Documentation of the U.S. Geological Survey Oceanographic Time-Series Measurement Database

Metadata also available as - [Outline] - [Parseable text] - [XML]

Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Documentation of the U.S. Geological Survey Oceanographic Time-Series Measurement Database
Abstract:
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Oceanographic Time-Series Measurements Database contains oceanographic observations made as part of studies designed to increase understanding of sediment transport processes and associated ocean dynamics. This report describes the instrumentation and platforms used to make the measurements; the methods used to process and apply quality-control criteria and archive the data; and the data storage format. The report also includes instructions on how to access the data from the online database at https://stellwagen.er.usgs.gov/.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Montgomery, Ellyn T., Martini, Marinna A., Lightsom, Francis L., Butman, Bradford, Nowacki, Daniel J., and Suttles, Steven E., 2021, Documentation of the U.S. Geological Survey Oceanographic Time-Series Measurement Database: USGS Open-File Report 2007-1194, U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Suggested Citation: Montgomery, E.T., Martini, M.A., Lightsom, F.L., Butman, B., Nowacki, D.J., and Suttles, S.E., 2008, Documentation of the U.S. Geological Survey Oceanographic Time-Series Measurement Database (ver. 3.0, April 2021): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007–1194, https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20071194.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -159.0000
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -65.0000
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 44.0000
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 25.0000
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 08-Aug-1975
    Ending_Date: 20-Apr-2021
    Currentness_Reference:
    Documentation reflects conditions at the time published. Measurements reflect conditions at the time observed.
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: point measurements- oceanographic time-series data
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Ellyn T. Montgomery
    • Marinna A. Martini
    • Francis L. Lightsom
    • Bradford Butman
    • Daniel J. Nowacki
    • Steven E. Suttles
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey > Coastal/ Marine Hazards and Resources Program > Woods Hole Science Center
    Attn: Database Manager
    Technical Information Specialist
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA

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

Why was the data set created?

Many types of physical oceanographic measurements have been collected by the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources Program over 30 years. This report describes each instrument used to collect the data and the processing used for each type of data. The process for accessing the on-line data and the software required for analysis and display are also described. The data available may be useful for a variety of investigations that require physical oceanographic observations of ocean currents, temperature, salinity, and turbidity.

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: 08-Feb-2006 (process 1 of 4)
    Data processing procedures are specific to the instrument used and are described in this report. All data is processed within a month of platform recovery, with the version of the software available at the time of processing.
    Date: 20-Apr-2021 (process 2 of 4)
    The revision history documenting all changes to the documentation over time are available from the publication - specifically https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1194/ofr2007-1194-revisionhistory.html .
    Date: 18-Jul-2024 (process 3 of 4)
    Edits to the metadata included adding USGS Thesaurus keywords, documenting that revisions have occurred, adding distribution information to the document and the data the document points to. Additional small edits to the metadata were made to be consistent with current standards such as updating the distribution liability to an approved FSP disclaimer statement.
    Date: 06-Aug-2024 (process 4 of 4)
    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?
    Data in this collection were obtained using many different types of instruments with differing precision and accuracy for the measured parameters. Generally instruments used to collect data in this collection represent state of the art scientific grade instrumentation for the field of oceanography and environmental monitoring. This document describes the methods used to collect and provide quality control and quality assurance of the data published to this collection.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    The report describing the methods of data acquisition and processing is complete.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    This report describes all the data acquisition, Quality Assurance and Quality Control processing steps that are employed to publish oceanographic 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 as the originator of the dataset.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey > Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources Program > Woods Hole Science Center
    Attn: Database Manager
    Technical Information Specialist
    384 Woods Hole Rd.
    Woods Hole, MA

    (508) 548-8700 (voice)
    (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
    stellwagen_manager@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? Webpages containing Text Documentation
  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?

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 06-Aug-2024
Metadata author:
U.S. Geological Survey > Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources Program > Woods Hole Science Center
Attn: Database Manager
Technical Information Specialist
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA

(508) 548-8700 (voice)
(508) 457-2310 (FAX)
stellwagen_manager@usgs.gov
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/ofr2007-1194/ofr2007-1194_meta.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.51 on Tue Aug 6 15:07:13 2024