribute, and "LineName" was derived from the "Source" attribute from CARIS. Deleted the "Day" and "Source" attributes once calculation was complete. Person who carried out this activity:
    Brian Andrews
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geographer
    384 Woods Hole Rd
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2348 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bandrews@usgs.gov
    Date: Mar-2014 (process 5 of 10)
    Step 5. Merge into a File Geodatabase feature class. The four separate bathymetric tracklines from each of the three surveys ("SurveyName"BathTrks.shp) were merged into one feature class (BarnBayBathTrks) using the "Merge" Tool in ArcToolbox (v. 9.3.1). Person who carried out this activity:
    Brian Andrews
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geographer
    384 Woods Hole Rd
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2348 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bandrews@usgs.gov
    Date: 14-Apr-2014 (process 6 of 10)
    Step 6: Add "Grid" attribute and populate with lines used for final bathymetry grid http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0937/downloads/raster/bbbath2m.zip. Created new field using the "add field" context menu in ArcMap (v. 9.3.1). Populated the new field "Grid" by manually selecting lines that were not used in the final grid (bbbath_2m) and then using the context menu "Field Calculator" to add "no" to those selected lines. Used the "Switch Selection" menu to select all lines that were used for the final grid and populated those selected records with "yes" using same method as above. The lines included in the "bbtl2m" grid are included in the metadata for that data set. Person who carried out this activity:
    Brian Andrews
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geographer
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2348 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bandrews@usgs.gov
    Date: 14-Apr-2014 (process 7 of 10)
    Step 7: Convert to Shapefile. The final feature class of all bathymetry tracklines were converted to a shapefile using the "export to shapefile (single" context menu within ArcCatalog (v. 9.3.1). Input file: BarnBayBathTrks (FC), output file: BarnBayBathTrks.shp. During the conversion process the data were projected from the UTM Zone 18 WGS 84 coordinate system to the Geographic Coordinate System of 1984 (WGS 84). Person who carried out this activity:
    Brian Andrews
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geographer
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2348 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bandrews@usgs.gov
    Date: 20-Jul-2018 (process 8 of 10)
    USGS Thesaurus keywords added to the keyword section. 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
    Date: 15-Nov-2019 (process 9 of 10)
    Crossref DOI link was moved to the first link in the metadata. 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
    Date: 08-Sep-2020 (process 10 of 10)
    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?

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?
    Two different navigation systems (DGPS and RTK) were used to record horizontal positions of the bathymetric sonar because RTK system was not available for all four surveys. 2011-041-FA and 2013-014-FA: Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) navigation was used to determine the horizontal position (x, and y coordinates) of the GPS antenna mounted above the SWATHplus-H transducers with sub-meter accuracy. A motion reference unit (Coda Octopus F180) was mounted directly above the sonar transducers and continuously measured vertical displacement (heave) and attitude (pitch and roll) of the vessel during data acquisition. Horizontal offsets between navigation and attitude antennas and the SWATHplus-H transducers were applied during acquisition in the configuration files for the SWATHplus-H and Coda Octopus F180 software. Differential corrections were obtained real-time via the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) providing horizontal accuracy of 1-2 meters. 2012-003-FA and 2013-030-FA Real Time Kinematic (RTK) navigation was used to determine the horizontal position (x, and y coordinates) of the GPS antenna mounted above the SWATHplus-H transducers with sub-meter accuracy. A RTK-enabled motion reference unit (Coda Octopus F190) was mounted directly above the sonar transducers and continuously measured vertical displacement (heave) and attitude (pitch and roll) of the vessel during data acquisition. Horizontal offsets between navigation and attitude antennas and the SWATHplus-H transducers were applied during acquisition in the configuration files for the SWATHplus-H and Coda Octopus F190 software.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Navigation data from all survey lines processed in CARIS HIPS are included in this spatial dataset.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    Navigation was checked for consistency and any erroneous points were removed during processing. Duplicate names may exist for the "LineName" attribute; however a further query of the data by the "Survey" attribute will produce unique tracklines for each record in this spatial 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 none
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    Brian Andrews
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geographer
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2348 (voice)
    bandrews@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? BarnBayBathTrks.zip: contains BarnBayBathTrks.shp and the associated shapefile files, BarnBayBathTrks.jpg browse graphic, and the associated FGDC metadata.
  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. 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?
    This zip file contains data in shapefile format. The user must have software capable of uncompressing the WinZip file and displaying the shapefile.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 18-Mar-2024
Metadata author:
Brian Andrews
U.S. Geological Survey
Geographer
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA
USA

508-548-8700 x2348 (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. (updated on 20240318)
Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/whcmsc/data_series/DS-937/BarnBayBathTrks.faq.html>
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