4-m Grid of the Combined Multibeam Bathymetry Generated from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Surveys H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12033, H12137, and H12139 Offshore in Block Island Sound (BISOUND_4MGEO, Geographic, WGS84)

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
4-m Grid of the Combined Multibeam Bathymetry Generated from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Surveys H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12033, H12137, and H12139 Offshore in Block Island Sound (BISOUND_4MGEO, Geographic, WGS84)
Abstract:
The USGS, in cooperation with NOAA, is producing detailed maps of the seafloor off southern New England. The current phase of this cooperative research program is directed toward analyzing how bathymetric relief relates to the distribution of sedimentary environments and benthic communities. As part of this program, digital terrain models (DTMs) from bathymetry collected as part of NOAA's hydrographic charting activities are converted into ESRI raster grids and imagery, verified with bottom sampling and photography, and used to produce interpretations of seabed geology and hydrodynamic processes. Although each of the 7 continuous-coverage, completed surveys individually provides important benthic environmental information, many applications require a geographically broader perspective. For example, the usefulness of individual surveys is limited for the planning and construction of cross-Sound infrastructure, such as cables and pipelines, or for the testing of regional circulation models. To address this need, we integrated the 7 contiguous multibeam bathymetric DTMs into one dataset that covers much of Block Island Sound. The new dataset is adjusted to mean lower low water, is provided in UTM Zone 19 NAD83 and geographic WGS84 projections, and is gridded to 4-m resolution. This resolution is adequate for seafloor-feature and process interpretation, but small enough to be queried and manipulated with standard GIS programs and to allow for future growth. Natural features visible in the grid include boulder lag deposits of submerged moraines, sand-wave fields, and scour depressions that reflect the strength of the oscillating tidal currents. Bedform asymmetry allows interpretations of net sediment transport. Together the merged data reveal a larger, more continuous perspective of bathymetric topography than previously available, providing a fundamental framework for research and resource management activities off this portion of the Rhode Island coast.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Geological Survey, 2012, 4-m Grid of the Combined Multibeam Bathymetry Generated from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Surveys H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12033, H12137, and H12139 Offshore in Block Island Sound (BISOUND_4MGEO, Geographic, WGS84): Open-File Report 2012-1005, 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., Danforth, W.W., McMullen, K.Y., Blankenship, M.A., Glomb, K.A., Wright, D.B., and Smith, S.M., 2012, Sea-Floor Character and Sedimentary Processes of Block Island Sound, Offshore Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2012-1005, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.876426
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.358644
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.341715
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.108304
  3. What does it look like?
    http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1005/data/bathy/grids/geo/bisound_4mgeo.gif (GIF)
    Thumbnail image showing the combined 4-m gridded multibeam bathymetry collected during NOAA surveys H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12033, H12137, and H12139 offshore in Block Island Sound in geographic, WGS84 coordinates.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 08-May-2009
    Ending_Date: 14-Oct-2009
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition (See the source citation in the lineage section for individual component's specific dates.)
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital data
  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 5446 x 12081 x 1, type Grid Cell
    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 0.000043. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.000043. 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.
      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
      Depth_System_Definition:
      Depth_Datum_Name: Mean lower low water
      Depth_Resolution: 0.1
      Depth_Distance_Units: meters
      Depth_Encoding_Method: Explicit depth coordinate included with horizontal coordinates
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    A 4-m grid of the combined bathymetry data from NOAA surveys H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12033, H12137, and H12139 offshore in Block Island Sound in geographic, WGS84 coordinates.
    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)
    • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    • 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
    Attn: Larry Poppe
    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?

