Outline of the GeoTIFF Image of the Combined 4-m Multibeam Bathymetry Generated from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Surveys H11922, H11995, H11996, H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12023, H12033, H12137, H12139, H12296, H12298, and H12299 offshore in Block Island and Rhode Island Sounds (RICOMBOUTLINE.SHP, Geographic, WGS 84)

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

Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Outline of the GeoTIFF Image of the Combined 4-m Multibeam Bathymetry Generated from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Surveys H11922, H11995, H11996, H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12023, H12033, H12137, H12139, H12296, H12298, and H12299 offshore in Block Island and Rhode Island Sounds (RICOMBOUTLINE.SHP, Geographic, WGS 84)
Abstract:
Detailed bathymetric maps of the sea floor in Block Island and Rhode Island Sounds are of great interest to the New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts research and management communities because of this area's ecological, recreational, and commercial importance. Geologically interpreted digital terrain models (DTMs) from individual surveys provide important benthic environmental information, yet many applications require a geographically broader perspective. For example, individual surveys are of limited use 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 14 contiguous multibeam bathymetric DTMs, produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during charting operations, into one dataset that covers much of Block Island Sound and extends eastward across Rhode Island Sound. The new dataset, which covers over 1244 square kilometers, is adjusted to mean lower low water, is gridded to 4-meter resolution, and is provided in UTM Zone 19 NAD 83 and geographic WGS 84 projections. This resolution is adequate for sea-floor feature and process interpretation but is small enough to be queried and manipulated with standard Geographic Information System programs and to allow for future growth. Natural features visible in the grid include boulder lag deposits of winnowed Pleistocene strata, sand-wave fields, and scour depressions that reflect the strength of the oscillating and asymmetric tidal currents and scour by storm-induced waves. 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 the Rhode Island coast.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    U.S. Geological Survey, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2014, Outline of the GeoTIFF Image of the Combined 4-m Multibeam Bathymetry Generated from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Surveys H11922, H11995, H11996, H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12023, H12033, H12137, H12139, H12296, H12298, and H12299 offshore in Block Island and Rhode Island Sounds (RICOMBOUTLINE.SHP, Geographic, WGS 84): Open-File Report 2014-1012, 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., McMullen, K.Y., Danforth, W.W., Blankenship, M.A., Clos, A.R., Glomb, K.A., Lewit, P.G., Nadeau, M.A., Wood, D.A., and Parker, C.E., 2014, Combined Multibeam Bathymetry Data from Rhode Island Sound and Block Island Sound - A Regional Perspective: Open-File Report 2014-1012, 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: -72.103521
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.870050
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.377608
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.115830
  3. What does it look like?
    http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2014/1012/data/basemaps/outline/ricomboutline.gif (GIF)
    Thumbnail image showing the outline of the combined bathymetry from NOAA surveys H11922, h11995, H11996, H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12023, H12033, H12137, H12139, H12296, H12298, and h12299 offshore in Rhode Island and Block Island Sounds in geographic, WGS 84 coordinates.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 16-Jul-2008
    Ending_Date: 16-Nov-2011
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  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):
      • G-polygon (1)
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.000001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.000001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees. The horizontal datum used is D_WGS_1984.
      The ellipsoid used is WGS_1984.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257224.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    ricomboutline
    Shapefile (Source: None)
    FID
    Internal feature number. (Source: Esri) Whole numbers that are automatically generated.
    Shape
    Feature geometry. (Source: Esri) Coordinates defining the features.
    ID
    Attribute automatically generated when the graphic was converted to a shapefile. (Source: Software generated) Whole numbers that are automatically generated
    Area
    Area of the combined multibeam data (Source: Scientist)
    Range of values
    Minimum:1244.466
    Maximum:1244.466
    Units:square kilometers
    Resolution:0.001
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    Outline of the combined bathymetry data from NOAA surveys H11922, H11995, H11996, H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12023, H12033, H12137, H12139, H12296, H12298, and H12299 offshore in Rhode island and Block Island Sounds in geographic, WGS 84 coordinates. Nodata values are represented as 255-255-255 (white). Outline shapefiles have been completed and published for all of the bathymetric surveys used to make this combined dataset except H12298 and H12299, and reports which will include outlines for these last two surveys are in prep. See cross references for specific citations.
    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)
    • U.S. Geological Survey
    • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  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

