Location of sea floor videos along with videos collected in 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Connecticut River during field activity 2012-024-FA (polyline shapefile and mp4 videos files)

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Location of sea floor videos along with videos collected in 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Connecticut River during field activity 2012-024-FA (polyline shapefile and mp4 videos files)
Abstract:
A geophysical and geological survey was conducted at the mouth of the Connecticut River from Old Saybrook to Essex, Connecticut, in September 2012. Approximately 230 linear kilometers of digital Chirp subbottom (seismic-reflection) and 234-kilohertz interferometric sonar (bathymetric and backscatter) data were collected along with sediment samples, riverbed photographs, and (or) video at 88 sites within the geophysical survey area. Sediment grab samples were collected at 72 of the 88 sampling sites, video was acquired at 68 sites, and photographs of the river bottom were taken at 38 sites. These survey data are used to characterize the riverbed by identifying sediment-texture and riverbed morphology. More information can be found on the web page for the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center field activity: https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2012-024-FA. Data collected during the 2012 survey can be obtained here: https://doi.org/10.5066/F7PG1Q7V.
Supplemental_Information:
Physical sediment samples, which provide additional information about the riverbed, were also collected at each sampling station and analyzed in the sediment laboratory at the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (see shapefile 2012-024-FA_samples.shp available from the larger work citation). See logical consistency report for a note about using these photos in conjunction with the video and sediment sample data. More information can be found on the WHCMSC Field Activity webpage: https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2012-024-FA. Data collected during the 2012 survey can be obtained here: https://doi.org/10.5066/F7PG1Q7V.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    U.S. Geological Survey, 2017, Location of sea floor videos along with videos collected in 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Connecticut River during field activity 2012-024-FA (polyline shapefile and mp4 videos files): data release DOI:10.5066/F7PG1Q7V, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Ackerman, Seth D., Foster, David S., Moore, Eric M., Irwin, Barry J., Blackwood, Dann S., and Sherwood, Christopher R., 2017, High-Resolution Geophysical and Sampling Data Collected at the Mouth of the Connecticut River, Old Saybrook to Essex, Connecticut, 2012: data release DOI:10.5066/F7PG1Q7V, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Suggested citation: Ackerman S.D., Foster D.S., Moore E.M., Irwin B.J., Blackwood D.S., and Sherwood, C.R., 2017, High-resolution geophysical and sampling data collected at the mouth of the Connecticut River, Old Saybrook to Essex, Connecticut, 2012: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7PG1Q7V.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -72.413472
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -72.334955
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.388882
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.265765
  3. What does it look like?
    http://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/data/field-activity-data/2012-024-FA/data/imagery/2012-024-FA_SEABOSSvideos.jpg (JPEG)
    Thumbnail image of riverbed video data locations collected in 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Connecticut River.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 21-Sep-2012
    Ending_Date: 23-Sep-2012
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition of survey dates: 20120921-20120923
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector data, 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 Vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
      • Entity point (68)
    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?
    2012-024-FA_SEABOSSvideos
    riverbed videos and locations (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    FID
    Internal feature number. (Source: Esri) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
    Shape
    Feature geometry. (Source: Esri) Coordinates defining the features.
    STATION
    Sequential station number scheme designated in the field. This number corresponds to the sample locations. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) String used to distinguish sampling stations.
    VIDNAME
    Name of riverbed video file used to uniquely identify between stations, cameras, and video files: i.e. 2012-024-FA_Station_22.mp4, where 2012-024-FA refers to the field activity identifier and Station_22.mp4 refers to the original filename including the sampling station identifier. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) String used to distinguish video clips.
    CAMERA
    Camera used to collect riverbed imagery. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) String used to distinguish between different camera models mounted on the SEABOSS.
    GPSSTART
    UTC start time of riverbed video clip with time determined by the GPS navigation file in format HH:MM:SS. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) UTC start time of riverbed video determined by the GPS.
    GPSEND
    UTC end time of riverbed video clip with time determined by the GPS navigation file in format HH:MM:SS. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) UTC end time of riverbed video determined by the GPS.
    LENGTH_M
    Distance (in meters) covered by the vessel for the duration of the video clip. In this case, the distances are minimal as the sampler was set down on the riverbed only a few brief times per sampling site for enough time to let the suspended sediment "kicked up" by the landing settle and get a decent photograph and video clip. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:2.2
    Maximum:163.7
    Units:meters
    Resolution:0.1
    JD
    Julian day; Julian day is the integer number representing the interval of time in days since January 1 of the year (265-267 for these data). (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:265
    Maximum:267
    Units:days
    Resolution:1
    DATE
    Date that the sea floor video was collected in the format: YYYYMMDD (20120921-20120923 for these data). (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:20120921
    Maximum:20120923
    Units:date
    Resolution:1
    YEAR
    Year that the sea floor video was collected (2012 for these data). (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:2012
    Maximum:2012
    Units:years
    Resolution:1
    SURVEYID
    WHCMSC field activity identifier (e.g. "2012-024-FA" where 2012 is the survey year, 024 is survey number of that year, and FA is Field Activity). (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) String used to distinguish cruises by year and ID number.
    DEVICEID
    Device used to collect the sample and sea floor video. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) String used to identify the SEABOSS configuration used during the survey.
    VEHICLEID
    Vehicle (ship) used to collect data during survey 2012-024-FA. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) String used to identify the survey vessel.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    The mp4 videos can be hyperlinked to their shapefile location in ArcGIS. The video files may show the modified SEABOSS sampler being deployed, drifting along the riverbed (sometimes touching-down on the riverbed to get a good image or sediment sample), and being recovered to the deck or the rail of the R/V Rafael. In all of the video clips there is an Orca SkinnyDipper Marathon dive computer; the number that can sometimes be seen in the middle is an uncalibrated approximate depth value.
    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)
    • U.S. Geological Survey
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Seth Ackerman
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2315 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    sackerman@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

