Offshore baseline for Greater Boston coastal region from the southern side of Cape Ann, Massachusetts to Sandy Neck Beach in Sandwich, Massachusetts, generated to calculate shoreline change rates (GreaterBoston_baseline.shp)

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Offshore baseline for Greater Boston coastal region from the southern side of Cape Ann, Massachusetts to Sandy Neck Beach in Sandwich, Massachusetts, generated to calculate shoreline change rates (GreaterBoston_baseline.shp)
Abstract:
Sandy ocean beaches are a popular recreational destination, often surrounded by communities containing valuable real estate. Development is on the rise despite the fact that coastal infrastructure is subjected to flooding and erosion. As a result, there is an increased demand for accurate information regarding past and present shoreline changes. To meet these national needs, the Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is compiling existing reliable historical shoreline data along open-ocean sandy shores of the conterminous United States and parts of Alaska and Hawaii under the National Assessment of Shoreline Change project. There is no widely accepted standard for analyzing shoreline change. Existing shoreline data measurements and rate calculation methods vary from study to study and prevent combining results into state-wide or regional assessments. The impetus behind the National Assessment project was to develop a standardized method of measuring changes in shoreline position that is consistent from coast to coast. The goal was to facilitate the process of periodically and systematically updating the results in an internally consistent manner.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    U.S. Geological Survey, 2010, Offshore baseline for Greater Boston coastal region from the southern side of Cape Ann, Massachusetts to Sandy Neck Beach in Sandwich, Massachusetts, generated to calculate shoreline change rates (GreaterBoston_baseline.shp): Open-File Report 2010-1119, 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.

    Himmelstoss, Emily, Kratzmann, Meredith, Hapke, Cheryl, Thieler, E. Robert, and List, Jeffrey, 2010, National Assessment of Shoreline Change: A GIS Compilation of Vector Shorelines and Associated Shoreline Change Data for the New England and Mid-Atlantic Coasts: Open-File Report 2010-1119, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.925838
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.268848
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.639290
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.726134
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Calendar_Date: 2010
    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):
      • String (19)
    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 Decimal degrees. 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?
    GreaterBoston_baseline
    Reference baseline used by the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) to calculate rate-of-change statistics (Source: USGS)
    FID
    Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
    Shape
    Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI) Coordinates defining the features.
    ID
    Field required by the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) software. DSAS uses this value to determine the ordering sequence of transects when the baseline feature contains multiple segments. Individual segments are numbered sequentially alongshore. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:1
    Maximum:19

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
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 (voice)
    508-547-2310 (FAX)

Why was the data set created?

This dataset includes a reference baseline used by the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) to calculate rate-of-change statistics for the Greater Boston region from the southern side of Cape Ann, Massachusetts to Sandy Neck Beach in Sandwich, Massachusetts. This baseline layer serves as the starting point for all transects cast by the DSAS application. The transects intersect each shoreline and establish measurement points used to calculate shoreline-change rates. Rates of long-term and short-term shoreline change were generated in a GIS using the DSAS version 4.1- An ArcGIS extension for calculating shoreline change: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1278, Thieler, E.R., Himmelstoss, E.A., Zichichi, J.L., and Ergul, Ayhan.

