Sediment Data Produced by the Bigelow Laboratory (BIGELOW shapefile)

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Sediment Data Produced by the Bigelow Laboratory (BIGELOW shapefile)
Abstract:
The data in this layer are from a number of published and unpublished sets produced by the Bigelow Laboratory. The source projects were conducted primarily to examine contaminant (e.g. trace metals, PAHs) distributions, but also produced sediment textural data. The data were originally converted into digital format for inclusion in the Gulf of Maine Contaminated Sediments Database.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Larsen, Peter, Hastings, Polly, and Poppe, Lawrence, 2003, Sediment Data Produced by the Bigelow Laboratory (BIGELOW shapefile): Open-File Report 03-001, 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.

    Poppe, L.J., Paskevich, V.F., Williams, S.J., Hastings, M.E., Kelley, J.T., Belknap, D.F., Ward, L.G., Fitzgerald, D.M., and Larsen, P.F., 2003, Surficial Sediment Data from the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and vicinity: a GIS Compilation: Open-File Report 03-001, U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 CD-ROM
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.296670
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -65.673330
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 44.466670
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.976670
  3. What does it look like?
    http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-001/data/seddata/bigelow/bigelow-thumb.gif (GIF)
    Thumbnail image showing extent and distribution of data layer coverage.
    http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-001/data/seddata/bigelow/bigelow.gif (GIF)
    Image map showing extent and distribution of data layer coverage.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Calendar_Date: 1983
    Currentness_Reference:
    publication date
  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):
      • Entity point (469)
    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 0.00001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.00001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees. The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1927.
      The ellipsoid used is Clarke 1866.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378206.400000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/294.978698.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    bigelow.dbf
    Shapefile Attribute Table (Source: ESRI)
    FID
    Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
    Shape
    Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI) Coordinates defining the features.
    SEQ
    Sequential number identifying each record (Source: Compilers)
    Range of values
    Minimum:1
    Maximum:450
    Units:integer count
    Resolution:1
    LOCAL_ID
    Unique identifier used to distinguish samples and replicates (Source: Scientist) Characters and numerics used to distinguish records
    SOURCEID
    Author and year of publication for records (Source: Compiler) Abbreviated citations for each project
    PROJECTID
    Short title of the project during which the data were generated (Source: Scientist) Abbreviated project titles
    LATITUDE
    Latitude coordinate of sample location (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:41.97667
    Maximum:44.46667
    Units:decimal degrees
    Resolution:0.00001
    LONGITUDE
    Longitude coordinate of sample location (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-70.29667
    Maximum:-65.67333
    Units:decimal degrees
    Resolution:0.00001
    SOUNDING_M
    Water depth in meters (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:603.5
    Units:meters
    Resolution:0.1
    YEAR_ANAL
    Year the samples were analyzed (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:1980
    Maximum:1991
    Units:years
    Resolution:1
    GRAVEL
    Percentage of gravel in sample (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:0
    Units:percent
    Resolution:1
    SAND
    Percentage of sand in sample (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.28
    Maximum:89.5
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01
    SILT
    Percentage of silt in sample (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:5.01
    Maximum:69.7
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01
    CLAY
    Percentage of clay in sample (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.3
    Maximum:83.51
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01
    FINES
    Percentage of fines (silt plus clay) (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.9
    Maximum:100.0
    Units:percent
    Resolution:0.01
    LITHOLOGY
    Verbal description of sediment (Source: Scientist) Character String; Lithologic descriptions
    CLASS_SYS
    System used to generate statistics (Source: Scientist)
    ValueDefinition
    FOLKFolk's classification scheme
    MEAN_PHI
    Mean of the grain size distribution (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-0.305
    Maximum:15.7393
    Units:phi
    Resolution:0.0001
    STDDEV
    Standard Deviation (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.2036
    Maximum:7.2576
    Units:phi
    Resolution:0.0001
    SKEWNESS
    Skewness of the size distribution (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-0.9525
    Maximum:2.8358
    Units:none
    Resolution:0.0001
    KURTOSIS
    Kurtosis of the size distribution (Source: Information unavailable from original metadata.)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-0.3818
    Maximum:2.2506
    Units:none
    Resolution:0.0001

