Metadata: Identification_Information: Citation: Citation_Information: Originator: Elizabeth Pendleton Publication_Date: 2013 Title: Sediment Texture Units of the Sea Floor from Nahant to Northern Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts (NAH_CCB_sedcover polygon shapefile, Geographic, WGS84) Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data Series_Information: Series_Name: Open-File Report Issue_Identification: 2012-1157 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20121157 Online_Linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1157/GIS_catalog/SedimentTexture/SedCover.zip Larger_Work_Citation: Citation_Information: Originator: Pendleton, E.A. Originator: Baldwin, W.E. Originator: Barnhardt, W.A. Originator: Ackerman, S.D. Originator: Foster, D.S. Originator: Andrews, B.D. Originator: Schwab, W.C. Publication_Date: 2013 Title: Shallow Geology, Sea-floor Texture, and Physiographic Zones of the Inner Continental Shelf from Nahant to Northern Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts Series_Information: Series_Name: Open-File Report Issue_Identification: 2012-1157 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Reston, VA Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey Online_Linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1157/ Description: Abstract: These data are qualitatively derived interpretive polygon shapefiles and selected source raster data defining surficial geology, sediment type and distribution, and physiographic zones of the sea floor from Nahant to Northern Cape Cod Bay. Much of the geophysical data used to create the interpretive layers were collected under a cooperative agreement among the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Coastal and Marine Geology Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Initiated in 2003, the primary objective of this program is to develop regional geologic framework information for the management of coastal and marine resources. Accurate data and maps of seafloor geology are important first steps toward protecting fish habitat, delineating marine resources, and assessing environmental changes because of natural or human effects. The project is focused on the inshore waters of coastal Massachusetts. Data collected during the mapping cooperative involving the USGS have been released in a series of USGS Open-File Reports (http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/coastal_mass/html/current_map.html). The interpretations released in this study are for an area extending from the southern tip of Nahant to Northern Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts. A combination of geophysical and sample data including high resolution bathymetry and lidar, acoustic-backscatter intensity, seismic-reflection profiles, bottom photographs, and sediment samples are used to create the data interpretations. Most of the nearshore geophysical and sample data (including the bottom photographs) were collected during several cruises between 2000 and 2008. More information about the cruises and the data collected can be found at the Geologic Mapping of the Seafloor Offshore of Massachusetts Web page: http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/coastal_mass/. Purpose: These sea floor sediment cover data were created from geophysical and sample data collected from Nahant to Northern Cape Cod Bay, and are used to characterize the sea floor in the area. Sediment type and distribution maps are important data layers for marine resource managers charged with protecting fish habitat, delineating marine boundaries, and assessing environmental change due to natural or human impacts. Time_Period_of_Content: Time_Period_Information: Range_of_Dates/Times: Beginning_Date: 19940101 Ending_Date: 20080507 Currentness_Reference: ground condition of the source data that this interpretation is based on Status: Progress: Complete Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned Spatial_Domain: Bounding_Coordinates: West_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.051972 East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.154205 North_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.459855 South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.932269 Keywords: Theme: Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: USGS Metadata Identifier Theme_Keyword: USGS:0c7291af-fc6b-4154-b959-a79a4db5be24 Theme: Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None Theme_Keyword: U.S. Geological Survey Theme_Keyword: USGS Theme_Keyword: Coastal and Marine Geology Program Theme_Keyword: CMGP Theme_Keyword: Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Theme_Keyword: WHCMSC Theme_Keyword: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Theme_Keyword: CZM Theme_Keyword: Sea floor Theme_Keyword: Marine Geology Theme_Keyword: Interpretation Theme_Keyword: Bathymetry Theme_Keyword: Backscatter Theme_Keyword: Slope Theme_Keyword: Topography Theme_Keyword: Esri Shapefile Theme_Keyword: Bottom Type Theme_Keyword: Sediment Cover Theme_Keyword: Sediment Texture Theme_Keyword: Sediment Distribution Theme_Keyword: Bottom Photographs Theme_Keyword: Sediment Samples Theme_Keyword: Seismic-reflection Profiles Theme_Keyword: Shepard classification Theme_Keyword: Lidar Theme_Keyword: interpretation Theme: Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category Theme_Keyword: oceans Theme_Keyword: geoscientificInformation Theme: Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: USGS Thesaurus Theme_Keyword: scientific interpretation Theme_Keyword: sea-floor characteristics Theme_Keyword: marine geology Theme_Keyword: geospatial datasets Place: Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None Place_Keyword: Massachusetts Bay Place_Keyword: Atlantic Ocean Place_Keyword: Boston Harbor Place_Keyword: Nahant Place_Keyword: Boston Place_Keyword: Hull Place_Keyword: Boston Harbor Islands Place_Keyword: Duxbury Place_Keyword: Provincetown Place_Keyword: Plymouth Place_Keyword: Scituate Place_Keyword: Cohasset Place_Keyword: Manomet Place_Keyword: Winthrop Place_Keyword: Cape Cod Bay Place_Keyword: Humarock Place_Keyword: Brant Rock Place_Keyword: Marshfield Place_Keyword: North River Place_Keyword: Kingston Place_Keyword: Revere Beach Place_Keyword: Quincy Place_Keyword: Weymouth Stratum: Stratum_Keyword_Thesaurus: None Stratum_Keyword: Seafloor Stratum_Keyword: sea floor Access_Constraints: None Use_Constraints: Not to be used for navigation. 