Long Island Sound Environmental Studies

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What does this data set describe?

Title: Long Island Sound Environmental Studies
Abstract:
This CD-ROM (Compact Disk - Read Only Memory) contains sidescan sonar, high-resolution seismic-reflection, bathymetric, textural, and bibliographic data and interpretations collected, compiled, and produced through the U.S. Geological Survey/State of Connecticut Cooperative and the Long Island Sound Environmental Studies Project of the Coastal and Marine Geology Program, U.S. Geological Survey during October 1991 to August 1998. Cooperative research with the State of Connecticut was initiated in 1982. During the initial phase of this cooperative program, geologic framework studies in Long Island Sound were completed. The second and current phase of the program, which is the focus of this CD-ROM, emphasizes studies of sediment distribution, processes that control sediment distribution, near-shore environmental concerns, and the relationship of benthic communities to sea-floor geology. The study area covers all of Long Island Sound, which is bordered on the north by the rocky shoreline of Connecticut, on the east by Block Island Sound, on the south by the eroding sandy bluffs of Long Island, and on the west by the East River and the New York metropolitan area.
Sidescan sonar data were variously collected with 100 kHz Klein, Datasonics, and Edgetech systems under two survey schemes. In the first scheme, the data were collected along closely-spaced grids where the ship tracks were spaced 150 m apart and the sonar system was set to sweep 100 m to either side of the ship's track. This scheme produced the continuous-coverage acoustic images that are stored on the CD-ROM as TIF files. In the second scheme, the sidescan sonar data collected along reconnaissance lines spaced about 2,400 m apart. Only selected portions of this data, when used for geologic interpretation, are stored on this CD-ROM. Under both survey schemes, the sidescan sonar data were processed according to procedures summarized by Danforth and others (1991) and Paskevich (1992a, 1992b, 1992c).
The seismic reflection data were variously collected with an Ocean Research Equipment 3.5-kHz profiler transmitting at a 0.25-s repetition rate and a Datasonics CHIRP system set to sweep between 2-7 kHz. Only selected seismic-reflection data, which are used as examples in geologic interpretations, are stored as GIF-formatted images on this CD-ROM.
Navigation during this project was determined with a differential Global Positioning System (GPS); position data were logged at 10-second intervals. The bathymetric data were collected by means of a 200-kHz echo sounder and logged digitally.
Surficial sediment (0-2 cm below the sediment-water interface) sampling completed as part of this project was conducted using a Van Veen grab sampler equipped with an Osprey video and still camera system. The photographic system was used to appraise bottom variability around stations, faunal communities, and sedimentary processes. It also documented bedrock outcrops and boulder fields where samples could not be collected. The fine fraction (less than 62 microns) was analyzed by Coulter Counter (Shideler, 1976); the coarse fraction was analyzed by sieving (gravel) and by rapid sediment analyzer (sand; Schlee, 1966). The data were corrected for the salt content of interstitial water. Size classifications are based on the method proposed by Wentworth (1929) and were calculated using the inclusive graphics statistical method (Folk, 1974), using the nomenclature proposed by Shepard (1954). A detailed discussion of the sedimentological methods employed are given in Poppe and others (1985); a detailed description of the methods used to perform the CHN analyses are given in Poppe and others (1996) . The database presented here contains over 14,000 records and 83 fields (see the Data Dictionary below). The specific fields and parameters have been chosen based on the data produced by the sedimentation laboratory of the Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey in Woods Hole, Mass., and the format of information typically found in the literature. Because the data have come from numerous sources, there are differing amounts and types of information. Most of the samples or sets of samples do not have data in all of the given fields. However, additional fields, qualifiers, and data can be added in virtually unlimited fashion to accommodate specific needs. The database itself is provided in four formats: Microsoft EXCEL, ver. 5, Quattro Pro for Windows, Dbase IV, and Tab-delimited ASCII text.
