Composite sidescan sonar mosaic in UTM zone 18 projection of NOAA survey H11043 off Branford, Connecticut (H11043_UTM18_WGS84.TIF)

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Composite sidescan sonar mosaic in UTM zone 18 projection of NOAA survey H11043 off Branford, Connecticut (H11043_UTM18_WGS84.TIF)
Abstract:
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, has produced detailed geologic maps of the sea floor in Long Island Sound, a major East Coast estuary surrounded by the most densely populated region of the United States. These studies have built upon cooperative research with the State of Connecticut that was initiated in 1982. The current phase of this research program is directed toward studies of sea-floor sediment distribution, processes that control sediment distribution, nearshore environmental concerns, and the relation of benthic community structures to the sea-floor geology.
Anthropogenic wastes, toxic chemicals, and changes in land-use patterns resulting 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; Long Island Sound Study, 1994). Detailed maps of the sea floor are needed to help evaluate the extent of adverse impacts and to help manage resources wisely in the future. Therefore, in a continuing effort to better understand Long Island Sound, we have constructed and interpreted sidescan sonar mosaics (complete-coverage acoustic images of the sea floor) within specific areas of special interest. The mosaic presented herein covers a 41.1 km square area of the sea floor in north-central Long Island Sound off Branford, Connecticut.
The mosaics and their interpretations serve many purposes, including: (1) defining the geological variability of the sea floor, which is 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 and the distribution of benthic habitats and associated infaunal community structures; and (3) providing 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.
Supplemental_Information:
The image includes a white background (no data) surrounding the sidescan sonar image. High dn values represent low backscatter and low dn values represent high backscatter.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    U.S. Geological Survey, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2003, Composite sidescan sonar mosaic in UTM zone 18 projection of NOAA survey H11043 off Branford, Connecticut (H11043_UTM18_WGS84.TIF): U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: Data are released via CD-ROM media.
    This is part of the following larger work.

    Poppe, L.J., Paskevich, V.F., Moser, M.S., DiGiacomo-Cohen, M.L., and Christman, E.B., 2004, Sidescan Sonar Imagery and Surficial Geologic Interpretation of the Sea Floor off Branford, Connecticut: Open-File Report 2004-1003, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    This digital publication may also be available via the web at pubs.usgs.gov
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -72.869907
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -72.775833
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.237200
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.151200
  3. What does it look like?
    https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1003/data/sidescan/noaa_orig/h11043_utm18_wgs84.gif (GIF)
    Overview of the digital sidescan sonar mosaic for NOAA survey H11043 in UTM projection.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Calendar_Date: 2001
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: remote-sensing image
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Raster data set. It contains the following raster data types:
      • Dimensions 9524 x 8076 x 1, type Pixel
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
      Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
      UTM_Zone_Number: 18
      Transverse_Mercator:
      Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.999600
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -75.000000
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.000000
      False_Easting: 500000.000000
      False_Northing: 0.000000
      Planar coordinates are encoded using row and column
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest .000010
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest .000010
      Planar coordinates are specified in meters
      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?
    Band_1
    8 bit digital image (Source: Information unavailable from original metadata.)
    ObjectID
    Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    Sidescan sonar image is in 8-bit digital data range with a white background (no data) surrounding the mosaic area. High dn values represent low backscatter and low dn values represent high backscatter.
    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
    • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must be acknowledged as the originator of this data set.
  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?

This GIS overlay is a component of the Branford Survey, Long Island Sound, ArcView GIS database and contains the completed sidescan sonar mosaic for the study area. The image is projected in UTM and has not been enhanced. Light tones represent relatively harder returns, higher backscatter, and generally coarser sediments. Dark tones represent relatively softer returns, lower backscatter, and generally finer grained sediments.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    H11043mosaic.tif (source 1 of 1)
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Unpublished Material, H11043mosaic.