    508-548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

To release an outline of the combined multibeam bathymetry generated from NOAA surveys H12922, H11995, H11996, H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12023, H12033, H12137, H12139, H12296, H12298, and H12299 offshore Rhode Island in Block Island and Rhode Island Sounds in geographic, WGS 84.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 1 of 14)
    Schattgen, P. Tod, and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Unpublished Material, H12009.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 2 of 14)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Unpublished Material, H12010.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 3 of 14)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Unpublished Material, H12011.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 4 of 14)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Unpublished Material, H12015.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 5 of 14)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Unpublished Material, H12033.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 6 of 14)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Unpublished Material, H12137.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 7 of 14)
    Smith, Shepard M., and Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Unpublished Material, H12139.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 8 of 14)
    Schattgen, P.T., Unpublished Material, H11922.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 9 of 14)
    Schattgen, P.T., Unpublished Material, H11995.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 10 of 14)
    Schattgen, P.T., Unpublished Material, H11996.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 11 of 14)
    Smith, S.M., Unpublished Material, H12023.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 12 of 14)
    Krepp, L.T., Unpublished Material, H12296.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 13 of 14)
    Krepp, L.T., Unpublished Material, H12298.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
    Information unavailable from original metadata. (source 14 of 14)
    Krepp, L.T., Unpublished Material, H12299.

    Type_of_Source_Media: computer hard drive
    Source_Contribution: Original processed multibeam bathymetric data.
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 2013 (process 1 of 6)
    The GeoTIFF image of the combined multibeam bathymetry from NOAA surveys H11922, H11995, H11996, H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12023, H12033, H12137, H12139, H12296, H12298, and H12299 was imported into an ArcMap 9.3 project. These acoustic data were outlined using the available graphic tools then converted to a polygon shapefile using ArcMap 9.3. Person who carried out this activity:
    Larry Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    508-548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • ricomb_4mmb_geo.tif
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • ricomboutline.shp
    Date: 2013 (process 2 of 6)
    ArcGIS 9.3 was used to define the Esri shapefile as geographic WGS84 and to create the .prj file using the ArcToolbox Define Projection tool. XTools v. 7.1.0 was used to calculate the area based on UTM Zone 19, WGS84 (UTM to get a more accurate area). Person who carried out this activity:
    Larry Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA
    USA

    508-548-8700 x2314 (voice)
    508-457-2310 (FAX)
    lpoppe@usgs.gov
    Data sources used in this process:
    • ricomboutline.shp
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • ricomboutline.prj
    Date: 08-Dec-2015 (process 3 of 6)
    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 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 4 of 6)
    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 5 of 6)
    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 6 of 6)
    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: Descriptive Report H12137, 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:

    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 This publication provides an outline of NOAA survey H11996.
    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 This publication provides an outline of NOAA survey H11922.
    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Denny, J.F., Haupt, T.A., and Crocker, J.M., 2008, Sidescan-sonar imagery and surficial geologic interpretation 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
    Schattgen, P.T., 2008, H11922: Descriptive Report H11922, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Schattgen, P.T., 2008, H11995: Descriptive Report H11995, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Schattgen, P.T., 2008, H11996: Descriptive Report H11996, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Smith, S.M, 2009, H12023: Descriptive Report H12023, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Krepp, L.T., 2011, H12296: Descriptive Report H12296, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Krepp, L.T., 2011, H12298: Descriptive Report H12298, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    Krepp, L.T., 2011, H12299: Descriptive Report H12299, National Ocean Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, Norfolk, VA.

    Online Links:

    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 This publication provides an outline of NOAA survey H11995.
    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 This publication provides an outline of NOAA surveys H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12033, H12137, and H12139.
    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Ackerman, S.D., Blackwood, D.S., Lewit, P.G., and Parker, C.E., 2013, Sea-floor geology in northeastern Block Island Sound, Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2013-1003, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    1 DVD-ROM This publication provides an outline of NOAA survey H12023.
    McMullen, K.Y., Poppe, L.J., Ackerman, S.D., Blackwood, D.S., Glomb, K.A., and Wood, D.A., 2014, Sea-floor geology in northwestern Block Island Sound, Rhode Island: Open-File Report 2014-1018, 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?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    This data layer shows the extent and location of the combined bathymetry data collected during NOAA surveys H11922, H11995, H11996, H12009, H12010, H12011, H12015, H12023, H12033, H12137, H12139, H12296, H12298, and H12299.
  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:
Public domain data are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as the originator of this information.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    Larry Poppe
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Geologist
    384 Woods Hole Road
    Woods Hole, MA

    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?
    These data are available in Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) 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 data. A free data viewer, ArcGIS Explorer, capable of displaying the data is available from Esri at www.esri.com. 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:
U.S. Geological Survey
Attn: Larry Poppe
Geologist
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA

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/ofr2014-1012/ricomboutline.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.50 on Tue Nov 16 10:06:51 2021