Four bathymetric data sets are presented and include:1) Interpretations of the bathymetry within the continuous-coverage sidescan sonar study areas; 2} The NOS database modified to remove extraneous data (i.e. bouys); 3) Contoured National Ocean Service (NOS) bathymetry digitized by Applied Geographics Inc., Boston, Massachusetts; and 4) a fly-by based on the modified NOS database. Data files are present in ASCII format with navigation and depth in meters. The bathymetric interpretations within the sidescan sonar study areas are based on mean sea level and stored as TIF images; the NOS data are based on mean low sea level; and the fly-by is configured to run in QuickTime or MPEG, which can be downloaded from this CD-ROM.
The bibliographic database, which contains over 2,000 references, is stored as an ASCII text, Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect, HTML, and Microsoft EXCEL files. This bibliography is largely a compilation of references from Lewis and Coffin (1985) and the GENCAT bibliographic database at the Long Island Sound Resource Center, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Groton, Connecticut. These sources have been supplemented by citations from the BIOSIS, GEOREF, and FISH AND FISHERIES WORLDWIDE bibliographic databases.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Poppe, Lawrence J., and Polloni, Christopher, 1998, Long Island Sound Environmental Studies: Open-File Report 98-502, U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-502
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -73.8
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.8
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.4
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.75
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 01-Oct-1991
    Ending_Date: 01-Oct-1998
    Currentness_Reference:
    publication date
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      Indirect_Spatial_Reference:
      Horizontal X and Y are in decimal degrees from Greenwich and the Equator for each sample location. Navigation are stored with each record.
    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 Degrees and decimal minutes. The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is Geodetic Reference System 80.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222.
      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
      Altitude_System_Definition:
      Altitude_Datum_Name: two-way travel time
      Altitude_Resolution: 1
      Altitude_Distance_Units: m
      Altitude_Encoding_Method: Attribute values
      Depth_System_Definition:
      Depth_Datum_Name: mean sea level
      Depth_Resolution: 1
      Depth_Distance_Units: meters
      Depth_Encoding_Method: Attribute values
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    The sidescan sonar data were acquired using a Klein (Norwalk, Milford, Hammonasset, Niantic Bay, and Fishers Island Sound Surveys), Datasonics SIS-1000 (Falkner Island and Roanoke Point Surveys), and Edgetech (New Haven Harbor and New Haven Dumping Ground Surveys) sidescan sonar systems. The sidescan sonar data were digitally logged to 8-mm tape with Q-MIPS (Norwalk, Milford, Hammonasset, Niantic Bay, and Fishers Island Sound Surveys) and ISIS (Falkner Island, Roanoke Point, New Haven Harbor, and New Haven Dumping Ground Surveys) acquisition systems.The sidescan sonar data were processed according to procedures summarized by Danforth and others (1991) and Paskevich (1992a; 1992b). Briefly, the sonar data were multiplexed, filtered to convert the data into a processing format and to remove speckle noise and corrected for slant-range distortions. Additional corrections were applied to compensate for signal attenuation and dropped lines in the sonar data. A contrast enhancement based on the dynamic range of the data was applied, ship navigation was merged with the sonar data, and the data were geographically oriented and displayed on a Mercator grid.
    After this preliminary processing, these data were used to make the composite digital mosaics. Alternating strips of sonar data were placed in their proper geographic location at the appropriate scale and projection (Paskevich (1992c). The adjacent sonar images were matched for tone, unwanted data (where two images overlapped) were digitally trimmed off, and images were progressively combined into composite digital images. Registration between the shiptrack navigation and the strips of sidescan sonar data are generally good throughout both of the study areas. The final digital mosaics, which have a 1-m pixel size, were output as TIF images for this CD-ROM.
    List of chapters in the report and the datasets associated with each chapter:
    CHAPTER 1 -MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS SHOWING THE ACOUSTIC AND TEXTURAL CHARACTERISTICS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF BOTTOM SEDIMENTARY ENVIRONMENTS, LONG ISLAND SOUND, CONNECTICUT-NEW YORK. by Harley J. Knebel, Richard P. Signell, Richard R. Rendigs, Lawrence J. Poppe, and Jeffery H. List. Points to a mosaic in chapter 2.
