usSEABED: Offshore Surficial-Sediment Database for Samples Collected within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone

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What does this data set describe?

Title:

usSEABED: Offshore Surficial-Sediment Database for Samples Collected within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone

Abstract:

Since the second half of the 20th century, there has been an increase in scientific interest, research effort, and information gathered on the geologic sedimentary character of the continental margins of the United States. Data and information from thousands of sources have increased our scientific understanding of the geologic origins of the margin surface but rarely have those data been combined into a unified database. Initially, usSEABED was created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado Boulder, for assessments of marine-based aggregates and for studies of sea-floor habitats by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Since then, the USGS has continued to build up the database as a nationwide resource for many uses and applications. Previously published data derived from the usSEABED database have been released as three USGS data series publications containing data covering the U.S. Atlantic margin, the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean regions, and the Pacific coast (Reid and others, 2005; Buczkowski and others, 2006; and Reid and others, 2006). This expanded USGS data release unifies the data from these three publications and includes an additional 54 data sources added to usSEABED since the original data series, provides revised output files, and expands the data coverage to include usSEABED data from all areas within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as of the time of publication (including Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. overseas territories). The usSEABED database was created using the most recent stable version of the dbSEABED software available to the USGS at the time of release (specifically, dbSEABED software [NMEv, version date 4/23/2010] using the dbSEABED thesaurus [db9 dict.rtf, version date 8/21/2009], the component set up file for U.S. waters [SET ABUN 2016.txt, version date 5/29/2016], and the facies set up file for U.S. waters [SET FACI.txt, version date 3/16/2012]). The USGS Open-File Report "Sediments and the sea floor of the continental shelves and coastal waters of the United States: About the usSEABED integrated sea-floor-characterization database, built with the dbSEABED processing system" (Buczkowski and others, 2020) accompanies this data release and provides information on the usSEABED database as well as the dbSEABED data processing system. Users are encouraged to read this companion report to learn more about how usSEABED is built, how the data should be interpreted, and how they are best used.

How might this data set be cited?
Buczkowski, B.J., Reid, J.A., Schweitzer, P.N., Cross, V.A., and Jenkins, C.J., 2020, usSEABED: Offshore Surficial-Sediment Database for Samples Collected within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone: data release DOI:10.5066/P9H3LGWM, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
Online Links:
- https://doi.org/10.5066/P9H3LGWM
Other_Citation_Details:
Suggested citation: Buczkowski, B.J., Reid, J.A., Schweitzer, P.N., Cross, V.A., and Jenkins, C.J., 2020, usSEABED—Offshore surficial-sediment database for samples collected within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9H3LGWM.
This data release has a companion USGS Open-File Report: Buczkowski, B.J., Reid, J.A., and Jenkins, C.J., 2020, Sediments and the sea floor of the continental shelves and coastal waters of the United States—About the usSEABED integrated sea-floor-characterization database, built with the dbSEABED processing system: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020-1046, https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201046.
What geographic area does the data set cover?
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -180.000000
East_Bounding_Coordinate: 180.000000
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 74.709763
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 31.75000
What does it look like?

https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/data/whcmsc/data-release/doi-P9H3LGWM/usSEABED_EEZ_browse_graphic.png (PNG)
Browse graphic showing the maximum spatial extent of all the usSEABED data layers, with each layer stacked upon each other. The legend identifies each data layer by symbology.
Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

Calendar_Date: 2020
Currentness_Reference:

publication date
What is the general form of this data set?
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
How does the data set represent geographic features?
1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
  This is a Point data set.
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.
  
  Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
  Depth_System_Definition:
  Depth_Datum_Name: Local surface
  Depth_Resolution: 9999
  Depth_Distance_Units: meters
  Depth_Encoding_Method: Explicit depth coordinate included with horizontal coordinates

How does the data set describe geographic features?

US9_ONE

Combined extracted, parsed, and calculated data included in usSEABED. This file contains 715,088 records. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Latitude

Latitude in decimal degrees of the sample location. The horizontal datum associated with the latitude fix varies depending on the year and navigation acquisition system. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	14.274440
Maximum:	73.578000
Units:	decimal degrees

Longitude

Longitude in decimal degrees of the sample location. The horizontal datum associated with the longitude fix varies depending on the year and navigation acquisition system. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-179.890600
Maximum:	179.782600
Units:	decimal degrees

WaterDepth

Water depth of sample, measured in meters, with depth as positive values. A value of -99 indicates the water depth is unknown. Negative values other than -99 indicate the samples were collected above sea level (beaches, shorelines, riverbeds). (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-16
Maximum:	7317
Units:	meters