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. Additionally, there are limitations associated with qualitative sediment mapping interpretations. Because of the scale of the source geophysical data and the spacing of samples, not all changes in sea floor texture are captured. The data were mapped between 1:8,000 and 1:25,000, but the recommended scale for application of these data is 1:25,000. Features below 5,000 m2 or less than 50 m wide were not digitized due to positional uncertainty, lack of sample information, and the often ephemeral nature of small-scale sea floor features. Not all digitized sea floor features contained sample information, so often the sea floor texture is characterized by the nearest similar feature that contains a sample. Conversely, sometimes a digitized feature contained multiple samples and not all of the samples within the feature were in agreement (of the same texture). In these cases the dominant sediment texture was chosen to represent the primary texture for the polygon. Samples from rocky areas often only consist of bottom photographs, because large particle size often prevents the recovery of a sediment sample. Bottom photo classification can be subjective, such that determining the sediment type that is greater than 50% of the view frame is estimated by the interpreter and may differ among interpreters. Bottom photo transects often reveal changes in the sea floor over distances of less than 100 m and these changes are often not observable in acoustic data. Heterogeneous sea floor texture can change very quickly, and many small-scale changes will not be detectable or mappable at a scale of 1:25,000. The boundaries of polygons are often inferred based on sediment samples, and even boundaries that are traced based on amplitude changes in geophysical data are subject to migration. Polygon boundaries should be considered an approximation of the location of a change in texture. Point_of_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Person_Primary: Contact_Person: Elizabeth A. Pendleton Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Position: Geologist Contact_Address: Address_Type: mailing and physical address Address: U.S. Geological Survey Address: 384 Woods Hole Rd. City: Woods Hole State_or_Province: MA Postal_Code: 02543-1598 Country: USA Contact_Voice_Telephone: 508-548-8700 x2259 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 508-457-2310 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: ependleton@usgs.gov Browse_Graphic: Browse_Graphic_File_Name: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1157/GIS_catalog/SedimentTexture/sedcover_browse.png Browse_Graphic_File_Description: Image of the sediment texture and distribution shapefile for the Massachusetts inner continental shelf from Nahant to Northern Cape Cod Bay Browse_Graphic_File_Type: PNG Native_Data_Set_Environment: Microsoft Windows 7.1 (Build 7601) Service Pack 1; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.3.1.4000 Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Kelley, J.T. Originator: Barnhardt, W.A. Originator: Belknap, D.F. Originator: Dickson, S.M. Originator: Kelley, A.R. Publication_Date: 1996 Title: The Seafloor Revealed: The Geology of the Northwestern Gulf of Maine Inner Continental Shelf Edition: 1.0 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document Series_Information: Series_Name: Maine Geological Survey Open-File Report Issue_Identification: 96-6 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Augusta, Maine Publisher: Maine Geological Survey, Natural Resources Information and Mapping Center Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Shepard, F.P. Publication_Date: 1954 Title: Nomenclature Based on Sand-Silt-Clay Ratios Edition: 1.0 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document Series_Information: Series_Name: Journal Sedimentary Petrology Issue_Identification: volume 24 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Tulsa, OK Publisher: Society for Sedimentary Geology Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Barnhardt, W.A. Originator: Kelley, J.T. Originator: Dickson, S.M. Originator: Belknap, D.F. Publication_Date: 1998 Title: Mapping the Gulf of Maine with Side-scan Sonar: a New Bottom-type Classification for Complex Seafloors Edition: 1.0 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document Series_Information: Series_Name: Journal of Coastal Research Issue_Identification: volume 14(2) Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Royal Palm Beach, FL Publisher: Coastal Education and Research Foundation, Inc. Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Wentworth, C.K. Publication_Date: 1922 Title: A Scale of Grade and Class Terms for Clastic Sediments Edition: 1.0 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document Series_Information: Series_Name: Journal of Geology Issue_Identification: vol. 30 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Chicago, IL Publisher: University of Chicago Press Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: McMullen, K.Y Originator: Paskevich, V.F. Originator: Poppe, L.J. Publication_Date: 2011 Title: USGS East-coast Sediment Analysis: Procedures, Database, and GIS Data Edition: 2.2 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data Series_Information: Series_Name: Open File Report Issue_Identification: 2005-1001 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Reston, VA Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey Online_Linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1001/ Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Ford, K.H. Originator: S.E. Voss Publication_Date: 2010 Title: Seafloor Sediment Composition in Massachusetts Determined Using Point Data Edition: 1.0 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document Series_Information: Series_Name: Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Technical Report Issue_Identification: TR-45 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: New Bedford, MA Publisher: Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Online_Linkage: Data_Quality_Information: Logical_Consistency_Report: These data were drawn and vetted for accuracy using the source input rasters and point sample data described in the processing steps and source contributions. Qualitatively-defined polygons for the Boston Harbor and approaches region had already been drawn and published by Ackerman and others (2006). In their study, their region of interest was defined by using a 'convert raster to feature' function on sidescan sonar imagery within ArcGIS. This conversion task created several very small (~ 1 square-meter) triangular and rectilinear-shaped gaps along the boundaries of the defined polygons within Boston Harbor. The original Ackerman and other (2006) bottom type polygons were merged with the polygons created in this study, and polygon and field editing was done in order to make them fit the classification schemes used in this report. However, the very small topology errors associated with the original data have not been removed, primarily because they are well below the intended scale of application of these data (1:25,000). Overlapping features and unintentional gaps within the rest of the survey area were identified using the topology checker in ArcMap (version 9.3.1) and corrected or removed. Completeness_Report: These sediment cover data are defined for areas where source data exists. In general, gaps in the coverage coincide with gaps in the source data. However, some small data gaps were interpreted through extrapolation. Areas of lower data quality and incomplete coverage are noted in a data confidence attribute field. Positional_Accuracy: Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy: Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report: These data were produced qualitatively from acoustic and sample data with varying resolutions. Horizontal uncertainty associated with sample collection especially, can be quite high (100's of meters), much higher than positional uncertainty associated with acoustic data (usually less than <10's of meters). The date of sample collection and ship station positioning all contribute to sample position uncertainty. These qualitatively derived polygons outlining