    CHAPTER 2 - DETAILED SURVEYS
    Each individual survey has a TIFF image of the sidescan sonar mosaic in that area.
    Survey Number 1. --SIDESCAN SONAR IMAGE, SURFICIAL GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION, AND BATHYMETRY OF THE LONG ISLAND SOUND SEA FLOOR OFF HAMMONASSET BEACH STATE PARK, CONNECTICUT. by Lawrence J. Poppe, Ralph S. Lewis, Roman N. Zajac, David C. Twichell, Eric A. Schmuck, Kenneth F. Parolski, and Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen. Sidescan sonar mosaic.
    Survey Number 2.--BATHYMETRY, SIDESCAN SONAR IMAGE, AND SURFICIAL GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION OF LONG ISLAND SOUND OFF NORWALK, CONNECTICUT. by David C. Twichell, Roman N. Zajac, Lawrence J. Poppe, Ralph S. Lewis, VeeAnn Cross, David Nichols, and Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen. Sidescan sonar mosaic.
    Survey Number 3.--SIDESCAN SONAR IMAGE, SURFICIAL GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION, AND BATHYMETRY OF THE LONG ISLAND SOUND SEA FLOOR IN NIANTIC BAY AND VICINITY, CONNECTICUT. by Lawrence J. Poppe, Ralph S. Lewis, Jane F. Denny, Kenneth F. Parolski, Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen, and Douglas S. Tolderlund. Sidescan sonar mosaic.
    Survey Number 4.--SIDESCAN SONAR IMAGE, SURFICIAL GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION, AND BATHYMETRY OF THE LONG ISLAND SOUND SEA FLOOR OFF MILFORD, CONNECTICUT. by David C. Twichell, Roman N. Zajac, Lawrence J. Poppe, Ralph S. Lewis, VeeAnn A. Cross, David R. Nichols, and Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen. Sidescan sonar mosaic.
    Survey Number 5.--SIDESCAN SONAR IMAGE, SURFICIAL GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION, ANDBATHYMETRY OF THE FISHERS ISLAND SOUND SEA FLOOR, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, AND RHODE ISLAND. by Lawrence.J. Poppe, Ralph S. Lewis, Jane F. Denny, Kenneth F. Parolski, and Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen. Sidescan sonar mosaic.
    Survey Number 6.--SIDESCAN SONAR IMAGE, SURFICIAL GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION, AND BATHYMETRY OF THE LONG ISLAND SOUND SEA FLOOR AROUND FALKNER ISLAND, CONNECTICUT. by Lawrence J. Poppe, Ralph S. Lewis, Jane F. Denny, Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen, and Kenneth F. Parolski. Sidescan sonar mosaic.
    Survey Number 7.--SIDESCAN SONAR IMAGE, SURFICIAL GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION, ANDBATHYMETRY OFF ROANOKE POINT, NEW YORK by Lawrence J.Poppe, Ralph S. Lewis, Richard P. Signell, Harley J Knebel, Mohabir Persaud, Jane F. Denny, Kenneth F. Parolski, and Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen. Sidescan sonar mosaic.
    Survey Number 8.--SIDESCAN SONAR IMAGES, SURFICIAL GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATIONS, AND BATHYMETRY OF NEW HAVEN HARBOR, CONNECTICUT, AND THE NEW HAVEN DUMPING GROUND, NORTH-CENTRAL LONG ISLAND SOUND. by Lawrence J. Poppe, Ralph S. Lewis, Harley J. Knebel, Eric A. Haase, Kenneth F. Parolski, and Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen. Sidescan sonar mosaic.
    Survey Number 9.--SIDESCAN SONAR IMAGE OF THE SEAFLOOR OFF NEW LONDON, CONNECTCIUT by R.S. Lewis, M.L. DiGiacomo-Cohen, and D.C. Twichell. Three sidescan sonar mosaics.