This dataset is used to display the videos and locations of riverbed videos acquired with a black and white standard definition video drop camera on a modified SEABed OBservation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) collected during a 2012 USGS survey in the Connecticut River. Imagery data from both bottom photographs and videos is needed to validate geophysical data. The videos also help provide the basis for determining sediment texture where a physical sediment sample was not collected. This dataset contains riverbed videos from most of the sampling stations, as well as video tracklines in Geographic coordinates (WGS84).

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    video files and text data (source 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey, Unpublished Material, sea floor video and Navigation.

    Type_of_Source_Media: disc
    Source_Contribution:
    The SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) was designed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for rapid and effective collection of seabed images and sediment samples in coastal regions. The observations from video and still cameras and the sediment data are used to explore the nature of the riverbed/seafloor and, in conjunction with high-resolution geophysical data, to make interpretive maps of sedimentary environments and validate the acoustic remote sensing data. This particular setup of the SEABOSS was ultra simplified using only a GoPro HD Hero2 camera, a black and white drop video camera with topside feed, lights and a depth sensor attached to a ultra-lightweight square frame. At station 1 and stations 22-30, this small, simplified SEABOSS frame with the GoPro and video was hand deployed from the starboard side of the R/V Rafael. At these sites, no sediment sample was collected, however visual observations made from the video and photos at sites 22-30 were made and are included in this sediment sample dataset. Due to the poor visibility, the imagery portion of the sampling was halted and at stations 2-21 only the modified Van Veen sampler was used to collect sediment samples (without imagery). Beginning with station 31, through the end of the end of the sampling survey, the imagery frame (with the GoPro and video cameras) was attached to the modified Van Veen grab sampler and deployed together from the starboard side of the R/V Rafael. This sampler with the combined capibility of collecting imagery and a sediment sample, a modified version of the original USGS SEABOSS, is known as the mircoSEABOSS or the SEABOSSpro or the GoProSEABOSS. At a typical sampling site, the vessel occupied one of the target stations and deployed this modified SEABOSS. Usually at the end of a short photograph/video survey at each sampling site the winch operator lowered the Van Veen sampler until it rested on the riverbed. When the system was then raised a sample was taken from the riverbed and the sampler recovered to the deck of the survey vessel where a subsample was taken for analysis at the USGS Sediment Laboratory in Wood Hole, MA. The camera time during this survey was set to UTC; calibration photographs with the navigation system indicate that the camera time was 23 seconds ahead of GPS times, therefore a time offset was applied during photo processing. The GoPro camera was set to take a photo every 2 seconds while deployed. The best photos were acquired when the sampler was briefly set down on the riverbed. Likewise, the best video was typically acquired when the sampler was briefly set down on the riverbed prior to taking a sediment sample.
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 2012 (process 1 of 8)
    Eighty-eight stations were occupied during USGS survey 2012-024-FA with a modified SEABOSS (Blackwood and Parolski, 2001), equipped with a GoPro HD Hero2 and a black and white dropcam video camera collecting photographs and video, respectively. A Van Veen grab sampler was deployed at each station. Riverbed videos were acquired at stations 1 and stations 22-88 (the photo/video system was not used at stations 2-21 due to extremely poor visibility). Video files were recorded topside on the survey vessel to Digital8 Video (8mm DV) tape and DVDs. The DVD recordings were incomplete and video clips from several stations were corrupt. The DV tape represent a complete set of the survey data and were therefore processed for this data release. The original video files alone do not represent spatial data, however, post-processing the video with the navigation data and survey notes makes the link to spatially locate the imagery. The link is possible because the start and end times of the video file can be matched with corresponding time in the navigation logs. This process step and all subsequent process steps were performed by the same person - Seth Ackerman Person who carried out this activity:
    Seth Ackerman
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2315 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    sackerman@usgs.gov
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • Video files
    Date: 2014 (process 2 of 8)
    Convert from original media and split into individual files: The SEABOSS video imagery was originally recorded on Digital8 tapes. Each tape was played back and imported to a separate iMovie project (version iMovieHD6). Within iMovie, each individual SeaBOSS deployment was visually sseparated as its own video clip. In order to batch export all of the clips for a particular iMovie project a Perl script (parse_iMovie_XML_Mar2014.pl) was created which parsed the iMovie XML project file and created a shell script (do_convert_12024.sh). Each line of the do_convert_12024.sh script was an one-liner command to run the program FFMPEG with certain parameters and output a video file named by station number. For example... 