ObsvnTop

Top of the sample or observation measured from the sea floor or surface downwards. Negative values indicate the sample was collected from above the the sea floor or surface. A value of -99 indicates the depth is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	666.85
Units:	meters

ObsvnBot

Bottom of the sample or observation measured from the sea floor or surface downwards. Negative values indicate the sample was collected from above the the sea floor or surface. A value of -99 indicates the depth is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-0.9
Maximum:	666.95
Units:	meters

LocnName

Location derived from the data source describing where the sample was collected. For more detailed information, see the original source. A value of "-" indicates the collection location has not been identified. (Source: Defined by original source) Character set.

DataSetKey

Dataset key that relates each row of this table to a row in the data sources table (US9_SRC file). (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Numeric value.

LocnKey

Site key used to relate to information about the same collection location in all of the other usSEABED data files using the same attribute name. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Numeric value.

ObsvnKey

Sample key used to relate to information about the same sample, observation, or subsample in all of the other usSEABED data files using the same attribute name. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Numeric value.

Device

Device used to collect or record the sample. Additional information about the device or deployment, such as penetration (pntn) or recovery (rcvy), may also be included in the entry. A value of "UnidDevice" or no device indicates the collection device has not been identified. (Source: Defined by original source) Character set.

DataTypes

Code produced by the dbSEABED processing software to identify which output file (extracted, parsed, or calculated) was used to gather the data provided in each attribute for the sample or observation (Gravel, Sand, Mud, Clay, Grainsze, Sorting, Facies, FacMshp, FolkCde, RckMshp, VegMshp, Carbonate, MunslColr, OrgCarbn, lShearStr, Porosity, PWaveVel, Roughness, lCritShStr, and GeolAge). Each code consists of 20 characters, representing each data attribute (Gravel, Sand, Mud, Clay, Grainsze, Sorting, Facies, FacMshp, FolkCde, RckMshp, VegMshp, Carbonate, MunslColr, OrgCarbn, lShearStr, Porosity, PWaveVel, Roughness, lCritShStr, and GeolAge) in order. Attributes identified with "E" have data derived from the extracted data file, attributes identified with "P" have data derived from the parsed data file, and attributes identified with "C" have data derived from the calculated data file. Attributes identified with "x" have no data recorded in either the extracted, parsed, or calculated datasets. For example, a record with the DataType label EEEEEExxCxxxPxxxxxxx includes data derived from the extracted data file for Gravel, Sand, Mud, Clay, Grainsze, and Sorting; FolkCde information derived from the calculated data set; MunslColr information derived from the parsed data set; and no data available for the other attributes. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Value	Definition
E	Extracted seabed data, derived from quantitative observations or analyses
P	Parsed seabed data, derived from written descriptions
C	Calculated seabed data, based on empirical relations or known functions
x	No data were recorded in either extracted, parsed, or calculated datasets for the identified attribute

Gravel

Weight percentage of gravel grain-size fraction in the sample. The range of possible values is from 0 to 100. A value of -99 indicates the fraction is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source or calculated by the dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	weight percent

Sand

Weight percentage of sand grain-size fraction in the sample. The range of possible values is from 0 to 100. A value of -99 indicates the fraction is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source or calculated by the dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	weight percent

Mud

Weight percentage of mud (silt plus clay) grain-size fraction in the sample. The range of possible values is from 0 to 100. A value of -99 indicates the fraction is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source or calculated by the dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	weight percent

Clay

Weight percentage of clay grain-size fraction in the sample. The range of possible values is from 0 to 100. A value of -99 indicates the fraction is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source or calculated by the dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	weight percent

Grainsze

Characteristic grain size of the sample based on available mean and median grain-size values in phi units. A value of -99 indicates the grain size is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-7
Maximum:	23.5
Units:	phi

Sorting

Standard deviation of the grain-size distribution of the sample in phi units (sorting). A value of -99 indicates the grain-size dispersion is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	7.4
Units:	phi

