Digital Shoreline Analysis System version 4.3 shoreline intersection points used to calculate long-term shoreline change statistics excluding the 1970-1979 and 1994 shorelines for the North Shore coastal region from North Salisbury at the New Hampshire border to the west side of Deer Island in Boston harbor (NorthShore_intersects_LTwo.shp)

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Digital Shoreline Analysis System version 4.3 shoreline intersection points used to calculate long-term shoreline change statistics excluding the 1970-1979 and 1994 shorelines for the North Shore coastal region from North Salisbury at the New Hampshire border to the west side of Deer Island in Boston harbor (NorthShore_intersects_LTwo.shp)
Abstract:
Due to continued coastal population growth and increased threats of erosion, current data on trends and rates of shoreline movement are required to inform shoreline and floodplain management. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter intervals along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast.
The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, has compiled reliable historical shoreline data along open-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast under the Massachusetts Shoreline Change Mapping and Analysis Project 2013 Update. Two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts (approximately 1,800 km in total length) were (1) delineated using 2008/09 color aerial orthoimagery, and (2) extracted from topographic LIDAR datasets (2007) obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. The new shorelines were integrated with existing Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and USGS historical shoreline data in order to compute long- and short-term rates using the latest version of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS).
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    U.S. Geological Survey, 2013, Digital Shoreline Analysis System version 4.3 shoreline intersection points used to calculate long-term shoreline change statistics excluding the 1970-1979 and 1994 shorelines for the North Shore coastal region from North Salisbury at the New Hampshire border to the west side of Deer Island in Boston harbor (NorthShore_intersects_LTwo.shp): Open-File Report 2012-1183, 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.

    Smith, Theresa L., Himmelstoss, Emily A., and Thieler, E. Robert, 2013, Massachusetts Shoreline Change Project: A GIS Compilation of Vector Shorelines and Associated Shoreline Change Data for the 2013 update: Open-File Report 2012-1183, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.991585
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.587364
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.875600
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.341659
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Calendar_Date: 2013
    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):
      • Entity point (13976)
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: State Plane Coordinate System 1983
      State_Plane_Coordinate_System:
      SPCS_Zone_Identifier: 2001
      Lambert_Conformal_Conic:
      Standard_Parallel: 41.716667
      Standard_Parallel: 42.683333
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -71.500000
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 41.000000
      False_Easting: 200000.000000
      False_Northing: 750000.000000
      Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.000001
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.000001
      Planar coordinates are specified in meters
      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is Geodetic Reference System 80.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    NorthShore_intersects_LTwo
    Measurement points used to calculate long-term shoreline change statistics (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    FID
    Internal feature number. (Source: Esri) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
    Shape
    Feature geometry. (Source: Esri) Coordinates defining the features.
    OBJECTID
    Internal feature number used within geodatabase. (Source: Esri) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
    TransectId
    Used as a permanent and unique identification number (same as ObjectID field in Transect attribute table) for each transect calculated by DSAS. This attribute was used as the common field when joining the intersects table (.dbf) to the transect feature class in a geodatabase. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.
    BaselineId
    Unique identification number of the baseline segment. If BaselineID=0 no transects were generated. Used by DSAS to determine transect ordering alongshore if multiple baseline segments exist. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:unlimited
    ShorelineI
    Date of shoreline position; date of survey as indicated on source material in the format of mm/dd/yyyy. A default date of 07/01 was assigned to shorelines where only the year was known (month and day unknown). Using July, the mid-point month of the calendar year, minimizes the potential offset to the actual shoreline date by a maximum of six months. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:07/01/1847
    Maximum:04/16/2008
    Distance
    The along-transect distance from the baseline to the shoreline point measured in meters (MA State Plane, NAD 83). Positive values are used when the reference baseline is landward (onshore) of the shorelines. Negative values are used when the reference baseline is seaward (offshore) of the shorelines. The positive/negative values provide appropriate directionality for calculating erosional or accretional trends in shoreline movement. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-767.544754
    Maximum:-0.88268
    IntersectX
    Assigned by DSAS automatically to record the X coordinate of the shoreline measurement point at each transect in meter units (MA State Plane, NAD 83). (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Values based on data set extent.
    IntersectY
    Assigned by DSAS automatically to record the Y coordinate of the shoreline measurement point at each transect in meter units (MA State Plane, NAD 83). (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Values based on data set extent.

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
    Attn: Theresa Smith
    Contract Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

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

Why was the data set created?

This dataset contains the measurement locations used by the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) software to compute long-term rate of change statistics for the North Shore region of Massachusetts. The points represent the individual shoreline locations along each measurement transect generated by DSAS. The data can be used to identify the number of shorelines used to compute rates at a given location as well as the specific shoreline dates. Long-term linear regression statistics were calculated without shorelines from 1970-1979 and 1994, which contained greater inaccuracies due to uncertain source photography, registration errors, storm events and poor contrast.