    CHAPTER 3 - SURFICIAL SEDIMENT DATABASE by Lawrence J. Poppe, Mary E. Hastings, Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen, Frank T. Manheim, and Zofia J. Mlodzinska. Sediment grain-size analysis in various formats (Microsfot EXCEL, Quattro Pro for Windows, Dbase IV, tab-delimited text)
    CHAPTER 4 - A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON BENTHIC COMMUNITIES CONDUCTED IN LONG ISLAND SOUND AND AN ASSESSMENT OF STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS. by Roman N. Zajac
    CHAPTER 5 - CONTAMINANT DISTRIBUTION AND ACCUMULATION IN SEDIMENTS OF LONG ISLAND SOUND: FIELD WORK AND INITIAL RESULTS by M. R. Buchholtz ten Brink and E. L. Mecray. Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
    CHAPTER 6 - BATHYMETRY AND CURRENT MODELING by Richard P. Signell. Shapefile, Esri E00 file, XYZ text files. Not all files are available as links in the chapters, but should be available from https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-502/chapt6/
    Number 1.--FLY-OVER OF LONG ISLAND SOUND by John G. Evans and Richard P. Signell. MPEG and MOV animations.
    Number 2.--LONG ISLAND SOUND TOPOGRAPHIC GRID by R.P. Signell and Amy Farris.
    Number 3.--DIGITAL BATHYMETRIC CONTOURS FROM NOAA CHARTS AS ORGANIZED FOR THE LISS GIS LIBRARY by M.L. DiGiacomo-Cohen, Mark Tedesco, and Chris Polloni. ArcInfo export file (E00).
    Number 4.--PHYSICAL PROCESSES AFFECTING SEDIMENTARY ENVIRONMENTS IN LONG ISLAND SOUND. by Richard P. Signell, Harley J. Knebel, Jeffery H. List, and Any S. Ferris
    CHAPTER 7 - LONG ISLAND SOUND BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASE by Ralph S. Lewis, Alexander C. Robinson, Nancy McHone, Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen, Catherine Coffin, Lawrence J. Poppe and Chris Polloni
    CHAPTER 8 - VISUALIZING LONG ISLAND SOUND DATA LAYERS USING GEOGRAPHIC MAPPING TOOLS by Chris Polloni and Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
    Danforth, W.W., O'Brien, T.F., and Schwab, W.C., 1991, USGS image processing system: near real-time mosaicking of high resolution side scan SONAR data: Sea Technology, v. 32, p. 54-60.
    Paskevich, Valerie, 1992a, Woods Hole Image Processing System software implementation: using NetCDF as a software interface for image processing: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 92-25, 66 p.
    Paskevich, Valerie, 1992b, Digital processing of side-scan sonar data with the Woods Hole Image Processing System software: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 92-204, 9 p.
    Paskevich, Valerie, 1992c, Digital mapping of side-scan sonar data with the Woods Hole Image Processing System software: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 92-536, 87 p.

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Lawrence J. Poppe
    • Christopher Polloni
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    Long Island Sound Environmental Studies Project
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Lawrence J. Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Long Island Sound Environmental Studies Project
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Woods Hole Field Center
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Quissett Campus
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    (508) 548-2314 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

Long Island Sound is a major east-coast estuary that has more than 8 million people within its watershed. Because of this enormous population, anthropogenic wastes, toxic chemicals, and changes in land use from residential, commercial, and recreational development have stressed the environment of the Sound, causing degradation and potential loss of benthic habitats (Koppelman and others, 1976). A detailed understanding of sea-floor processes are needed to help evaluate the extent of adverse impacts and to manage resources wisely in the future. Therefore, we conducted acoustic and sampling surveys, both regionally and within specific areas of special interest. The data and interpretations serve many purposes including: (1) defining the geological variability of the sea floor, one of the primary controls of benthic habitat diversity; (2) improving our understanding of the processes that control the distribution and transport of bottom sediments, the benthic habitats, and the associated infaunal community structures; and (3) providing raw data and a detailed framework for future research, monitoring, and management activities. The sidescan-sonar mosaics also serve as base maps for subsequent sedimentological, geochemical and biological observations because precise information on environmental setting is important for selection of sampling sites and for accurate interpretation of point measurements. The goal of this project is to provide a regional synthesis of the offshore geology and physical oceanography to support a wide variety of management decisions and to provide a basis for further process-oriented investigations. The project was conducted cooperatively with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Connecticut Geologic and Natural History Survey, the University of New Haven, the University of Connecticut, and the New York State Department Division of Coastal Resources.