To release a 4-m grid of the combined multibeam bathymetry generated from NOAA surveys H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12033, H12137, and H12139 offshore in Block Island Sound in geographic, WGS84 coordinates.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    Information unavailable from original metadata (source 1 of 7)
    Schattgen, P. Tod, and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Norfolk, VA, Unpublished Material, H12009 bathymetry.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer harddrive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata (source 2 of 7)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Norfolk, VA, Unpublished Material, H12010 bathymetry.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer harddrive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata (source 3 of 7)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Norfolk, VA, Unpublished Material, H12011 bathymetry.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer harddrive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata (source 4 of 7)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Norfolk, VA, Unpublished Material, H12015 bathymetry.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer harddrive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata (source 5 of 7)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Norfolk, VA, Unpublished Material, H12033 bathymetry.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer harddrive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata (source 6 of 7)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Norfolk, VA, Unpublished Material, H12137 bathymetry.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer harddrive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata (source 7 of 7)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Norfolk, VA, Unpublished Material, H12139 bathymetry.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer harddrive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: Unknown (process 1 of 9)
    The 63-m NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson and two 8.5-m aluminum Jensen launches (3101 and 3102) deployed from the ship acquired multibeam echosounder (MBES) data for 7 hydrographic surveys in Block Island Sound over an approximately 633.6-square kilometer area between May and October 2009. Registry numbers for the completed surveys include: H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12033, H12137, and H12139. The MBES data were collected with a hull-mounted RESON SeaBat 455-kHz 8125 shallow-water system aboard launch 3101 and RESON single frequency (400-kHz) 7125 systems aboard launch 3102 and the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. Original vertical resolution of the MBES data was 0.5 m for water depths less than 20 m and 1 m for the deeper parts of the survey area. The bathymetric datasets were acquired and digitally logged with HYPACK Hysweep, and processed by NOAA using CARIS Hydrographic Image Processing System (HIPS) software for quality control, to incorporate sound velocity and tidal corrections, and to produce the combined bathymetry adjusted for statistical error (BASE) surfaces. Horizontal positioning was by differential global positioning systems (DGPS); HyPACK 2009 was used for acquisition line navigation. Sound-velocity corrections were derived with frequent conductivity-temperature-depth profiles. A Brooke Ocean Technology Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP) with an Applied Microsystems Smart Sound Velocity and Pressure (SV&P) sensor was used to collect sound speed profile data from the ship. Manually deployed Seabird Electronics SBE-19+ CTD units were used to collect sound speed profile data from the launches. Tidal zone corrections were calculated from data acquired by the National Water Level Observation Network stations at New London, Connecticut (8461490); Newport, Rhode Island (8452660); and Montauk, New York (8510560). The vertical datum is mean lower low water; X and Y units are meters, UTM Zone 19, NAD83. Detailed descriptions of the MBES acquisition and processing by NOAA can be found in the Descriptive Reports and in the Data Acquisition and Processing Report. Person who carried out this activity:
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    Attn: Castle E. Parker
    Hydrographer
    439 West York Street
    Norfolk, VA
    USA

    757-441-6746 (voice)
    castle.e.parker@noaa.gov
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • H12009 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12010 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12011 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12015 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12033 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12137 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12139 CARIS HIPS database
    Date: 2011 (process 2 of 9)
    The field sheets from the surveys (average depths, not the shoal based field sheets) were read back into CARIS HIPS/SIPS software version 7.0. Using the Base Surface -> Combine command within HIPS, all of the source CARIS base surfaces were combined into a master BASE surface (bisound) having a 4 meter grid resolution. Person who carried out this activity:
    Bill Danforth
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2274 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bdanforth@usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • H12009 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12010 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12011 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12015 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12033 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12137 CARIS HIPS database
    • H12139 CARIS HIPS database
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • bisound
    Date: 2011 (process 3 of 9)
    The combined base surface was exported from CARIS as a Bathymetric Attributed Grid (BAG) file. See http://www.opennavsurf.org/papers/ons_fsd.pdf for a description of the BAG format. Person who carried out this activity:
    Bill Danforth
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2274 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bdanforth@usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • bisound
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • bisound.bag
    Date: 2011 (process 4 of 9)
    The BAG surface was imported into Fledermaus v7.2 to make equivalent digital terrain model (DTM) files. The floating point format for each sounding depth point is preserved during data import. Additionally, the BAG surface was imported into Fledermaus as "gridded data", therefore re-gridding of data did not occur during the import process and thus preserved the original resolution of the CARIS base surface. The DTM was then directly exported to ArcGIS as a bathy raster file using the FMGIS module built into Fledermaus v7.2, retaining all of the projection information (NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_19N) and grid cell size (4 meter node spacing). Person who carried out this activity:
    Bill Danforth
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2274 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bdanforth@usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • bisound.bag
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • bisound_4mutm
    Date: 2011 (process 5 of 9)
    The UTM projected bathy raster was then reprojected using the data management tool Project Raster (ArcToolbox, Data Management Tools, Projections and Transformations) from UTM Zone 19N, NAD 83 to Geographic, WGS84. The options specified in the Project Raster tool were: 1. Input coordinate system: NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_19N 2. Output coordinate system: GCS_WGS_1984 3. Geographic transformation method: NAD_1983_WGS_1984_5 4. Resampling technique: BILINEAR 5. Output cell size: 0.000043 (decimal degrees, default as calculated by ArcMap for a 4 meter cell size) The geographic transformation selected is the most accurate one provided by ESRI as it ties in WGS84 with ITRF96, thus reflecting the earth centered offset (x-y-z) between WGS84 and NAD83 (from the ESRI Knowledge Base Document Number 24159). Person who carried out this activity:
    Bill Danforth
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    507-548-8700 x2274 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    bdanforth@usga.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • bisound_4mutm
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • bisound_4mgeo
    Date: 04-Dec-2015 (process 6 of 9)
    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 distribution format was modified in an attempt to be more consistent with other metadata files of the same data format. 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 7 of 9)
    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 8 of 9)
    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 9 of 9)
    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?