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: 17-Oct-2012 (process 1 of 14)
    The bias and uncertainty data associated with the 2000 lidar shoreline were previously published by the USGS (OFR 2012-1119) and are organized in two separate files for the North Shore region boundaries of this study (NewEnglandN_shorelines_uncertainty.dbf and GreaterBoston_shorelines_uncertainty.dbf ). Therefore, the rate calculations were run twice (once for each uncertainty table) to compute a complete set of bias-corrected rates for the North Shore region.
    The NewEnglandN_shorelines_uncertainty.dbf file and the GreaterBoston_shorelines_uncertainty.dbf files were imported to the geodatabase containing the North Shore data. The tables were renamed to match the corresponding shoreline shapefiles (NewEnglandN_shorelines_uncertainty.dbf was renamed NorthShoreA_shorelines_uncertainty.dbf, and GreaterBoston_shorelines_uncertainty.dbf was renamed NorthShoreB_shorelines_uncertainty).
    Rate Calculations Performed using DSAS v.4.3 for ArcMap v.10 for the North Shore A subregion. Parameters Used: shoreline layer=NorthShore_shorelines, shoreline date field=Date_, shoreline uncertainty field name=Uncy (additional shoreline data stored in NorthShoreA_shoreline_uncertainty.dbf), the default accuracy=10.8 meters, shoreline intersection parameters=nearest, stats calculations=[Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE), Net Shoreline Movement (NSM), Linear Regression Rate (LRR)], shoreline threshold=3, confidence interval=90%, Output rate table name=NorthShoreA_transects_rates_20121017_095801. Output intersects table name=NorthShoreA_transects_intersect_20121017_095801.dbf.
    This process step and all subsequent process steps were performed by Theresa Smith. Person who carried out this activity:
    Theresa Smith
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Contract Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    theresasmith@usgs.gov
    Date: 17-Oct-2012 (process 2 of 14)
    The shoreline intersects output table contains X- and Y-coordinate information for each shoreline measurement on DSAS transects. This table (NorthShoreA_transects_intersect_20121017_095801.dbf) was used to create a temporary event theme to preview the transect/shoreline measurement locations in ArcMap. The intersects file was right-clicked in the ArcMap (v.10) table of contents. "Display XY data..." was chosen from the pop-up menu. A new Display XY Data window opens and the following parameters were entered: X Field: IntersectX; Y Field; Intersect Y; Z Field: <None>; Coordinate System of Input Coordinates: NAD_1983_Massachusetts_Mainland_FIPS_2001.
    Date: 17-Oct-2012 (process 3 of 14)
    The temporary event theme is saved to a shapefile by right-clicking the NorthShoreA_transects_intersect_20121017_095801 Events layer in the table of contents (ArcMap 10) and choosing Data > Export Data from the pop-up menu. This opens an Export Data window where the following parameters were entered: Export: All features; Select "Use the same coordinate system as this layer's source data"; Output feature class: NorthShoreA_intersects_LTwo.shp.
    Date: 17-Oct-2012 (process 4 of 14)
    The transects_rates output feature class for the North Shore A section (NorthShoreA_transects_rates_LTwo.shp) was joined to the intersects feature class (NorthShoreA_intersects_LTwo) in ArcMap v.10 by right-clicking on the intersects layer > joins and relates > join > join attributes from a table. Parameters: join field - TransectID; table to join - NorthShoreA_transects_rates_LTwo.dbf; field in table: TransectID; join options - keep all records. The joined feature class' attribute table was displayed in ArcMap (v.10). Using standard editing tools, intersect data corresponding to transects 923-3957 were deleted from the file, as they extend outside the North Shore A subregion.
    Date: 17-Oct-2012 (process 5 of 14)
    Rate Calculations Performed using DSAS v4.3 for the North Shore B subregion on selected features only (without the 1970s and 1994 shorelines) in ArcGIS v.10. Parameters Used: shoreline layer=NorthShoreB_shorelines, shoreline date field=Date_, shoreline uncertainty field name=Uncy (additional shoreline data stored in NorthShoreB_shoreline_uncertainty.dbf), the default accuracy=10.8 meters, shoreline intersection parameters=nearest, stats calculations=[Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE), Net Shoreline Movement (NSM), Linear Regression Rate (LRR)], shoreline threshold=3, confidence interval=90%, Output rate table name=NorthShoreB_transects_rates_20121017_110658.dbf. Output intersects table name=NorthShoreB_transects_intersect_20121017_110658.dbf.
    Date: 17-Oct-2012 (process 6 of 14)
    The shoreline intersects output table contains X- and Y-coordinate information for each shoreline measurement on DSAS transects. This table (NorthShoreB_transects_intersect_20121017_110658.dbf) was used to create a temporary event theme to preview the transect/shoreline measurement locations in ArcMap. The intersects file was right-clicked in the ArcMap (v.10) table of contents. "Display XY data..." was chosen from the pop-up menu. A new Display XY Data window opens and the following parameters were entered: X Field: IntersectX; Y Field; Intersect Y; Z Field: <None>; Coordinate System of Input Coordinates: NAD_1983_Massachusetts_Mainland_FIPS_2001.
    Date: 17-Oct-2012 (process 7 of 14)
    The temporary event theme is saved to a shapefile by right-clicking the NorthShoreB_transects_intersect_20121017_110658 Events layer in the table of contents (ArcMap 10) and choosing Data > Export Data from the pop-up menu. This opens an Export Data window where the following parameters were entered: Export: All features; Select "Use the same coordinate system as this layer's source data"; Output feature class: NorthShoreB_intersects_LTwo.shp.
    Date: 17-Oct-2012 (process 8 of 14)
    The transects_rates output feature class for the North Shore B section (NorthShoreB_transects_rates_LTwo.shp) was joined to the intersects feature class (NorthShoreB_intersects_LTwo) in ArcMap v.10 by right-clicking on the intersects layer > joins and relates > join > join attributes from a table. Parameters: join field - TransectID; table to join - NorthShoreB_transects_rates_LTwo.dbf; field in table: TransectID; join options - keep all records. The joined feature class' attribute table was displayed in ArcMap (v.10). Using standard editing tools, intersect data corresponding to transects 1-922 were deleted from the file, as they extend outside the North Shore B subregion.
    Date: 17-Oct-2012 (process 9 of 14)
    The NorthShoreA_intersects_LTwo and NorthShoreB_intersects_LTwo feature classes were exported from the personal geodatabase back to a shapefile in ArcCatalog (v.10) by right-clicking on one of the rates files > Export > To Shapefile (multiple). The shapefiles were then merged in Esri's ArcToolbox (v.10), Data Management Tools > General > Merge, to produce one set of results for display and publication purposes encompassing the whole extent of the North Shore region. The file was renamed NorthShore_intersects_LTwo.shp.
    Date: 17-Oct-2012 (process 10 of 14)
    The merged intersect shapefile was projected in Esri's ArcToolbox (v.10) > Data Management Tools > Projections and Transformations > Feature > Project. Parameters: input projection - NAD_1983_StatePlane_Massachusetts_Mainland_FIPS_2001; output projection - geographic coordinates (NAD83); transformation - none.
    Date: 11-Oct-2017 (process 11 of 14)
    Edits to the metadata were made to fix any errors that MP v 2.9.36 flagged. This is necessary to enable the metadata to be successfully harvested for various data catalogs. In some cases, this meant adding text "Information unavailable" or "Information unavailable from original metadata" for those required fields that were left blank. Other minor edits were probably performed (title, publisher, publication place, etc.). Attempted to modify http to https where appropriate. Added a landing page link as the first link in the identification section. Fixed online link to DSAS cross-reference. The distribution format name 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 Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2251 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    vatnipp@usgs.gov
    Date: 20-Jul-2018 (process 12 of 14)
    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 13 of 14)
    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 14 of 14)
    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?
    Thieler, E.R., Smith, T.L., Knisel, Julia, and Sampson, D.W., 2013, Massachusetts Shoreline Change Mapping and Analysis Project, 2013 Update: Open-File Report 2012-1189, 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 is 4.3
    Thieler, E. Robert, O'Connell, James F., and Schupp, Courtney A., 20010904, The Massachusetts Shoreline Change Project: 1800s to 1994 Technical Report: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: Administrative Report