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation
Danforth, W.W., O'Brien, T.F., and Schwab, W.C., 1991, USGS image processing system: near real-time mosaicking of high resolution side scan SONAR data: Sea Technology, v. 32, p. 54-60.
Folk, R.L., 1974, The petrology of sedimentary rocks: Hemphill Publishing Co., Austin, Tx, 182 p.
Koppelman, L.E., Weyl, P.K., Gross, M.G., and Davies, D.S., 1976, The Urban Sea - Long Island Sound: Praeger Publishers, New York, 223 p.
Lewis, R.S., and Coffin, C., 1985, Long Island Sound - a bibliography: Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Bulletin No. 8, 99 p.
Paskevich, Valerie, 1992a, Woods Hole Image Processing System software implementation: using NetCDF as a software interface for image processing: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 92-25, 66 p.
Paskevich, Valerie, 1992b, Digital processing of side-scan sonar data with the Woods Hole Image Processing System software: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 92-204, 9 p.
Paskevich, Valerie, 1992c, Digital mapping of side-scan sonar data with the Woods Hole Image Processing System software: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 92-536, 87 p.
Poppe, L.J., Eliason, A.H., and Fredericks, J.J., 1985, APSAS - An automated particle size analysis system: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 963, 77 p.
Poppe, L.J., Zajac, R.N., Lewis, R.S., Mlodzinska, Z.J., Pratt, S.E., Taylor, B.B., and DiGiacomo-Cohen, M.L., 1996, Organic carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen concentrations in surficial sediments from western Long Island Sound, Connecticut and New York: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-708, 20 p.
Schlee, J., 1966, A modified Woods Hole rapid sediment analyzer: Journal Sedimentary Petrology, v. 30, p. 403-413.
Shepard, F.P., 1954, Nomenclature based on sand-silt-clay ratios: Journal Sedimentary Petrology, v. 24, p. 151-158.
Shideler, G.L., 1976, A comparison of electronic particle counting and pipet techniques in routine mud analysis: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 42, p. 122-134.
Wentworth, C.K., 1929, Method of computing mechanical composition of sediments: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 40, p. 771-790.

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: Sep-1997 (process 1 of 2)
    The sidescan sonar data were logged on 8-mm tape with the Q-MIPS and ISIS acquisition systems. The Norwalk and Milford surveys were processed the U.S. National Marine Fisheries facility in Milford, Connecticut. All other processing of sidescan data were performed at the Woods Hole Field Center of the Coastal and Marine Geology Program, U.S. Geological Survey. The sediment samples were frozen in the field. Textural samples were processed in the sedimentation laboratory at the Woods Hole Field center; CHN analyses were performed at the facilities of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Marine Biological Laboratory. Mean sea-level tidal-height measurements used to correct the bathymetric data for the detailed surveys were computed by the Tidal Analysis Branch of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland (Norwalk, Milford, Hammonasset, Niantic Bay, and Fishers Island Sound Surveys) and Tides and Currents version 2.1, a commercially available software program (Falkner Island, Roanoke Point, New Haven harbor, and new haven Dumping Ground Surveys) . Person who carried out this activity:
    Poppe, Lawrence J.