    Schattgen, P. Tod, 2009, H12009: Descriptive Report H12009, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Smith, Shepard M., 2009, H12010: Descriptive Report H12010, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Smith, Shepard M., 2009, H12011: Descriptive Report H12011, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Smith, Shepard M., 2009, H12015: Descriptive Report H12015, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Smith, Shepard M., 2009, H12033: Descriptive Report H12033, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Smith, Shepard M., 2009, H12137: H12137 Descriptive Report, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Smith, Shepard M., 2009, H12139: Descriptive Report H12139, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Poppe, L.J., McMullen, K.Y., Ackerman, S.D., Blackwood, D.S., Irwin, B.J., Schaer, J.D., and Forrest, M.R., 2011, Sea-floor geology and character of eastern Rhode Island Sound west of Gay Head, Massachusetts: Open-File Report 2011-1004, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM
    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Ackerman, S.D., Blackwood, D.S., Schaer, J.D., Nadeau, M.A., and Wood, D.A., 2011, Surficial geology of the sea floor in central Rhode Island Sound southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2011-1005, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM
    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Denny, J.F., Haupt, T.A.,, and Crocker, J.M., 2008, Sidescan-sonar imagery and surficial geologic interpretations of the sea-floor in central Rhode Island Sound: Open-File Report 2007-1366, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM
    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Haupt, T.A., and Crocker, J.M., 2009, Sidescan-Sonar Imagery and Surficial Geologic Interpretations of the Sea Floor in Western Rhode Island Sound: Open-File Report 2008-1181, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM
    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Ackerman, S.D., Worley, C.R., Nadeau, M.A., and Van Hoy, M.V., 2012, Sea-floor geology in central Rhode Island Sound south of Sakonnet Point, Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2012-1004, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 DVD-ROM

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    Horizontal position of the launches acquiring multibeam bathymetry were determined using GPS corrected by U.S. Coast Guard differential GPS beacon stations at Moriches, NY and Acushnet, MA. The final CARIS combined base surfaces for the MBES data were produced at a 2-m cell size.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    Attitude of the launches (e.g. pitch, roll, and heave) acquiring multibeam bathymetry were monitored by an Applanix TSS POS/MV 320 Version 3 GPS aided navigation system. Verified water levels are based on National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON) stations 8461490, New London, CT; 8452660, Newport, RI; and 8510560, Montauk, NY. The vertical resolution of the multibeam data is approximately 0.5% of the water depth.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    All collected data were processed and used to produce this dataset.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    No additional checks for consistency were performed on this 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:
Data are not to be used for navigation purposes. Public domain data are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as the originators of this information.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: Larry Poppe
    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?
    Neither the U.S. Government, the Department of the Interior, nor the USGS, nor the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 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 or NOAA 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?
  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    The user must have a program capable of reading the ESRI grid data format. The user must have software capable of uncompressing archived zip files, such as WinZip or Pkware.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 16-Nov-2021
Metadata author:
Larry 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/ofr2012-1005/bisound_4mgeo.grd.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.50 on Tue Nov 16 10:06:46 2021