    >          ffmpeg -ss 0:0:1.701 -i 12024_DV1.iMovieProject/Media/12024\ DV-01.1\ 01.dv -c:v libx264 -crf 22 -preset slow -b:a 192k -ac 2 -y -t 306.707 Station_1.m4v
>          ffmpeg -ss 0:5:8.408 -i 12024_DV1.iMovieProject/Media/12024\ DV-01.1\ 01.dv -c:v libx264 -crf 22 -preset slow -b:a 192k -ac 2 -y -t 113.38 Station_22.m4v
>          ffmpeg -ss 0:7:1.788 -i 12024_DV1.iMovieProject/Media/12024\ DV-01.1\ 01.dv -c:v libx264 -crf 22 -preset slow -b:a 192k -ac 2 -y -t 276.31 Station_23.m4v
    where "-ss 0:7:1.788" means begin video at 7 minutes 1.788 seconds, "-i 12024_DV1.iMovieProject/Media/12024\ DV-01.1\ 01.dv" is the input video file, "-c:v libx264 -crf 22 -preset slow" are the video transcoding parameters (high-quality H.264 video using the encoder x264, constant frame rate of 22, slow speed transcoding for higher quality results), "-c:a libfaac -b:a 192k -ac 2" are the audio transcoding parameters (using the ACC encoding libraries, bitrate of 192 kilobits per second, in stereo layout), "-y" overwrites the output file if it exists, "-t 276.31" is the duration of the clip to transcode to the new file. Data sources used in this process:
    • Digital8 Digital Video tapes
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • DV video files within the iMovie Project
    • do_convert_12024.sh script
    Date: Sep-2017 (process 3 of 8)
    The do_convert script was run for each iMovie project creating individual video clips in m4v format; ffmpeg (version 3.1.2). The resulting video files were renamed by prepending the field activity identifier to the original video filename (e.g. 2012-024-FA_Station_22.m4v). Data sources used in this process:
    • DV video files within the iMovie Project
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • Processed m4v video files
    Date: 09-Oct-2017 (process 4 of 8)
    Converted the m4v files to mp4 files and removed the audio (which was a chirpy-sounding encoded GPS signal, a backup to the traditional navigation log) using a shell script that called on FFMPEG (version 3.1.2) video processing software. 
    > for f in *.m4v; do v=`echo $f | awk '{split($0,a,"."); print a[1]}'`; echo ffmpeg -i $f -c:v copy -pix_fmt yuv420p -an $v".mp4" |sh; done
    Data sources used in this process:
    • Processed m4v video files
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • Processed mp4 video files
    Date: Sep-2017 (process 5 of 8)
    A text drift log that includes the video filename, the sampling station number, the UTC start time, UTC end time, date and duration of the video file was created in preparation for creating a trackline file to associate with each video clip. Data sources used in this process:
    • survey notes and logs
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • drift log text file
    Date: Sep-2017 (process 6 of 8)
    The raw navigation feed from the Hemisphere Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) receiver was logged at a one-second interval using Microsoft HyperTerminal on a Dell Latitude D820 laptop computer during the sampling survey. Log files were recorded for each survey day (by Gregorian day). The navigation files were processed using an AWK script (no version) called awkseth.gpgga.12024.awk by survey day and concatenated in to a single navigation file. Then a PYTHON script (SEABOSStools) was run to match up the video clips with the navigation log. (1) driftlog_gui_v4.py - PYTHON script that uses the drift log created in the previous process step and the processed navigation file described above. The output of this is the location shapefile for the riverbed videos with the fields: field activity identifier, sampling station name, year, date in the format JJJ (where JJJ is the Julian day (sequential day number starting at 1 Jan of the survey year)), video start time in the format HH:MM:SS where (HH:MM:SS is UTC time in hours:minutes:seconds), video end time in the format HH:MM:SS, GPS start time in the format HH:MM:SS and GPS end time in the format HH:MM:SS. The difference between the video start/end time and the GPS start/end time would be if the navigation was not collected at a 1-second interval. For this survey the video and GPS start were identical, and the same was true for the video and GPS end times. Data sources used in this process:
    • RAW navigation log files
    • drift log text file
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • Sea floor video location shapefile (polyline)
    Date: Oct-2017 (process 7 of 8)
    XTools Pro (version 12.0) for ArcGIS (version 10.3.1) was used to reorganize, remove (video start and end times) and add new fields (TABLE OPERATIONS - TABLE RESTRUCTURE) to the polyline shapefile including adding an attribute for the video name (VIDNAME), survey ID (SURVEYID), device used to collect the imagery and samples (DEVICEID), the survey vessel (VEHICLEID), the date of imagery collection (DATE) and the Camera used (CAMERA). The length field ('Length_M') was populated using 'Calculate Geometry' (Property=Length; Use coordinate system of the data frame=WGS 1984 UTM Zone 18N; Unit=meters), which can be accessed by right-clicking on the attribute field name in the table view.
    Date: 08-Sep-2020 (process 8 of 8)
    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?
    Blackwood, D., and Parolski, K., 2001, Seabed observation and sampling system: Sea Technology v.42, no.2, p. 29-43, Compass Publications, Inc., Arlington, VA.