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Principal Investigator, Long Island Sound Environmental Studies Project
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Woods Hole Field Center
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Quissett Campus
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    (508) 457-2314 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov
    Date: 09-Sep-2025 (process 2 of 2)
    This metadata file was edited for inclusion in the CMHRP metadata inventory. These edits included but are not limited to converting the metadata from HTML to XML format; update the citation with the series and online links; did not change the currentness reference, but it's obviously not the publication date. Added the ISO 19115 Topic Category and USGS Thesaurus and appropriate terms; for required elements that were either blank or absent, the element was filled with a note indicating the original metadata did not contain the informations; fixed all errors which included removing empty elements; removed extraneous characters; fixed the horizontal spatial reference section based to make it error free, but not sure that spatial reference applies to all datasets in the publication. The original horizontal spatial reference section is as follows:
    Spatial_Reference_Information:
    Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
    Planar:
    Grid_Coordinate_System:
    Grid_Coordinate_System_Name:
    Geographic:
    Planar:
    Planar_Coordinate_Information:
    Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair
    Planar_Distance_Units: Degrees decimal minutes
    Geodetic_Model:
    Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983
    Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80

    Added a list of the chapters in the entity and attribute overview section along with the data available from each chapter; updated the distribution liability with an FSP approved statement; added the online digital transfer option and links; updated the metadata date; provided a generic email and contact instructions in the metadata contact section. Compare the metadata dates to determine which metadata file is most recent in the event more than one metadata is discovered. A persistent identifier (PID) was added to the metadata in the thesaurus section. (20250909) Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: VeeAnn A. Cross
    Marine Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    (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?
    The ships were navigated with Differential GPS
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    Bathymetry was corrected to mean sea-level by the Tidal Analysis Branch of the national Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and commercially available software.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    archive of acoustic (sidescan and bathymetric) and sampling (textural) data
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    Information not available from original metadata.

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)
    Soderberg, Nancy
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Data Library
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Woods Hole Field Center
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Quissett Campus
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    (508) 548-8700 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    nsoderberg@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? U.S. Geological Survey CD-ROM Open-File Report Data Archive
  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?
    • Availability in digital form:
      Data format: The report is a complilation of several individual studies, each study is a chapter with a total of 8 chapters. Data available for the various chapters varies between chapters, but encompasses formats TIFF (sidesan sonar mosaics), JPEG (figures containing data display), XLS (sample analyses), tab-delimited TEXT (sample analyses, Dbase IV (sample analyses), and Quattro Pro for Windows (sample analyses). The transfer size reflects the entire contents of the CD-ROM. The individual data files are considerably smaller, with the largest under 60 MB. in format TIFF Size: 650
      Network links: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-502/fpage.htm
      https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr98502
      Media you can order: CD-ROM (format ISO 9660)
      Note: UNIX, DOS, MAC
      Data format: The report is a complilation of several individual studies, each study is a chapter with a total of 8 chapters. Data available for the various chapters varies between chapters, but encompasses formats TIFF (sidesan sonar mosaics), JPEG (figures containing data display), XLS (sample analyses), tab-delimited TEXT (sample analyses, Dbase IV (sample analyses), and Quattro Pro for Windows (sample analyses). The transfer size reflects the entire contents of the CD-ROM. The individual data files are considerably smaller, with the largest under 60 MB. in format JPEG
      Network links: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-502/fpage.htm
      https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr98502
      Media you can order: CD-ROM (format ISO 9660)
      Note: UNIX, DOS, MAC
      Data format: The report is a complilation of several individual studies, each study is a chapter with a total of 8 chapters. Data available for the various chapters varies between chapters, but encompasses formats TIFF (sidesan sonar mosaics), JPEG (figures containing data display), XLS (sample analyses), tab-delimited TEXT (sample analyses, Dbase IV (sample analyses), and Quattro Pro for Windows (sample analyses). The transfer size reflects the entire contents of the CD-ROM. The individual data files are considerably smaller, with the largest under 60 MB. in format XLS (version Version 5)