    Type_of_Source_Media: CD-ROM
    Source_Contribution:
    Original sidescan sonar mosaic created by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This image is projected in UTM to maintain the aspect ratio.
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 2002 (process 1 of 6)
    The sidescan sonar imagery contained in this report was produced from data collected during 2001 as part of NOAA surveys H11043 and H11044 aboard the NOAA Ship RUDE. The data for these surveys were acquired in XTF (extended Triton data format) using an Edgetech (EG&G) 272T sidescan sonar tow fish set to sweep about 100 m to either side of the ship's track. The Edgetech model 272T tow fish emits two 50°-wide beams tilted down 20° from horizontal, and transmits at 100 kHz. Analog side scan sonar data were converted to digital using an EG&G Analog Converter Interface (ACI). These digital data were then recorded through a Triton Elics International ISIS data acquisition system.
    The sidescan sonar data were multiplexed and filtered to convert the data into the desired processing format and to remove speckle noise. Data were then corrected for slant-range distortions, and imported into SonarWeb, an application that creates mosaics from raw XTF sidescan sonar data. The mosaic include the following standards: 1 meter resolution, image 'shine through', and auto contrast adjustment (with a 12.9% contrast increase). The final image was projected in Universal Transverse Mercator to maintain the aspect ratio. A contrast enhancement based on the dynamic range of the data was applied to improve the final image.
    The image includes a white background (no data) surrounding the sidescan sonar image. High dn values represent low backscatter and low dn values represent high backscatter. Person who carried out this activity:
    LTJG Marc Moser
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    Field Support Liaison
    Hydrographic Systems and Technology Program
    Norfolk, VA
    USA

    (757) 441-6726 (voice)
    Marc.S.Moser@noaa.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • XTF sidescan sonar data
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • h11043mosaic.tif
    • h11043mosaic.tfw
    Date: Unknown (process 2 of 6)
    The original image was renamed to h11043_utm18_wgs84 for archival purposes and to be more descriptive. 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:
    • h11043mosaic.tif
    • h11043mosaic.tfw
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • h11043_utm18_wgs84.tif
    • h11043_utm18_wgs84.tfw
    Date: 10-Feb-2017 (process 3 of 6)
    Edits to the metadata were made to fix any errors that MP v 2.9.36 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.). Attempted to modify http to https where appropriate. Removed invalid link in Larger Work Citation. Added ISO 19115 Topic Category keywords. Fixed link to browse graphic. Minor fixes to the attribute format for some attributes were needed. 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 Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2251 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    vatnipp@usgs.gov
    Date: 20-Jul-2018 (process 4 of 6)
    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 5 of 6)
    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 6 of 6)
    Added keywords section with USGS persistent identifier as theme keyword. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: VeeAnn A. Cross
    Marine Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2251 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    vatnipp@usgs.gov
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    There are no attributes associated with a GEOTIFF image.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    Navigation was by differential GPS; positional accuracy to less than 10 m.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    All collected data were processed and used to generate the digital mosaic.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    Information unavailable 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:
Public domain data are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the originator of this dataset.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    Larry Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    U.S. Geological Survey
    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: sidescan sonar mosaic of NOAA survey H11043 off Branford, CT - h11043_utm18_wgs84.tif
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    Although this data set has been used by the USGS and NOAA, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS or NOAA as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS or NOAA in the use of these data or related materials.
  4. How can I download or order the data?
    • Availability in digital form:
      Data format: Four files: h11043_utm18_wgs84.tif, h11043_utm18_wgs84.tfw, browse graphic and metadata file in format TIFF Size: 26
      Media you can order: CD-ROM (Density 650 Mbytes) (format ISO 9660)
      Note: The user must have a CD-ROM capable of reading an ISO 9660 standard CD-ROM
    • Cost to order the data: None

  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    The user must have a program capable of reading and processing "geotiff" images.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 16-Nov-2021
Metadata author:
Lawrence J. Poppe
U.S. Geological Survey
Geologist
U.S. Geological Survey
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/ofr2004-1003/h11043_utm18_wgs84-metadata.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.50 on Tue Nov 16 10:06:29 2021