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: 2009 (process 1 of 8)
    A baseline was constructed offshore from the time series of shoreline positions using standard editing tools in ArcMap v.9.3. The baseline was positioned to conform to changes in the combined orientation of the shorelines alongshore. This was done so that the transects, which are generated by the Digital Shoreline Analysis System v4.1 from the baseline, would intersect perpendicular to the general trend of the shorelines. Baseline features were constructed along sections of the coast containing sandy shoreline features greater than 1 kilometer in length that met at least one of the following requirements: 1) they contained the two shorelines required to compute short-term (~30 year) shoreline change analysis (typically a shoreline from the 1970-1980's and the lidar-derived shoreline from 2000); or 2) they contain at least four shorelines, one of which must be the lidar-derived shoreline, that can be used to compute long-term (~100 year) shoreline change rates. This process step and all subsequent process steps were performed by the same person: Emily Himmelstoss. Person who carried out this activity:
    Emily Himmelstoss
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2262 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    ehimmelstoss@usgs.gov
    Date: 16-Feb-2010 (process 2 of 8)
    The baseline feature class was exported from a personal geodatabase to a shapefile in ArcCatalog (v.9.3) by performing a right-mouse click on the data layer > export > to shapefile (single).
    Date: 16-Feb-2010 (process 3 of 8)
    The baseline shapefile was projected in ESRI's ArcToolbox (v.9.3) > Data Management Tools > Projections and Transformations > Feature > Project. Parameters: input projection - UTM zone 19N (NAD 83); output projection - geographic coordinates (WGS 84); transformation - NAD_1983_To_WGS_1984_1.
    Date: 09-Jan-2017 (process 4 of 8)
    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.). Added an online link to the data in the identification section. Fixed cross-reference online links. The distribution format name was modified in an attempt to be more consistent with other metadata files of the same data format. Attempted to modify http to https where appropriate. 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: 07-Feb-2017 (process 5 of 8)
    Keywords section of metadata optimized for discovery in USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Data Catalog. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: Alan O. Allwardt
    Contractor -- Information Specialist
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA

    831-460-7551 (voice)
    831-427-4748 (FAX)
    aallwardt@usgs.gov
    Date: 26-Apr-2018 (process 6 of 8)
    Added keywords from Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) to metadata. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: Alan O. Allwardt
    Contractor -- Information Specialist
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA

    831-460-7551 (voice)
    831-427-4748 (FAX)
    aallwardt@usgs.gov
    Date: 18-Nov-2019 (process 7 of 8)
    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 8 of 8)
    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?
    Hapke, Cheryl, Himmelstoss, Emily, Kratzmann, Meredith, List, Jeffrey, and Thieler, E. Robert, 2010, National Assessment of Shoreline Change: Historical Shoreline Change along the New England and Mid-Atlantic Coasts: Open-File Report 2010-1118, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Thieler, E.R., Himmelstoss, E.A., Zichichi, J.L., and Ergul, A., 2009, Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 4.0 - An ArcGIS extension for calculating shoreline change: Open-File Report 2008-1278, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: Current version of software at time of use was 4.1

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    The attribute in this layer is based on the requirements for use within the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) software (USGS Open-File Report 2008-1278). The data have been quality checked and the attribute value (ID) increments sequentially alongshore.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    The baseline serves as a reference point for transects cast by the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) software. It does not correspond to any real-world feature.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    This baseline file is complete and contains all baseline segments used to cast transects along sections of the Greater Boston coastal region where lidar shoreline position data were available and additional shoreline data are present to calculate either a short- or long-term rate.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    All polylines have a unique identification attribute (ID) used to designate the alongshore order of baselines. Adjacent baseline segments do not overlap and are not necessarily continuous.

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
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? Downloadable Data
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    Neither the U.S. Government, the Department of the Interior, nor the USGS, nor any of their employees, contractors, or subcontractors, make any warranty, express or implied, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, nor represent that its use would not infringe on privately owned rights. 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: This WinZip (version 9.0) file contains the baseline shapefile for use generating transects within the Digital Shoreline Analysis System for the Greater Boston region from the southern side of Cape Ann, Massachusetts to Sandy Neck Beach in Sandwich, Massachusetts. in format Shapefile (version ArcGIS 9.3) ESRI polyline shapefile Size: 0.003
      Network links: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1119/data/GreaterBoston_baseline.zip
    • Cost to order the data: None

  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    This zip file contains data available in Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) polyline 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: 18-Mar-2024
Metadata author:
Emily Himmelstoss
U.S. Geological Survey
Geologist
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA
USA

508-548-8700 x2262 (voice)
508-547-2310 (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 USGS. (updated on 20240318)
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/ofr2010-1119/GreaterBoston_baseline.shp.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.51 on Mon Mar 25 16:05:31 2024