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Peter Larsen
    • Polly Hastings
    • Lawrence Poppe
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    Please review the cross reference information for the original data set credits, and Larry Poppe for creating this ArcView shapefile.
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Lawrence J. Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    (508) 548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

The purpose of this data layer is to make available a subset of a data set produced by the Bigelow Laboratory of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. This subset contains information for those samples with sediment grain-size data, and which are located on the inner continental shelf from the northwestern Gulf of Maine.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 1 of 1)
    Larsen, Peter, Unpublished Material, Gulf of Maine Sediment Data Produced by the Bigelow Laboratory: Bigelow Laboratory, Boothbay Harbor, ME.

    Type_of_Source_Media: disc
    Source_Contribution: Information unavailable from original metadata.
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 31-Oct-2002 (process 1 of 5)
    Textural and lithologic data from the northwestern Gulf of Maine were manually entered into Excel and exported to an ASCII file. Stations and sediment data were imported from the ASCII text file to an ArcView table. The table was later converted to an event theme and saved as the final shapefile. Person who carried out this activity:
    Lawrence J. Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    (508) 548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • bigelow.txt
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • bigelow.shp
    • bigelow.shx
    • bigelow.dbf
    Date: 01-Dec-2015 (process 2 of 5)
    Edits to the metadata were made to fix any errors that MP v 2.9.32 flagged. This is necessary to enable the metadata to be successfully harvested for various data catalogs. In some cases, this meant adding text "Information unavailable" or "Information unavailable from original metadata" for those required fields that were left blank. Other minor edits were probably performed (title, publisher, publication place, etc.). The source information was incomplete and had to be modified to meet the standard. The metadata date (but not the metadata creator) was edited to reflect the date of these changes. The metadata available from a harvester may supersede metadata bundled within a download file. Compare the metadata dates to determine which metadata file is most recent. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: VeeAnn A. Cross
    Marine Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2251 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    vatnipp@usgs.gov
    Date: 20-Jul-2018 (process 3 of 5)
    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: 18-Nov-2019 (process 4 of 5)
    Crossref DOI link was added as 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 5 of 5)
    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?
    Larsen, P.F., Zdanowicz, V., Johnson, A.C., and Doggert, L.F., 1983, Trace metals in New England marine sediments: Casco Bay Maine, in relation to other sites: Chemical Ecology v. 1, p. 191-200.

    Larsen, P.F., Johnson, A.C., and Doggert, L.F., 1983, Environmental benchmark studies in Casco Bay-Portland Harbor, Maine, April 1980: NOAA Technical Memorandum Report No. NMFS-F/NEC-19, 173 p..

    Larsen, P.F., Gadbois, D.F., Johnson, A.C., and Doggert, L.F., 1983, Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surficial sediments of Casco Bay, Maine: Bulletin Environmental Contamination Toxicology v. 30, p. 530-535..

    Larsen, P.F., and Johnson, A.C., 1983, Sediment quality studies in Casco Bay and Penobscot Bay, Maine: Bigelow Laboratory Technical Report No. 33, 56 p..

    Larsen, P.F., Zdanowicz, V., and Johnson, A.C., 1983, Trace metal distributions in surficial sediments of Penobscot bay, Maine: Bulletin Environmental Contamination Toxicology v. 31, p. 566-573..

    Johnson, A.C., Gadbois, D.F., Larsen, P.F., and Humason, A.W., 1985, The distribution of PAHs in surficial sediments of Penobscot Bay (Maine, USA) in relation to possible sources and to other sites worldwide: Marine Environmental Research v. 15, p. 1-16..