Facies

Seabed class with the maximum fuzzy set membership, if above 30%. A value of "-" indicates the facies has not been identified. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Value	Definition
Algae	Facies determined by the observed presence of algae, such as halimeda, rhodoliths, and coralline algae.
AlSi	Facies determined by the observed presence of aluminosilicate minerals, such as micas, quartz, zeolites, siliceous materials, and opal.
Carb	Facies determined by the observed presence of carbonate minerals and rocks, such as carbonates, marl, chalks, carbonate cementation, calcareous nodules, and calcareous ooze.
Clay	Facies determined by the observed presence of clays, such as generic clay minerals, glauconite, smectite, kaolinite, and chlorite.
Coral	Facies determined by the observed presence of coral and coral structures, such as corals and coral reefs.
Forams	Facies determined by the observed presence of foraminifera, such as benthic, planktonic, and arenitic foraminifera species.
Fossil	Facies determined by the observed presence of fossils, such as radiolaria, diatoms, nannofossils, fish debris, and palynomorphs.
Generic_rock	Facies determined by the observed presence of generic rocks, such as unidentified rocks, rock fragments, and hard ground.
Hvy_min	Facies determined by the observed presence of heavy minerals, such as mafic and ultramafic minerals.
Metam_rock	Facies determined by the observed presence of metamorphic rocks, such as unidentified metamorphic rocks, dolomite, schist, blueschist, gneiss, and slate.
Mineralized	Facies determined by the observed presence of mineralized deposits, such as phosphorite, pyrite, sulfide, and barite.
Mn/Fe	Facies determined by the observed presence of ferromanganese crusts and concretions, such as ferruginous mineralization, iron nodules, siderite, manganese nodules, manganese oxide, and manganese crusts.
Organic	Facies determined by the observed presence of organic material, such as wood, peat, coal, organic debris, and organic carbon.
Plant	Facies determined by the observed presence of plants, such as foliage and plant debris.
Seaweed	Facies determined by the observed presence of seaweed, such as unidentified and identified seaweeds and seagrass.
Sed_rock	Facies determined by the observed presence of sedimentary rock, such as unidentified sedimentary rocks, mudstone, sandstone, limestone, and chert.
Sediment	Facies determined by the observed presence of sediments, such as terrigenous sediments, metamorphic debris, igneous debris, unidentified sediments, quartz sediments, and volcanic sediments.
Shells	Facies determined by the observed presence of shells, such as unidentified shells, shell debris, skeletal debris, molluscs, bivalves, and mussels.

FacMshp

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 of the facies with the maximum fuzzy set membership. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

FolkCde

Grain-size classification based on Folk and others (1970). A value of "-" indicates the Folk code has not been identified. (Source: Folk, R.L, Andrews, P.B., and Lewis, D.W., 1970, Detrital sedimentary rock classification and nomenclature for use in New Zealand: New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, vol. 13:4, p. 937-968.)

Value	Definition
(g)M	Slightly gravelly mud
(g)mS	Slightly gravelly muddy sand
(g)sM	Slightly gravelly sandy mud
(g)S	Slightly gravelly sand
G	Gravel
gM	Gravelly mud
(s)gM	Slightly gravelly mud
gmS	Gravelly muddy sand
gsM	Gravelly sandy mud
gS	Gravelly sand
M	Mud
mG	Muddy gravel
mS	Muddy sand
msG	Muddy sandy gravel
S	Sand
sG	Sandy gravel
sM	Sandy mud
zS	Silty sand
cS	Clayey sand
sZ	Sandy silt
sC	Sandy clay
Z	Silt
C	Clay
cZ	Clayey silt
czS	Clayey silty sand
scZ	Sandy clayey silt
szC	Sandy silty clay
zC	Silty clay

RckMshp

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample in the rock fuzzy set, which includes terms that denote an exposed rock component. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

VegMshp

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample in the vegetation fuzzy set, which includes terms that denote a vegetation component. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	0
Units:	degree of membership

Carbonate

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample in the carbonate fuzzy set, which includes terms that denote a specific carbonate, calcareous crust, calcite, dolomite, limestone, or siderite component. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

MunslColr

Munsell color code, which is a non-unique code based on HVC (Hue, Value, Chroma). Hue is the color denoted by a letter code (e.g., red [R], yellow-red [YR], green [G], etc.); the quality of this color is modified, for example more yellow or more red, by the preceding value (0-10). Value is how light or dark a color is and is indicated with a number (typically in the range of 0 to 10) where lower numbers are darker than higher numbers (e.g., 2 is darker than 6). Chroma is how weak or strong a color is and is also indicated with a number (typically in the range of 0 to 12) where lower numbers are weaker than higher numbers (e.g., 2 is weaker than 6). For example, 5YR 3/2 represents the color yellow-red with a dark value and a weak chroma. A value of "-" indicates the Munsell color code has not been identified. (Source: Geological Society of America, 1991, The Geological Society of America rock color chart with genuine Munsell color chips: Boulder, CO, Geological Society of America.) Character set.