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    The attributes of this dataset are based on the field requirements of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System and were automatically generated by the software during the calculation of shoreline change rates performed by the software.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    This dataset contains the measurement locations automatically established during the generation of transects by the DSAS software application and were used to calculate long-term shoreline change rates for the region. Additional measurement locations would have been generated for the 1970 and 1995 shorelines at each transect, but these shoreline data were excluded from the rate calculations. These data are part of a state-wide assessment of shoreline change that includes over 26,500 individual transect locations that were used to compute both short- and long-term rates of change, based on almost 9200 linear kilometers of historical shoreline position data. It is very likely that some gross errors or blunders were introduced during compilation and analysis of this large amount of information. Such errors have been described in the context of shoreline change mapping as coarse errors (Fenster and others, 2001) and can generally be considered to affect only a very small percentage of the overall dataset.
    Fenster, M.S., Dolan, R., and Morton, R.A., 2001, Coastal storms and shoreline change: signal or noise?: Journal of Coastal Research, v. 17, no. 3, p. 714-720.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    These data were generated using DSAS v.4.3, an automated software program which does not perform checks for fidelity of the input features. The measurement locations are generated during the rate calculation process, after editing of the transects is complete.

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:
These data were automatically generated using the DSAS version 4.3 software application and should only be used for purposes explicitly stated by the originating organization. Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management as the originators of this 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 16.5) file contains a shapefile of measurement locations (intersects) generated by the Digital Shoreline Analysis System used to calculate long-term rates for the North Shore region of Massachusetts. Metadata is also included. in format Shapefile (version ArcGIS 10) Esri point shapefile Size: 1
      Network links: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1183/data/NorthShore/NorthShore_intersects_LTwo.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: 16-Nov-2021
Metadata author:
Theresa Smith
U.S. Geological Survey
Contract Geologist
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA
USA

508-548-8700 (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/ofr2012-1183/NorthShore_intersects_LTwo.shp.xml.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.50 on Tue Nov 16 10:06:50 2021