sea floor features are estimated to be within 50 meters, horizontally, but locally may be higher when sediment texture delineation is based on sample information alone. Vertical_Positional_Accuracy: Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report: Although there is a field for mean water depth, there is no assumption of vertical accuracy. The depth value is an average of all grid cells (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1157/GIS_catalog/SourceData/bathy/) within each polygon. In many cases the mean depth value covers a range of depths from near zero to < -20 meters, and as such should not be used for navigation or taken as an absolute depth value within a polygon. Lineage: Source_Information: Source_Citation: Citation_Information: Originator: Ackerman, S.D. Originator: Butman, B. Originator: Barnhardt, W.A. Originator: Danforth, W.W. Originator: Crocker, J.M. Publication_Date: 2006 Title: High-resolution Geologic Mapping of the Inner Continental Shelf: Boston Harbor and Approaches, Massachusetts Edition: 1.0 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document Series_Information: Series_Name: Open-File Report Issue_Identification: 2006-1008 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Reston, VA Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey Online_Linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1008/ Type_of_Source_Media: online Source_Time_Period_of_Content: Time_Period_Information: Range_of_Dates/Times: Beginning_Date: 20000919 Ending_Date: 20040917 Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition Source_Citation_Abbreviation: Ackerman and others, 2006 Source_Contribution: This report provided the source geophysical (sidescan and bathymetry) and bottom photograph data for the Boston Harbor and approaches region. These geophysical data were acquired between 2000 and 2001 by NOAA aboard the Ship Whiting and its launches. The sample data were collected in 2004 by the USGS and CZM. The NOAA cruises acquired sidescan-sonar and single-beam and multibeam bathymetric data. Sidescan data were collected with the Edgetech 272-T (100 kHz) or the Klein T-5500 (455 kHz) sonar. A hull-mounted RESON SeaBat 8101(240 kHz) was used to acquire the multibeam echosounder data. Single-beam echosounder data were acquired with an Odom Echotrac DF3200 MKII (100kHz). The USGS/CZM sampling cruise was conducted aboard the R/V Rafael using the mini SEABOSS and a VanVeen grab sampler. This report also provided a qualitative interpretation of the sidescan, bathymetry, and sample data collected in the region. These interpretive polygons were used as the initial interpretation for the Boston Harbor region. Some boundaries were slightly modified and field editing was conducted to match the classification scheme used in this study. These data also provided a good check for consistency in data interpretation. Source_Information: Source_Citation: Citation_Information: Originator: Andrews, B.D. Originator: Ackerman, S.D. Originator: Baldwin, W.E. Originator: Barnhardt, W.A. Publication_Date: 2010 Title: Geophysical and Sampling Data from the Inner Continental Shelf: Northern Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts Edition: 1.0 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document Series_Information: Series_Name: Open-File Report Issue_Identification: 2010-1006 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Reston, VA Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey Online_Linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1006/ Type_of_Source_Media: online Source_Time_Period_of_Content: Time_Period_Information: Range_of_Dates/Times: Beginning_Date: 20060816 Ending_Date: 20080508 Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition Source_Citation_Abbreviation: Andrews and others, 2010 Source_Contribution: This report provided the source geophysical (sidescan, bathymetry, and seismic-reflection profiles) and bottom photograph data for the Northern Cape Cod Bay region. These data were acquired between 2006 and 2008 by the USGS and CZM aboard the R/V Megan T. Miller, R/V Rafael, and R/V Connecticut. Bathymetric data were acquired using a Systems Engineering & Assessment, Ltd. (SEA) SWATHplus interferometric sonar system (234 or 117 kHz). Sidescan-sonar data were collected with a Klein 3000 dual-frequency sidescan-sonar (132/445 kHz), or a SWATHplus interferometric (117-kHz). Chirp seismic data were collected using an EdgeTech Geo-Star FSSB sub-bottom profiling system and an SB-0512i towfish (FM swept frequency 0.5-12 kHz). Sediment samples and bottom photos were collected with a modified Van Veen grab sampler and SEABOSS, respectively. Source_Information: Source_Citation: Citation_Information: Originator: Barnhardt, W.A. Originator: Ackerman, S.D. Originator: Andrews, B.D. Originator: Baldwin, W.E. Publication_Date: 2010 Title: Geophysical and Sampling Data from the Inner Continental Shelf: Duxbury to Hull, Massachusetts Edition: 1.0 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document Series_Information: Series_Name: Open-File Report Issue_Identification: 2009-1072 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Reston, VA Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey Online_Linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2009/1072/ Type_of_Source_Media: online Source_Time_Period_of_Content: Time_Period_Information: Range_of_Dates/Times: Beginning_Date: 20060804 Ending_Date: 20070911 Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition Source_Citation_Abbreviation: Barnhardt and others, 2010 Source_Contribution: This report provided the source geophysical (sidescan, bathymetry, and seismic-reflection profiles) and bottom photograph data for the Duxbury to Hull, MA region. These data were acquired between 2006 and 2007 by the USGS, CZM, and NOAA aboard the R/V Megan T. Miller, R/V Rafael, R/V Connecticut, and NOAA launches 1005 and 1014. USGS bathymetric data were acquired using a Systems Engineering & Assessment, Ltd. (SEA) SWATHplus interferometric sonar system (234 or 117 kHz). NOAA bathymetric and backscatter data were acquired with a hull-mounted RESON SeaBat 3101 and 8125. USGS sidescan-sonar data were collected with a Klein 3000 dual-frequency sidescan-sonar (132/445 kHz), or a SWATHplus interferometric (117-kHz). USGS chirp seismic data were collected using an EdgeTech Geo-Star FSSB sub-bottom profiling system and an SB-0512i towfish (FM swept frequency 0.5-12 kHz). Sediment samples and bottom photos were collected with a modified Van Veen grab sampler and SEABOSS, respectively. Source_Information: Source_Citation: Citation_Information: Originator: Butman, B. Originator: Valentine, P.C. Originator: Middleton, T.J. Originator: Danforth, W.W. Publication_Date: 2007 Title: A GIS Library of Multibeam Data for Massachusetts Bay and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Offshore of Boston, Massachusetts Edition: 1.0 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document Series_Information: Series_Name: Digital Data Series Issue_Identification: 99 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Reston, VA Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey Online_Linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/99/ Type_of_Source_Media: online Source_Time_Period_of_Content: Time_Period_Information: Range_of_Dates/Times: Beginning_Date: 19940101 