OrgCarbn

Percent organic carbon in the sample. The range of possible values is from 0 to 100. A value of -99 indicates the percent organic carbon is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	77
Units:	percent

lShearStr

Undrained compressive shear strength; values expressed as log10 of kilopascals. A value of -99 indicates the log10 undrained compressive shear strength is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	-2
Maximum:	3
Units:	kilopascals, expressed as log10

Porosity

Void volume present in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the porosity is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-10
Maximum:	124
Units:	dimensionless volume ratio

PWaveVel

Compressional wave velocity. A value of -99 indicates the wave velocity is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	1451
Maximum:	1902
Units:	meters per second

Roughness

A coded output representing the V:H ratio (vertical height to horizontal length) of the roughness element with the greatest aspect ratio; values expressed as (rounded) integer log2 of V (vertical height) in centimeters to (rounded) integer log2 of H (horizontal length) in centimeters. A value of "-" indicates the roughness has not been identified. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Character set.

lCritShStr

Log critical shear stress, which is the shear stress required to initiate easily observable erosion and transport, whether by traction or suspension; values expressed as log10 of Tau in kilopascals. A value of -99 indicates the log10 critical shear stress is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	-2
Maximum:	3
Units:	kilopascals, expressed as log10 of Tau

GeolAge

Geologic age of the sample or observation. Ages are provided as ranges where the first number is the top (youngest) age in millions of years and the second number is the bottom (oldest) age in millions of years (for example, an age defined as 0.00y:o0.0115 can be as young as 0.00 million years and as old as 0.0115 million years [late Holocene]). A value of "-" indicates the age has not been identified. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Character set.

ObsvnDetai

Additional information or notes recorded for a sample or observation. For more detailed information or clarification, see the original source. A value of "-" indicates there are no additional notes or information. (Source: Defined by original source) Character set.

Key

Unique identifier of the sample entry and primary key for the database table. For example, the entry "one_0000283" is the 283rd entry in the US9_ONE data file. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Character set.

ObsvnDate

Date of collection, or the start of a range of collection dates for the sample or observation, typically provided in the format YYYYMMDD (for example, 19710410 is April 10, 1971). Samples may only have a year associated with them (YYYY as 1971), or a year and month (YYYYMM as 197104). Samples may also have a range of dates associated with them (for example, 1970-2000). Samples with dates labeled "unknown" may either represent samples or observations without date information in usSEABED, or may represent samples or observations that have dates recorded as "unknown" by the persons entering the data into usSEABED. Not all observations have an extracted observation date and are represented by blanks. (Source: Defined by original source) Character set.

DateSrc

Source of the date provided for the sample or observation. A blank indicates that no observation date was available for extraction. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Value	Definition
collection date	Date the individual sample or observation was taken.
collection date (translate from Julian)	Date the individual sample or observation was taken translated from Julian day.
no source	No source of date information is available.
survey date	Date(s) the survey or field activity took place.

US9_CLC

Calculated data about grain size, sediment texture, color, age, and other information about the sea floor derived from calculations based on empirical relations or known functions performed by dbSEABED and included in usSEABED. This file contains 546,677 records. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Latitude

Range of values
Minimum:	16.666670
Maximum:	73.578000
Units:	decimal degrees

Longitude

Range of values
Minimum:	-179.890600
Maximum:	179.782600
Units:	decimal degrees

WaterDepth

Range of values
Minimum:	-16
Maximum:	7317
Units:	meters

ObsvnTop

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	6
Units:	meters

ObsvnBot

Range of values
Minimum:	-0.9
Maximum:	165
Units:	meters

LocnName

DataSetKey

Dataset key that relates each row of this table to a row in the data sources table (US9_SRC file). (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Numeric value.

LocnKey

ObsvnKey

Device

DataTypes

Data type(s) recorded for the sample. A record can contain more than one data type. The order of the values in the entry is not important. Below lists all possible data types, please note that all types may not be present in the table. A value of "-" indicates data types have not been identified. (Source: dbSEABED Data Entry Template)

Value	Definition
ACU	Acoustic properties
AGE	Sample Age
BIO	Biota observations
CMP	Compositional analysis
COL	Color of sample
GRZ	Grain-size analysis
GTC	Geotechnical properties
LTH	Lithologic description
MSL	Multi-Sensor Core Logger data
PET	Petrographic analysis
SFT	Sea-floor type description
TXG	Textural information derived from graphics
TXR	Textural data and statistics

Gravel

Weight percentage of gravel grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction could not be calculated. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) -99 (representing no data for this field).