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    The black and white drop video camera used on the modified SEABOSS acquired SD videos at 640 x 480 resolution.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    The original video files alone do not represent spatial data, however the post-processing the video with the navigation data and survey notes makes the link to spatially locate the imagery. Navigation for the sampling survey 2012-024-FA used the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) from the Hemisphere DGPS unit. he recorded position of each photo is actually the position of the GPS antenna on the survey vessel, located on the aft of the R/V Rafael's cabin just port of the centerline, not the location of the SEABOSS sampler. The SEABOSS was deployed approximately 2 meters to the starboard side of the DGPS antenna. No layback or offset was applied to the recorded position. In addition to the +/- 2 meters offset the SEABOSS may drift additionally away from the survey vessel when deployed to the riverbed. Based on the various sources for horizontal offsets, a conservative estimate the horizontal accuracy of the bottom photograph locations is 2-4 meters.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    This dataset includes riverbed video in mp4 format and a trackline shapefile of the location of the ship for the duration of the video during USGS survey 2012-024-FA aboard the R/V Rafael in the Connecticut River. Eighty-eight sampling sites were occupied within the study area using a modified SEABOSS. Video imagery from the water column and on deck or were otherwise not usable were deleted. A total of 68 video files are included in this dataset; due to the riverbed turbidity and extremely poor visibility, no imagery was collected at sites 2-21. Sediment samples were collected at those sites; please consult the sediment grain-size data associated with this survey. The photograph and video system was deployed again beginning with sampling station 22.
    Videos were edited but many still contain a significant amount of footage that do not show the riverbed. Many videos show a significant amount of suspended sediment in the water column, especially when the sampler touched-down on the riverbed. Some videos also have footage (typically less than 10-15 seconds, if any, at the end of the clip) of the sampler being recovered and hung over the side of or placed on the deck of the R/V Rafael. Notable exceptions are video clips from stations 1, 38, 65 75, 77, 80 and 82 which all have more than 15 seconds out-of-water footage (up to 2 minutes for station 1; stations 65 and 75 have 60 and 30 seconds, respectively, out-of-water in the middle of the clips).
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    Gaps in sequential video filename numbers exist. These videos should be used in conjunction with other data such as co-located photographs and the analyses of co-located sediment sample which provide sediment grain-size data (see shapefile in this data release 2012-024-FA_samples.shp). Beginning with sampling site 31, where the sediment sampler and the imagery frame were tethered together, the location of sediment samples, photographs and videos are often coincident as they were collected during the same deployment of the modified SEABOSS. A notable exceptions to this are at sample sites 31 and 36, where the sampler did not collect a successful sample during the original deployment so a sample was taken approximately 100 meter south (sample 31) and 30 meters west (sample 36) of where video and photos were collected.

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 as the originator of the dataset.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    Seth Ackerman
    U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Science Center
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2315 (voice)
    sackerman@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? USGS data release 2012-024-FA contains riverbed video locations and riverbed video files (68 total video clips) collected in the Connecticut River (2012-024-FA_SEABOSSvideos.zip). The zip file contains the following shapefile: 2012-024-FA_SEABOSSvideos.shp and 68 riverbed video files (*.mp4) from the black and white dropcam video camera. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) metadata files (2012-024-FA_videos.xml) in standard formats are also included in the zip file.
  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 available in polyline shapefile format. The user must have software capable of reading shapefile format to use these data. A video viewer can be used to see the mp4 video files.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 18-Mar-2024
Metadata author:
Seth Ackerman
U.S. Geological Survey
Geologist
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA
USA

508-548-8700 x2315 (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/field_activities/2012_024_fa/2012-024-FA_SEABOSSvideos.faq.html>
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