Ending_Date: 19981231 Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition Source_Citation_Abbreviation: Butman and others, 2007 Source_Contribution: This report provided the source geophysical data (sidescan and bathymetry) for the western Massachusetts Bay region including Stellwagen Bank. These data were acquired between 1994 and 1998 by the USGS, Canadian Hydrographic Survey, and University of New Brunswick aboard the Frederick G. Creed. Bathymetric and backscatter data were acquired using Simrad Subsea EM 1000 Multibeam Echo Sounder. Source_Information: Source_Citation: Citation_Information: Originator: Ford, K.H. Originator: Huntley, E.C. Originator: Sampson, D.W. Originator: Voss, S. Publication_Date: Unpublished Material Title: Massachusetts Sediment Database Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data Other_Citation_Details: This sample database has been compiled and vetted from existing samples and datasets by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. The data are currently unpublished, but may be acquired by contacting the CZM office: 251 Causeway St Boston, MA 02114 (617) 626-1000 czm@state.ma.us Type_of_Source_Media: digital vector Source_Time_Period_of_Content: Time_Period_Information: Range_of_Dates/Times: Beginning_Date: 19550101 Ending_Date: 20110101 Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition Source_Citation_Abbreviation: CZM sample database Source_Contribution: Sediment sample databases of Ford and Voss (2010) and McMullen and others (2011) were combined then edited and supplemented with NOAA chart sampling data and over 2,000 bottom photos and descriptions at more than 400 stations by a group of GIS specialists at the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (Emily Huntley, personal communication). These data contained sediment laboratory statistics when available, visual descriptions if sediment analysis was not perfromed or if the site was a bottom photograph, and classification fields of Barnhardt and others (1998), Shepard (1954), and Wentworth (1922) as well as average sediment statistics and phi size, when laboratory analysis was conducted. Source_Information: Source_Citation: Citation_Information: Originator: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Joint Airborne LiDAR Bathymetry Center of Expertise Publication_Date: 2008 Title: Massachusetts LiDAR Grid Data in Coastal Areas Edition: 1.0 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital data Publication_Information: Publication_Place: San Diego, CA Publisher: Fugro Pelagos, Inc Type_of_Source_Media: disc Source_Time_Period_of_Content: Time_Period_Information: Range_of_Dates/Times: Beginning_Date: 20070428 Ending_Date: 20070806 Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition Source_Citation_Abbreviation: USACE- JALBTCX, 2008 Source_Contribution: This report provided the source lidar data for the very nearshore (< -5 m) region. Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) data were acquired with a SHOALS-1000T (for hydrographic & topographic data) using the Joint Airborne LiDAR Bathymetry Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) lidar plane. Source_Information: Source_Citation: Citation_Information: Originator: Poppe, L.J. Originator: Paskevich, V.F. Originator: Butman, B. Originator: Ackerman, S.D. Originator: Danforth, W.W. Originator: Foster, D.S. Originator: Blackwood, D.S. Publication_Date: 2006 Title: Geological Interpretation of Bathymetric and Backscatter Imagery Edition: 1.0 Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document Series_Information: Series_Name: Open-File Report Issue_Identification: 2005-1048 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Reston, VA Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey Online_Linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1048/ Type_of_Source_Media: online Source_Time_Period_of_Content: Time_Period_Information: Range_of_Dates/Times: Beginning_Date: 19981109 Ending_Date: 19981125 Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition Source_Citation_Abbreviation: Poppe and others, 2006 Source_Contribution: This report provided the source geophysical data (sidescan and bathymetry) for the Outer Cape Cod region. These data were acquired in 1998 by the USGS, Canadian Hydrographic Survey, and University of New Brunswick aboard the Frederick G. Creed. Bathymetric and backscatter data were acquired using Simrad Subsea EM 1000 Multibeam Echo Sounder. Process_Step: Process_Description: The texture and spatial distribution of sea-floor sediment were qualitatively-analyzed in ArcGIS using several input data sources (listed in the source contribution), including acoustic backscatter, bathymetry, Lidar, seismic-reflection profile interpretations, bottom photographs, and sediment samples. In order to create the interpretation, first a polygon shapefile of the study area was created (with ArcMap version 9.3.1) and merged with the published Boston Harbor interpretive polygons (Ackerman and others, 2006). Then sediment texture polygons were created using 'cut polygon' and 'auto-complete polygon' in an edit session. In general, polygon editing was done at scales between 1:8,000 and 1:20,000, depending on the size of the traced feature and the resolution of the source data. The following numbered steps outline the workflow of the data interpretation. 1. Backscatter intensity data (available at 1 to 10 m resolutions) was the first input. Changes in backscatter amplitude were digitized to outline possible changes in seafloor texture based on acoustic return. Areas of high backscatter (light colors) have strong acoustic reflections and suggests boulders, gravels, and generally coarse seafloor sediments. Low-backscatter areas (dark colors) have weak acoustic reflections and are generally characterized by finer grained material such as muds and fine sands. 2. The polygons were then refined and edited using gradient, rugosity, and hillshaded relief images derived from interferometric and multibeam swath bathymetry and Lidar (available at 2.5 - 30 m resolutions). Areas of rough topography and high rugosity are typically associated with rocky areas, while smooth, low-rugosity regions tend to be blanketed by fine-grained sediment. These bathymetric derivatives helped to refine polygon boundaries where changes from primarily rock to primarily gravel may not have been apparent in backscatter data, but could easily be identified in hillshaded relief and slope changes. 3. The third data input (where available) was the stratigraphic interpretation of seismic-reflection profiles, which further constrained the extent and general shape of seafloor sediment distributions and rocky outcrops, and also provided insight concerning the likely sediment texture of the feature based on the pre-Quaternary, glacial or post-glacial origin. Seismic lines and the surficial geologic maps derived from them and used here as input data were collected at typically 100-meter spacing, with tie-lines generally spaced 1-km apart. 