Sand

Weight percentage of sand grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction could not be calculated. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) -99 (representing no data for this field).

Mud

Weight percentage of mud (silt plus clay) grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction could not be calculated. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) -99 (representing no data for this field).

Clay

Weight percentage of clay grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction could not be calculated. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) -99 (representing no data for this field).

Grainsze

Characteristic grain size of the sample based on mean and median grain-size values in phi units. A value of -99 indicates the grain size could not be calculated. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	-3
Maximum:	12
Units:	phi

Sorting

Standard deviation of the grain-size distribution of the sample in phi units (sorting). A value of -99 indicates the grain-size dispersion could not be calculated. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	4.8
Units:	phi

Facies

Seabed class with the maximum fuzzy set membership, if above 30%. A value of "-" indicates the facies has not been identified. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) "-" (representing no data for this field).

FacMshp

FolkCde

Value	Definition
(g)M	Slightly gravelly mud
(g)mS	Slightly gravelly muddy sand
(g)sM	Slightly gravelly sandy mud
(g)S	Slightly gravelly sand
G	Gravel
gM	Gravelly mud
gmS	Gravelly muddy sand
gS	Gravelly sand
M	Mud
mG	Muddy gravel
mS	Muddy sand
msG	Muddy sandy gravel
S	Sand
sG	Sandy gravel
sM	Sandy mud

RckMshp

Degree of fuzzy set membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for samples that include those terms that denote an exposed rock component. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	0
Units:	degree of membership

VegMshp

Degree of fuzzy set membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for samples that include those terms that denote a vegetation component. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) -99 (representing no data for this field).

Carbonate

Degree of fuzzy set membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for samples that include those terms that denote a specific carbonate, calcareous crust, calcite, dolomite, limestone, or siderite component. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	95
Units:	degree of membership

MunslColr

OrgCarbn

Percent organic carbon in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the percent organic carbon is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) -99 (representing no data for this field).

lShearStr

Porosity

Void volume present in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the porosity is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	27
Maximum:	89
Units:	dimensionless volume ratio

PWaveVel

Compressional wave velocity. A value of -99 indicates the wave velocity is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	1465
Maximum:	1793
Units:	meters per second

Roughness

lCritShStr

Range of values
Minimum:	-2
Maximum:	3
Units:	kilopascals, expressed as log10 of Tau

GeolAge

ObsvnDetai

Key

Unique identifier of the sample entry and primary key for the database table. For example, the entry "clc_0000030" is the 30th entry in the US9_CLC data file. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Character set.

ObsvnDate

DateSrc

Source of the date provided for the sample or observation. A blank indicates that no observation date was available for extraction. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Value	Definition
collection date	Date the individual sample or observation was taken.
collection date (translate from Julian)	Date the individual sample or observation was taken translated from Julian day.
no source	No source of date information is available.
survey date	Date(s) the survey or field activity took place.

US9_CMP

Component data included in usSEABED, which provides information about selected components and sea-floor features ("_F") that are reported in more than 0.01% of observations nationwide. This file contains 518,110 records. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Latitude

Range of values
Minimum:	14.274440
Maximum:	73.578000
Units:	decimal degrees

Longitude

Range of values
Minimum:	-179.890600
Maximum:	179.782600
Units:	decimal degrees

WaterDepth

Range of values
Minimum:	-16
Maximum:	6770
Units:	meters

ObsvnTop

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	666.85
Units:	meters

ObsvnBot

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	666.95
Units:	meters

LocnName

DataSetKey

Dataset key that relates each row of this table to a row in the data sources table (US9_SRC file). (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Numeric value.

LocnKey

ObsvnKey

Device

DataTypes

Value	Definition
AGE	Sample age
BIO	Biota observations
COL	Color of sample
LTH	Lithologic description
PET	Petrographic analysis
SFT	Sea-floor type description
TXR	Textural data and statistics

shl

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of shells, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

shl_dbr

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of shell debris, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

skl_dbr

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of skeletal debris, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

mlsc

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of molluscs, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	1
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

biv

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of bivalves, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	1
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

musl

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of mussels, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	8
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

rck

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of unidentified rocks, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

rck_frg

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of unidentified rock fragments, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	10
Units:	degree of membership

hrdgrond

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of hard ground, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	23
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

mudstn

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of mudstone, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	6
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