      Network links: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-502/fpage.htm
      https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr98502
      Media you can order: CD-ROM (format ISO 9660)
      Note: UNIX, DOS, MAC
      Data format: The report is a complilation of several individual studies, each study is a chapter with a total of 8 chapters. Data available for the various chapters varies between chapters, but encompasses formats TIFF (sidesan sonar mosaics), JPEG (figures containing data display), XLS (sample analyses), tab-delimited TEXT (sample analyses, Dbase IV (sample analyses), and Quattro Pro for Windows (sample analyses). The transfer size reflects the entire contents of the CD-ROM. The individual data files are considerably smaller, with the largest under 60 MB. in format TEXT
      Network links: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-502/fpage.htm
      https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr98502
      Media you can order: CD-ROM (format ISO 9660)
      Note: UNIX, DOS, MAC
      Data format: The report is a complilation of several individual studies, each study is a chapter with a total of 8 chapters. Data available for the various chapters varies between chapters, but encompasses formats TIFF (sidesan sonar mosaics), JPEG (figures containing data display), XLS (sample analyses), tab-delimited TEXT (sample analyses, Dbase IV (sample analyses), and Quattro Pro for Windows (sample analyses). The transfer size reflects the entire contents of the CD-ROM. The individual data files are considerably smaller, with the largest under 60 MB. in format DBF (version Dbase IV)
      Network links: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-502/fpage.htm
      https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr98502
      Media you can order: CD-ROM (format ISO 9660)
      Note: UNIX, DOS, MAC
      Data format: The report is a complilation of several individual studies, each study is a chapter with a total of 8 chapters. Data available for the various chapters varies between chapters, but encompasses formats TIFF (sidesan sonar mosaics), JPEG (figures containing data display), XLS (sample analyses), tab-delimited TEXT (sample analyses, Dbase IV (sample analyses), and Quattro Pro for Windows (sample analyses). The transfer size reflects the entire contents of the CD-ROM. The individual data files are considerably smaller, with the largest under 60 MB. in format WQL
      Network links: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-502/fpage.htm
      https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr98502
      Media you can order: CD-ROM (format ISO 9660)
      Note: UNIX, DOS, MAC
      Data format: The report is a complilation of several individual studies, each study is a chapter with a total of 8 chapters. Data available for the various chapters varies between chapters, but encompasses formats TIFF (sidesan sonar mosaics), JPEG, XLS (sample analyses), tab-delimited TEXT (sample analyses, Dbase IV (sample analyses), and Quattro Pro for Windows (sample analyses). The transfer size reflects the entire contents of the CD-ROM. The individual data files are considerably smaller, with the largest under 60 MB. in format EOO (version Arc/Info export format)
      Network links: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-502/fpage.htm
      https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr98502
      Media you can order: CD-ROM (format ISO 9660)
      Note: UNIX, DOS, MAC
      Data format: The report is a complilation of several individual studies, each study is a chapter with a total of 8 chapters. Data available for the various chapters varies between chapters, but encompasses formats TIFF (sidesan sonar mosaics), JPEG, XLS (sample analyses), tab-delimited TEXT (sample analyses, Dbase IV (sample analyses), and Quattro Pro for Windows (sample analyses). The transfer size reflects the entire contents of the CD-ROM. The individual data files are considerably smaller, with the largest under 60 MB. in format MOV (version Quicktime movie format)
      Network links: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-502/fpage.htm
      https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr98502
      Media you can order: CD-ROM (format ISO 9660)
      Note: UNIX, DOS, MAC
      Data format: The report is a complilation of several individual studies, each study is a chapter with a total of 8 chapters. Data available for the various chapters varies between chapters, but encompasses formats TIFF (sidesan sonar mosaics), JPEG, XLS (sample analyses), tab-delimited TEXT (sample analyses, Dbase IV (sample analyses), and Quattro Pro for Windows (sample analyses). The transfer size reflects the entire contents of the CD-ROM. The individual data files are considerably smaller, with the largest under 60 MB. in format MPEG (version Moving Picture Experts Group)
      Network links: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-502/fpage.htm
      https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr98502
      Media you can order: CD-ROM (format ISO 9660)
      Note: UNIX, DOS, MAC
    • Cost to order the data: none

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 09-Sep-2025
Metadata author:
Polloni, Chris
U.S. Geological Survey
Seafloor Mapping Group
U.S. Geological Survey
Woods Hole Field Center
384 Woods Hole Road
Quissett Campus
Woods Hole, MA
USA

(508) 457-2280 (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 U.S. Geological Survey.
Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/whcmsc/open_file_report/ofr1998-502/ofr1998-502_meta.faq.html>
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