4. After all the seafloor features were traced from the geophysical data, new fields were created in the shapefile called 'sed_type' and 'shep_code'. Bottom photographs and sediment samples were used to define sediment texture for the polygons using Barnhardt and others (1998) and Shephard code (Shepard, 1954) classifications. Some polygons had more than one sample, and some polygons lacked sample information. For multiple samples within a polygon, the dominant sediment texture (or average phi size) was used to classify sediment type (often aided by the 'data join' sediment statistics described in a later processing step). In rocky areas, bottom photos were used in the absence of sediment samples to qualitatively define sediment texture. Polygons that lacked sample information were texturally defined through extrapolation from adjacent or proximal polygons of similar acoustic character that did contain sediment samples. 615 samples of the over 5,500 total within the study area were analyzed in the laboratory for grain size. Samples with laboratory grain size analysis were preferred over visual descriptions when defining sediment texture throughout the study area. Bottom photos are typically around 2-km apart, and the density of sediment samples varies throughout the study area, with Boston Harbor having a high density of samples, while rocky areas have almost no sediment samples. Process_Date: 20120214 Process_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Person_Primary: Contact_Person: Elizabeth A. Pendleton Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Position: Geologist Contact_Address: Address_Type: mailing and physical address Address: U.S. Geological Survey Address: 384 Woods Hole Rd. City: Woods Hole State_or_Province: MA Postal_Code: 02543-1598 Country: USA Contact_Voice_Telephone: 508-548-8700 x2259 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 508-457-2310 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: ependleton@usgs.gov Process_Step: Process_Description: After some additional qualitative polygon editing and reshaping was done in order to create a sediment map that was in the best agreement with all input data: lidar, bathymetry, backscatter, seismic interpretations, bottom photographs, and sediment samples, 4 more fields were added (ArcMap version 9.3.1). The first field, 'simple' is just 3 classes: sand, mud, or hardbottom. Another field 'bedforms' defines the presence or absence of bedforms features in the geophysical data, which helps determine seabed mobility. Another filed 'phi_class' was created and defined using the Wentworth (1922) sediment classification, and finally, a field 'Data_confi' was added as a data interpretation confidence, which describes how confident we are in the interpretation based on the number and quality of the input data sources (see the entity and attribute sections for more information on these fields). The remaining fields contain sediment texture statistics or mean water depth information and were created and populated using data joins or zonal statistics functions within ArcMap (version 9.3.1). The fields beginning with "Avg_" and the "Count_" field were automatically generated by computing a data join where the CZM sample database (vector points) was edited to include only the samples with laboratory sediment analysis and joined to the qualitatively-derived polygon file. Each polygon was given an average of the numeric attributes of the points (with laboratory grain size analysis) that fall inside it, and the count field shows how many laboratory analyzed points fall inside it. 615 samples were analyzed in the laboratory. Several fields that were not wanted were deleted after the join. Finally, a mean water depth field was created using zonal statistics, where the mean water depth for each polygon was derived from the topographic and bathymetric grid (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1157/GIS_catalog/SourceData/bathy/). Process_Date: 20120412 Process_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Person_Primary: Contact_Person: Elizabeth A. Pendleton Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Position: Geologist Contact_Address: Address_Type: mailing and physical address Address: U.S. Geological Survey Address: 384 Woods Hole Rd. City: Woods Hole State_or_Province: MA Postal_Code: 02543-1598 Country: USA Contact_Voice_Telephone: 508-548-8700 x2259 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 508-457-2310 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: ependleton@usgs.gov Process_Step: Process_Description: Finally, a feature dataset was generated inside a geodatabase (ArcCatalog version 9.3.1), and new topology rules were established to make sure that there were no overlapping polygons or accidental gaps between adjacent polygons. The topology error inspector (ArcMap version 9.3.1) was used to find topology errors and fix them. Overlapping polygon errors were fixed, and several gaps were marked as exceptions since there are several islands and significant data gaps within the study area. Very small (less than 1-square meter) gaps and triangular jogs in polygon boundaries within Boston Harbor exist where data published by Ackerman and others (2006) was used. These small topology feature errors were not corrected. Length and Area fields were generated automatically for all polygons in the geodatabase. The data were then exported to a shapefile and the polygons were reprojected from UTM Zone 19N, WGS84 to GCS WGS84. Process_Date: 20120512 Process_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Person_Primary: Contact_Person: Elizabeth A. Pendleton Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Position: Geologist Contact_Address: Address_Type: mailing and physical address Address: 384 Woods Hole Rd. City: Woods Hole State_or_Province: MA Postal_Code: 02543-1598 Country: USA Contact_Voice_Telephone: (508)-548-8700 x2259 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (508)-457-2310 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: ependleton@usgs.gov Process_Step: Process_Description: Edits to the metadata were made to fix any errors that MP v 2.9.30 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. Process_Date: 20151118 Process_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Organization_Primary: Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Person: VeeAnn A. Cross Contact_Position: Marine Geologist Contact_Address: Address_Type: mailing and physical address Address: 384 Woods Hole Rd. City: Woods Hole State_or_Province: MA Postal_Code: 02543 Contact_Voice_Telephone: 508-548-8700 x2251 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 508-457-2310 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: vatnipp@usgs.gov Process_Step: Process_Description: USGS Thesaurus keywords added to the keyword section. Process_Date: 20180720 Process_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Organization_Primary: Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Person: VeeAnn A. Cross Contact_Position: Marine Geologist Contact_Address: Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address: 384 Woods Hole Road City: Woods Hole State_or_Province: MA Postal_Code: 02543-1598 Contact_Voice_Telephone: 508-548-8700 x2251 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 508-457-2310 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: vatnipp@usgs.gov Process_Step: Process_Description: Crossref DOI link was added as the first link in the metadata. Process_Date: 20191118 Process_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Organization_Primary: Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Person: VeeAnn A. Cross Contact_Position: Marine Geologist