sed_rck

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of general sediemtnary rock, based on fuzzy set theory. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown filters. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

sndstn

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of sandstone, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

bluschst

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of blueschist, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

sed

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of unidentified sediments, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100.1
Units:	degree of membership

qtz_sed

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of quartz sediments, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	1
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

trrg

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of terrigenous material, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

volgls

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of volcanic glass, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

carb

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of carbonate, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

dolmt

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of dolomite, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

glauc

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of glauconite, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

claymin

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of clay minerals, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	4
Maximum:	90
Units:	degree of membership

smect

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of smectite, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	68
Units:	degree of membership

kaol

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of kaolinite, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	50
Units:	degree of membership

chlort

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of chlorite, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	71
Units:	degree of membership

crl

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of coral, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	5
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

rad

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of radiolarians, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	90
Units:	degree of membership

diat

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of diatoms, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

frm

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of general foraminifera, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

plnk_frm

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of planktonic foraminifera, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

bnth_frm

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of benthic foraminifera, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	40
Units:	degree of membership

min

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of unidentified minerals, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

mica

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of general mica, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	70
Units:	degree of membership

qtz

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of quartz, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

zeol

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of zeolite, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	10
Units:	degree of membership

hvy_min

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of general heavy minerals, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

maf

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of general mafic minerals, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	99
Units:	degree of membership

phspht

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of phosphorite, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	2
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

ooz

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of ooze (pelagic sediment), based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	3
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

calc_ooz

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of calcareous ooze (pelagic sediment), based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	5
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

orgnc_dbr

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of general organic debris, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	60
Units:	degree of membership

wood

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of wood, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

peat

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of peat, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

cbl

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of cobbles, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	2
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

bldr

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of boulders, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	1
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

gas_F

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of gas, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	1
Maximum:	1
Units:	degree of membership

odr_F

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of an odor, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	1
Units:	degree of membership

h2s_F

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of hydrogen sulfide, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

ObsvnDetai

Key

Unique identifier of the sample entry and primary key for the database table. For example, the entry "cmp_0000050" is the 50th entry in the US9_CMP data file. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Character set.

ObsvnDate

DateSrc

Source of the date provided for the sample or observation. A blank indicates that no observation date was available for extraction. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Value	Definition
collection date	Date the individual sample or observation was taken.
collection date (translate from Julian)	Date the individual sample or observation was taken translated from Julian day.
no source	No source of date information is available.
survey date	Date(s) the survey or field activity took place.

US9_EXT

Extracted data about grain size, sediment texture, color, age, and other information about the sea floor derived from quantitative observations and analyses of samples and included in usSEABED. This file contains 181,546 records. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Latitude

Range of values
Minimum:	16.666670
Maximum:	73.578000
Units:	decimal degrees

Longitude

Range of values
Minimum:	-179.890600
Maximum:	179.550000
Units:	decimal degrees

WaterDepth

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	7317
Units:	meters

ObsvnTop

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	666.85
Units:	meters

ObsvnBot

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	666.95
Units:	meters

LocnName

DataSetKey

Dataset key that relates each row of this table to a row in the data sources table (US9_SRC file). (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Numeric value.

LocnKey

ObsvnKey

Device

DataTypes

Value	Definition
ACU	Acoustic properties
CMP	Compositional analysis
COL	Color of sample
GRZ	Grain-size analysis
GTC	Geotechnical properties
LTH	Lithologic description
MSL	Multi-Sensor Core Logger data
SFT	Sea-floor type description
TXG	Textural information derived from graphics
TXR	Textural data and statistics

Gravel

Weight percentage of gravel grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	weight percent

Sand

Weight percentage of sand grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	weight percent

Mud

Weight percentage of mud (silt plus clay) grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	weight percent

Clay

Weight percentage of clay grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	weight percent

Grainsze

Characteristic grain size of the sample based on mean and median grain-size values in phi units. A value of -99 indicates the grain size is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-6.6
Maximum:	23.5
Units:	phi

Sorting

Standard deviation of the grain-size distribution of the sample in phi units (sorting). A value of -99 indicates the grain-size dispersion is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	7.4
Units:	phi

Facies

FacMshp

FolkCde

Value	Definition
(g)M	Slightly gravelly mud
(g)mS	Slightly gravelly muddy sand
(g)sM	Slightly gravelly sandy mud
(g)S	Slightly gravelly sand
G	Gravel
gM	Gravelly mud
(s)gM	Slightly gravelly mud
gmS	Gravelly muddy sand
gsM	Gravelly sandy mud
gS	Gravelly sand
M	Mud
mG	Muddy gravel
mS	Muddy sand
msG	Muddy sandy gravel
S	Sand
sG	Sandy gravel
sM	Sandy mud
zS	Silty sand
cS	Clayey sand
sZ	Sandy silt
sC	Sandy clay
Z	Silt
C	Clay
cZ	Clayey silt
czS	Clayey silty sand
scZ	Sandy clayey silt
szC	Sandy silty clay
zC	Silty clay

RckMshp

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote an exposed rock component, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) -99 (representing no data for this field).

