Lithologic Descriptions of Bottom Sediments for the New England coast and the Gulf of Maine region (SMITHSONIAN shapefile)

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Lithologic Descriptions of Bottom Sediments for the New England coast and the Gulf of Maine region (SMITHSONIAN shapefile)
Abstract:
These data, which comprise part of the Smithsonian Institution Master Sediment data file, were abstracted by the staff of the Smithsonian Institution from materials submitted for archival by various groups and individuals. Most of the data in this set were collected by the National Ocean Service (NOS, formerly the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey) for the purpose of charting the coastal waters and navigable waterways of the United States. Prior to 1985, the NOS data were released as part of the National Ocean Surveys Hydrographic Database. After 1985, sediment samples collected by NOS during surveys were transferred to the Smithsonian for archival and textural analysis. All of the data in this set were collected post 1985 and have been processed by the Smithsonian. These data were supplied by the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), but this data set contains fields that are only a subset of those fields available in the full Smithsonian data set. For example, the data have been clipped to eliminate those stations that were not from the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, or the shelf and slope off southeastern New England. Last update of this file was July, 2001.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Poppe, Lawrence J., 2003, Lithologic Descriptions of Bottom Sediments for the New England coast and the Gulf of Maine region (SMITHSONIAN 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: -71.998060
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -67.000000
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 44.803060
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.000000
  3. What does it look like?
    http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-001/data/seddata/smithsonian/smithsonian-thumb.gif (GIF)
    Thumbnail image showing extent and distribution of data layer coverage.
    http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-001/data/seddata/smithsonian/smithsonian.gif (GIF)
    Image map showing extent and distribution of data layer coverage.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 1965
    Ending_Date: 06-Jan-1995
    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 (3188)
    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?
    smithsonian.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.
    SOURCE
    Organization responsible for compiling the data (Source: Compiler)
    ValueDefinition
    SMITHSONIANInformation unavailable from original metadata.
    CATALOG_NO
    Unique number assigned to each record by the Smithsonian Institution (Source: Compiler)
    Range of values
    Minimum:1
    Maximum:58133
    Units:station
    Resolution:1
    SHIP
    Affilication and name of vessels used to collect samples (Source: Scientist) Character string of width 27.
    PROJECTID
    Individual project during which samples were collected. (Source: Scientist) Character string of width 27.
    DATE
    Day, month, and year when the samples were collected. (Source: Scientist) Character string of width 11; DD-Mmm-YY
    AREA
    General geographic area where samples were collected (Source: Scientist) Character string of width 27.
    STATE
    State adjacent to the area where samples were collected. (Source: Scientist) Character string of width 25.
    SPECIFIC_L
    Specific geographic area where the samples were collected (Source: Scientist) Character string of width 53.
    STATION
    Sampling station name (Source: Scientist) Character string of width 11.
    LATITUDE
    Latitutde coordinate of sample location (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:41.60000
    Maximum:44.80306
    Units:Decimal degrees
    Resolution:0.00001
    LONGITUDE
    Longitude coordinate of sample location (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-71.99806
    Maximum:-67.00000
    Units:Decimal degrees
    Resolution:0.00001
    COLLECTOR
    Name of Chief Scientist who collected samples (Source: Scientist) Character string of width 18.
    BOTTOM_DES
    Brief description of bottom character (Source: Scientist) Character string of width 22.
    DEVICE
    Equipment used to collect samples (Source: Scientist) Character string of width 43.
    LITHOLOG_D
    Verbal description of the bottom-sediment lithology at the stations (Source: Scientist) Character string of width 73.
    LITHOLOGY
    Short textural description of the sediment (Source: Compiler) Character string of width 20.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    Navigation, lithologic descriptions, and identifiers for those stations off the northeastern U.S. that comprise a portion of the Smithsonian Institution Master Sediment Database.
    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)
    • Lawrence J. Poppe
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    National Geophysical Data Center for supplying the original Smithsonian dataset. Larry Poppe for creating the 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 provide the lithologic description in the Smithsonian dataset in a form that can be more easily used to interpret surficial sediment distributions off the northeastern United States.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 1 of 1)
    Institution, Smithsonian, Unpublished Material, Smithsonian Institution Master Sediment Data File.

    Type_of_Source_Media: CD-ROM
    Source_Contribution: Information unavailable from original metadata.
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 18-Dec-2002 (process 1 of 5)
    The lithologic descriptions, together with navigation and survey identifiers, were clipped to cover oly a limited geographic area and selected attributes saved as an ASCII text file. The ASCII text file was imported to an ArcView table. The table was later converted to an event theme in ArcView 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:
    • smithsonian.txt
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • smithsonian.dbf
    • smithsonian.shp
    • smithsonian.shx
    Date: 02-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 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?
    Institution, Smithsonian, and National Geophysical Data Center, Unpublished Material, Smithsonian Institution Master Sediment Data File.

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?
    Navigation was performed by several instruments (e.g. Loran C, GPS, DGPS) and therefore varies.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Navigation, lithologic descriptions, bottom types, and station identifiers are provided for 3190 stations. However, many fields not germaine to the interpretation of surficial sediments distributions off the northeastern U.S. have been eliminated from the original dataset.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    No additional checks for topological consistency were performed

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 (smithsonian.shp, smithsonian.dbf, smithsonian.shx, smithsonian.sbx, smithsonian.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: 0.34
      Network links: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-001/data/seddata/smithsonian/smithsonian.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/smithsonian.shp.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.50 on Tue Nov 16 10:06:29 2021