Contact_Address: Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address: 384 Woods Hole Road City: Woods Hole State_or_Province: MA Postal_Code: 02543-1598 Contact_Voice_Telephone: 508-548-8700 x2251 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 508-457-2310 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: vatnipp@usgs.gov Process_Step: Process_Description: Added keywords section with USGS persistent identifier as theme keyword. Process_Date: 20200908 Process_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Organization_Primary: Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Person: VeeAnn A. Cross Contact_Position: Marine Geologist Contact_Address: Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address: 384 Woods Hole Road City: Woods Hole State_or_Province: MA Postal_Code: 02543-1598 Contact_Voice_Telephone: 508-548-8700 x2251 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 508-457-2310 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: vatnipp@usgs.gov Spatial_Data_Organization_Information: Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector Point_and_Vector_Object_Information: SDTS_Terms_Description: SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: G-polygon Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 491 Spatial_Reference_Information: Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition: Geographic: Latitude_Resolution: 0.000001 Longitude_Resolution: 0.000001 Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees Geodetic_Model: Horizontal_Datum_Name: D_WGS_1984 Ellipsoid_Name: WGS_1984 Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000 Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257224 Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition: Altitude_System_Definition: Altitude_Datum_Name: North American Vertical Datum of 1988 Altitude_Resolution: 1 Altitude_Distance_Units: meters Altitude_Encoding_Method: Attribute values Depth_System_Definition: Depth_Datum_Name: North American Vertical Datum of 1988 Depth_Resolution: 1 Depth_Distance_Units: meters Depth_Encoding_Method: Attribute values Entity_and_Attribute_Information: Detailed_Description: Entity_Type: Entity_Type_Label: Nahant_CCB_sedcover Entity_Type_Definition: Sediment Cover shapefile for Nahant to northern Cape Cod Bay, MA Entity_Type_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute: Attribute_Label: FID Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number. Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri Attribute_Domain_Values: Unrepresentable_Domain: Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated. Attribute: Attribute_Label: Shape Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry. Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri Attribute_Domain_Values: Unrepresentable_Domain: Coordinates defining the features. Attribute: Attribute_Label: sed_type Attribute_Definition: Bottom-type classification based on twelve composite units that represent combinations of four end-member units (R= rock; G= gravel; S= sand; M= mud). Attribute_Definition_Source: Barnhardt and others (1998) Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: Rg Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The dominant texture (> 50%) Rock (R) is given the upper case letter and the subordinate texture (< 50%) gravel (g) is given a lower case letter. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: Barnhardt and others (1998) Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: Gr Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The dominant texture (> 50%) Gravel (G) is given the upper case letter and the subordinate texture (< 50%) rock (r) is given a lower case letter. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: Barnhardt and others (1998) Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: Gs Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The dominant texture (> 50%) Gravel (G) is given the upper case letter and the subordinate texture (< 50%) sand (s) is given a lower case letter. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: Barnhardt and others (1998) Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: M Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The end-member texture (~ 100%) Mud (M) is the primary texture. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: Barnhardt and others (1998) Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: Ms Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The dominant texture (> 50%) Mud (M) is given the upper case letter and the subordinate texture (< 50%) sand (s) is given a lower case letter. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: Barnhardt and others (1998) Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: S Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The end-member texture (~ 100%) Sand (S) is the primary texture. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: Barnhardt and others (1998) Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: Sg Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The dominant texture (> 50%) Sand (S) is given the upper case letter and the subordinate texture (< 50%) gravel (g) is given a lower case letter. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: Barnhardt and others (1998) Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: Sm Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The dominant texture (> 50%) Sand (S) is given the upper case letter and the subordinate texture (< 50%) mud (m) is given a lower case letter. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: Rs Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The dominant texture (> 50%) Rock (R) is given the upper case letter and the subordinate texture (< 50%) sand (s) is given a lower case letter. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: Sr Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The dominant texture (> 50%) Sand (S) is given the upper case letter and the subordinate texture (< 50%) rock (r) is given a lower case letter. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: Mg Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The dominant texture (> 50%) Mud (M) is given the upper case letter and the subordinate texture (< 50%) gravel (g) is given a lower case letter. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: G Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The end-member texture (~ 100%) Gravel (G) is the primary texture. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: N/A Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: There was not enough source input data to define sediment texture within this area. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute: Attribute_Label: shep_code Attribute_Definition: sediment nomenclature based on sand-silt-clay ratios defined in the CZM sample database Attribute_Definition_Source: Shepard (1954) Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: sand Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Sediment whose main phase is <2 mm, but >0.062 mm Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: gravel Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Sediment whose main phase (usually >50%) is >2 mm Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: sandy silt Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Sediment whose main phase is silt, but with significant sand Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: solid Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Sediment whose main phase is rock, cobble, or boulder Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: silty sand Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Sediment whose main phase is sand, but with significant silt Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: silt Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Sediment whose main phase (usually >50%) is < 0.062 mm Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: N/A Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: There was not enough source input data to define sediment texture within this area. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: gravelly sediment Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: ediment whose main phase is >2 mm, but with significant other sediment. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: clayey silt Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Sediment whose main phase is silt, but with significant clay. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: USGS East Coast Sediment Texture Database data dictionary Attribute: Attribute_Label: simple Attribute_Definition: sediment nomenclature based on 3 simple classes: sand, mud, hardbottom as defined in the CZM sample database Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: sand Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Sediment whose primary component (> 50%) is sand Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: hardbottom Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Sediment whose primary component is rock, boulder, cobble, or coarse gravel Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: mud Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Sediment whose primary component (> 50%) is silt and clay Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: N/A Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: There was not enough source input data to define simple sediment texture within this area. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute: Attribute_Label: bedforms Attribute_Definition: text field that describes the presence or absence of bedforms on the sea floor based on geophysical raster data Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: yes Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: bedforms are present within some part of the traced polygon in the source acoustic data Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: N/A Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: bedforms are not present within any part of the traced polygon in the source acoustic data Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute: Attribute_Label: phi_class Attribute_Definition: Sediment class as defined by Wentworth classification determined using labratory analyzed samples in the CZM sample database Attribute_Definition_Source: Wentworth (1922) Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: coarse pebbles Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between -4 and -5 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: coarse silt Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between 4 and 5 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: coarse sand Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between 0 and 1 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: cobble Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between -6 and -8 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: fine pebbles Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between -2 and -3 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: fine sand Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between 2 and 3 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: fine silt Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between 6 and 7 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: granules Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between -1 and -2 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: medium pebbles Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between -3 and -4 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: medium sand Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between 2 and 1 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: medium silt Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between 5 and 6 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: solid Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size could not be determined from grain size data, but was determined to be rock based on acoustic data Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: very coarse pebbles Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between -5 and -6 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: very coarse sand Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between 0 and -1 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: very fine sand Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between 3 and 4 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: very fine silt Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size is between 7 and 8 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: N/A Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: sediment class whose phi size could not be determined from grain size data or there were no samples with laboratory analyzed grain size statistics within the polygon Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute: Attribute_Label: Data_confi Attribute_Definition: Each interpreted polygon was assigned a data interpretation confidence value from 1-4 based on the quality and number of input data sources. Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: 1 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Sediment texture regions that were defined based on the highest resolution bathymetry (5m) and backscatter (1m), bottom photos, sediment samples, and seismic interpretations were given the highest data interpretation confidence value of 1. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: 2 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Areas where sediment texture was defined based on bathymetry of 30m resolution, backscatter of 1m resolution, bottom photos, and sediment samples were given an interpretation confidence value of 2. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: 3 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: A confidence value of 3 was given to areas with multibeam bathymetric and backscatter resolution of 10m and sediment samples, but no bottom photos or high density seismic interpretations were available. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: 4 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The lowest confidence values (4) were given to areas where only lidar data at 2.5m resolution (and near full coverage) and sediment samples were available. Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Enumerated_Domain: Enumerated_Domain_Value: 0 Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: no cofidence in interpretation because there was not enough source data to make an interpretation Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute: Attribute_Label: Count_ Attribute_Definition: The number of sediment samples (with laboratory analyzed grain size statistics) that occur within each qualitatively-derived polygon. This field is automatically generated by Esri when point data (sample database) is joined to a polygon (sediment texture interpretation). Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri Attribute_Domain_Values: Range_Domain: Range_Domain_Minimum: 0 Range_Domain_Maximum: 85 Attribute_Units_of_Measure: count Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 1 Attribute: Attribute_Label: Avg_GRAVEL Attribute_Definition: Average percent weight (%) gravel (as determined from samples with laboratory analyzed grain size statistics) within each qualitatively derived polygon. This field was automatically generated by Esri as a summary of the numeric attributes of the points that fall inside a polygon when point data (sample database) is joined to a polygon (sediment texture interpretation). -999 is a no data value Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Range_Domain: Range_Domain_Minimum: 0 Range_Domain_Maximum: 89.9 Attribute_Units_of_Measure: percent Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 0.1 Attribute: Attribute_Label: Avg_SAND Attribute_Definition: Average percent weight (%) sand (as determined from samples with laboratory analyzed grain size statistics) within each qualitatively derived polygon. This field was automatically generated by Esri as a summary of the numeric attributes of the points that fall inside a polygon when point data (sample database) is joined to a polygon (sediment texture interpretation). -999 is a no data value Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Range_Domain: Range_Domain_Minimum: 1.79 Range_Domain_Maximum: 100 Attribute_Units_of_Measure: percent Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 0.01 Attribute: Attribute_Label: Avg_SILT Attribute_Definition: Average percent weight (%) silt (as determined from samples with laboratory analyzed grain size statistics) within each qualitatively derived polygon. This field was automatically generated by Esri as a summary of the numeric attributes of the points that fall inside a polygon when point data (sample database) is joined to a polygon (sediment texture interpretation). -999 is a no data value Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Range_Domain: Range_Domain_Minimum: 0 Range_Domain_Maximum: 68.37 Attribute_Units_of_Measure: percent Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 0.1 Attribute: Attribute_Label: Avg_CLAY Attribute_Definition: Average percent weight (%) clay (as determined from samples with laboratory analyzed grain size statistics) within each qualitatively derived polygon. This field was automatically generated by Esri as a summary of the numeric attributes of the points that fall inside a polygon when point data (sample database) is joined to a polygon (sediment texture interpretation). -999 is a no data value Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Range_Domain: Range_Domain_Minimum: 0 Range_Domain_Maximum: 44.98 Attribute_Units_of_Measure: percent Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 0.1 Attribute: Attribute_Label: Avg_PHI Attribute_Definition: Average phi size within each qualitatively derived polygon (-999 is a no data value, which means there were no samples with laboratory analyzed grain size statistics within that polygon) Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Range_Domain: Range_Domain_Minimum: -4.07 Range_Domain_Maximum: 7.83 Attribute_Units_of_Measure: phi Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 0.01 Attribute: Attribute_Label: mean_depth Attribute_Definition: Average water depth within each qualitatively derived polygon. Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey Attribute_Domain_Values: Range_Domain: Range_Domain_Minimum: -61.15 Range_Domain_Maximum: -0.07 Attribute_Units_of_Measure: meters Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 0.01 Attribute: Attribute_Label: Shape_Leng Attribute_Definition: Length of feature in meters. Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri Attribute_Domain_Values: Range_Domain: Range_Domain_Minimum: 125.941 Range_Domain_Maximum: 144652.135 Attribute_Units_of_Measure: meters Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 0.001 Attribute: Attribute_Label: Shape_Area Attribute_Definition: Area of feature in meters squared. Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri Attribute_Domain_Values: Range_Domain: Range_Domain_Minimum: 899.009 Range_Domain_Maximum: 208403761.365 Attribute_Units_of_Measure: meters squared Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 0.001 Attribute_Domain_Values: Unrepresentable_Domain: Positive real numbers that are automatically generated. Distribution_Information: Distributor: Contact_Information: Contact_Person_Primary: Contact_Person: Elizabeth A Pendleton Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Position: Geologist Contact_Address: Address_Type: mailing and physical address Address: U.S. Geological Survey Address: 384 Woods Hole Rd. City: Woods Hole State_or_Province: MA Postal_Code: 02543-1598 Country: USA Contact_Voice_Telephone: 508-548-8700 x2259 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 508-457-2310 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: ependleton@usgs.gov Resource_Description: Downloadable Data Distribution_Liability: 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 U.S. Geological Survey 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. Standard_Order_Process: Digital_Form: Digital_Transfer_Information: Format_Name: Shapefile Format_Version_Number: ArcGIS 9.3.1 Format_Specification: Esri Polygon Shapefile Format_Information_Content: WinZip (v. 14.5) file contains qualitatively derived polygons that define sea floor texture and distribution from Nahant to Northern Cape Cod Bay, MA and the associated metadata File_Decompression_Technique: WinZip or pkUnzip Transfer_Size: 1.87 Digital_Transfer_Option: Online_Option: Computer_Contact_Information: Network_Address: Network_Resource_Name: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1157/GIS_catalog/SedimentTexture/SedCover.zip Network_Resource_Name: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1157/html/GIS_catalog.html Network_Resource_Name: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1157/ Access_Instructions: Data can be downloaded via the World Wide Web (WWW) Fees: None Technical_Prerequisites: These data are available in Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) shapefile format. The user must have software capable of importing and processing this data type. Metadata_Reference_Information: Metadata_Date: 20240318 Metadata_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Person_Primary: Contact_Person: Elizabeth A. Pendleton Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Position: Geologist Contact_Address: Address_Type: mailing and physical address Address: U.S. Geological Survey Address: 384 Woods Hole Rd. City: Woods Hole State_or_Province: MA Postal_Code: 02543-1598 Country: USA Contact_Voice_Telephone: 508-548-8700 x2259 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 508-457-2310 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: 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_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998 Metadata_Time_Convention: local time Metadata_Access_Constraints: None Metadata_Use_Constraints: None