VegMshp

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a vegetation component, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) -99 (representing no data for this field).

Carbonate

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a specific carbonate, calcareous crust, calcite, dolomite, limestone, or siderite component, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

MunslColr

OrgCarbn

Percent organic carbon in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the percent organic carbon is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	77
Units:	Percent

lShearStr

Range of values
Minimum:	-2
Maximum:	2.92
Units:	KiloPascals

Porosity

Void volume present in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the porosity is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-10
Maximum:	124
Units:	dimensionless volume ratio

PWaveVel

Compressional wave velocity. A value of -99 indicates the wave velocity is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	1451
Maximum:	1902
Units:	meters per second

Roughness

lCritShStr

GeolAge

ObsvnDetai

Key

Unique identifier of the sample entry and primary key for the database table. For example, the entry "ext_0000017" is the 17th entry in the US9_EXT data file. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Character set.

ObsvnDate

DateSrc

Source of the date provided for the sample or observation. A blank indicates that no observation date was available for extraction. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Value	Definition
collection date	Date the individual sample or observation was taken.
collection date (translate from Julian)	Date the individual sample or observation was taken translated from Julian day.
no source	No source of date information is available.
survey date	Date(s) the survey or field activity took place.

US9_FAC

Facies data included in usSEABED, which provides concatenated information about components (minerals and rock type), genesis (igneous, metamorphic, carbonate, terrigenous), and other appropriate facies or groupings of information about the sea floor parsed from written descriptions from cores, grabs, photographs, and videos. This file contains 505,928 records. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Latitude

Range of values
Minimum:	14.274440
Maximum:	73.578000
Units:	decimal degrees

Longitude

Range of values
Minimum:	-179.890600
Maximum:	179.782600
Units:	decimal degrees

WaterDepth

Range of values
Minimum:	-16
Maximum:	6770
Units:	meters

ObsvnTop

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	666.85
Units:	meters

ObsvnBot

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	666.95
Units:	meters

LocnName

DataSetKey

Dataset key that relates each row of this table to a row in the data sources table (US9_SRC file). (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Numeric value.

LocnKey

ObsvnKey

Device

DataTypes

Value	Definition
AGE	Sample Age
BIO	Biota observations
COL	Color of sample
LTH	Lithologic description
SFT	Sea-floor type description
TXR	Textural data and statistics

Algae

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote an algae component (halimeda, rhodolith, coralline algae), based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	3
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Shells

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote shell (including shell debris, skeletal debris, mollusc shell, bivalve shell, or mussel shell) component, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Carb

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a specific carbonate, chalk, carbonate cementation, calcareous nodule, or calcareous ooze component, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Clay

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a clay component, including glauconite, kaolinite, smectite, or chlorite, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Coral

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a coral, coral reef, or solitary coral component, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	5
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Fossil

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote the presence of a fossil component, including radiolaria, diatoms, pteropods, nannofossils, fish debris, or palynomorph foraminifera (planktonic, benthic, arenite, or unspecified), based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Forams

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a foraminifera component, including benthic, planktonic, large, or arenaceous foraminifera, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

AlSi

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote an aluminosilicate component, including mica, quartz, zeolite, opal, or the term "siliceous," based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Hvy_min

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a heavy mineral component or the terms "mafic" or "ultramafic," based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Mineralized

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a mineralized component, including barite, phosphorite, pyrite, or sulfide, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Mn_Fe

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote an iron/manganese component, including iron oxide, siderite, manganese crust, manganese nodule, manganese oxide, or ferruginous mineral, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Organic

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote an organic component, such as wood, peat, coal, organic debris, or organic carbon, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Metam_rock

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a metamorphic rock component, including blueschist, dolomite, gneiss, greenschist, schist, slate, or the term "metamorphic," based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Generic_rock

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a generic rock, rock fragments, or hard ground component, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Sed_rock