    Larsen, P.F., Gadbois, D.F., and Johnson, A.C., 1986, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Gulf of Maine sediments: distribution and mode of transport: Marine Environmental Research v. 18, p.231-244..

    Larsen, P.F., 1985, A review of five years of sediment quality investigations in the Gulf of Maine: Bigelow Laboratory Technical Report No. 50, 86 p..

    Larsen, P.F., and Gaudette, H.E., 1995, Spatial and temporal aspects of sedimentary trace metal concentrations in mid-coast Maine: Marine Pollution Bulletin v. 30, p. 437-444..

    Larsen, P.F., 1991, Results of a seasonal survey of trace metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Casco Bay, Maine: Bigelow Laboratory Technical Report No. 87, 29 p..

    Larsen, P.F., Vdanowicz, V.S., Gadbois, D.F., and Johnson, A.C., unknown, Trends in sediment concentrations of trace metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons following the introduction of sewage treatment in Casco Bay, Maine.

    Larsen, P.F., Gadbois, D.F., Johnson, A.C., and Doggert, L.F., 1983, PCB monitoring in the Casco Bay regionof the Gulf of Maine: Marine Pollution Bulletin v. 14, p. 32..

    Larsen, P.F., Gadbois, D.F., Johnson, A.C., and Maney, R.F., 1984, On the appearance of PCBs in the surficial sediments of Casco Bay, Maine: Marine Pollution Bulletin v. 15, p. 452-453..

    Larsen, P.F., Gadbois, D.F., and Johnson, A.C., 1984, Sediment PCB distribution in the Penobscot Bay region of the Gulf of Maine: Marine Pollution Bulletin v. 15, p. 34-35..

    Larsen, P.F., Gadbois, D.F., and Johnson, A.C., 1985, Observations on the distribution of PCBs in deepwater sediments of the Gulf of Maine: Marine Pollution Bulletin v. 16, p. 439-442..

    Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, 1992, Assessment of sediment contamination in Casco Bay: GERG Technical Report No. 92-157.

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    All attributes were checked by the compilers in a consistent manner.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    Data from the 1980s was navigated primarily by LORAN C with an accuracy of 100 m; data from the 1990s was navigated primarily by DGPS with an accuracy of 10 m.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Identifiers, navigation, grain-size data, statistics and lithology are provided for 518 stations.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    No additional checks for topological consistency were performed on the data

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 (USGS) as the source of this information.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    Lawrence J. Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    (508) 548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? Downloadable Data
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    Although these data have been used by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), no warranty expressed or implied is made by the U.S. Geological Survey as to the accuracy of the data. 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?
    • Availability in digital form:
      Data format: Five files (bigelow.shp, bigelow.dbf, bigelow.shx, bigelow.sbx, bigelow.sbn) comprising the ArcView point shapefile components, 'prj' and 'avl' files, metadata text file and browse graphic. in format SHP (version 3.2) ESRI point shapefile Size: 0.012
      Network links: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-001/data/seddata/bigelow/bigelow.zip
      Media you can order: CD-ROM (Density 650 Mbytes) (format ISO 9600)
      Note: The user must have a computer system with a CD-ROM available. To browse the information contained on this CD-ROM, the user must have a current WWW browser available. The user must also have software installed on their computer to unzip the archived file.
    • Cost to order the data: None

  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    These data are available in Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) shapefile format. The user must have ArcGIS or ArcView 3.0 or greater software to read and process the data file. In lieu of ArcView or ArcGIS, the user may utilize another GIS application package capable of importing the data. A free data viewer, ArcExplorer, capable of displaying the data is available from ESRI at www.esri.com.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 16-Nov-2021
Metadata author:
Lawrence J. Poppe
U.S. Geological Survey
Geologist
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA
USA

(508) 548-8700 x2314 (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 Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/whcmsc/open_file_report/ofr2003-001/bigelow.shp.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.50 on Tue Nov 16 10:06:29 2021