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a generic sedimentary rock, sandstone, limestone, mudstone, or conglomerate component, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Sediment

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a terrigenous, metamorphic debris, igneous debris, quartz sediment, volcanic sediment, or generic sedimentary component, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Plant

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a plant component, such as foliage or a generic plant, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	5
Maximum:	50
Units:	degree of membership

Terrigenou

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote quartz, quartz sediment, feldspar, the term "mafic," or a generic terrigenous component, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

Seaweed

Degree of membership on a scale of 0 to 100 for the sample which includes terms that denote a weed, seaweed, or seagrass component, based on fuzzy set theory filters. Possible values range from 0 (no membership, perhaps due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). A value of -99 indicates the membership is unknown. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) -99 (representing no data for this field).

ObsvnDetai

Key

Unique identifier of the sample entry and primary key for the database table. For example, the entry "fac_0000020" is the 20th entry in the US9_FAC data file. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Character set.

ObsvnDate

DateSrc

Source of the date provided for the sample or observation. A blank indicates that no observation date was available for extraction. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Value	Definition
collection date	Date the individual sample or observation was taken.
collection date (translate from Julian)	Date the individual sample or observation was taken translated from Julian day.
no source	No source of date information is available.
survey date	Date(s) the survey or field activity took place.

US9_PRS

Parsed data about grain size, sediment texture, color, age, and other information about the sea floor derived from written descriptions from cores, grabs, photographs, and videos and included in usSEABED. This file contains 598,784 records. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Latitude

Range of values
Minimum:	14.274440
Maximum:	73.578000
Units:	decimal degrees

Longitude

LLongitude in decimal degrees of the sample location. The horizontal datum associated with the longitude fix varies depending on the year and navigation acquisition system. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-179.890600
Maximum:	179.782600
Units:	decimal degrees

WaterDepth

Range of values
Minimum:	-16
Maximum:	6770
Units:	meters

ObsvnTop

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	666.85
Units:	meters

ObsvnBot

Range of values
Minimum:	-0.9
Maximum:	666.95
Units:	meters

LocnName

DataSetKey

Dataset key that relates each row of this table to a row in the data sources table (US9_SRC file). (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Numeric value.

LocnKey

ObsvnKey

Device

DataTypes

Value	Definition
AGE	Sample Age
BIO	Biota observations
COL	Color of sample
LTH	Lithologic description
PET	Petrographic analysis
SFT	Sea-floor type description
TXR	Textural data and statistics

Gravel

Weight percentage of gravel grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction could not be parsed from descriptions. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	weight percent

Sand

Weight percentage of sand grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction could not be parsed from descriptions. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	percent

Mud

Weight percentage of mud (silt plus clay) grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction could not be parsed from descriptions. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	weight percent

Clay

Weight percentage of clay grain-size fraction in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the fraction could not be parsed from descriptions. (Source: Defined by original source) -99 (representing no data for this field).

Grainsze

Characteristic grain size of the sample based on mean and median grain-size values in phi units. A value of -99 indicates the grain size could not be parsed from descriptions. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-7
Maximum:	7
Units:	phi

Sorting

Standard deviation of the grain-size distribution of the sample in phi units (sorting). A value of -99 indicates the grain-size dispersion could not be parsed from descriptions. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0.1
Maximum:	4.9
Units:	phi

Facies

Seabed class with the maximum fuzzy set membership, if above 30%. A value of "-" indicates the facies has not been identified. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

Value	Definition
Algae	Facies determined by the observed presence of algae, such as halimeda, rhodoliths, and coralline algae.
AlSi	Facies determined by the observed presence of aluminosilicate minerals, such as micas, quartz, zeolites, siliceous materials, and opal.
Carb	Facies determined by the observed presence of carbonate minerals and rocks, such as carbonates, marl, chalks, carbonate cementation, calcareous nodules, and calcareous ooze.
Clay	Facies determined by the observed presence of clays, such as generic clay minerals, glauconite, smectite, kaolinite, and chlorite.
Coral	Facies determined by the observed presence of coral and coral structures, such as corals and coral reefs.
Forams	Facies determined by the observed presence of foraminifera, such as benthic, planktonic, and arenitic foraminifera species.
Fossil	Facies determined by the observed presence of fossils, such as radiolaria, diatoms, nannofossils, fish debris, and palynomorphs.
Generic_rock	Facies determined by the observed presence of generic rocks, such as unidentified rocks, rock fragments, and hard ground.
Hvy_min	Facies determined by the observed presence of heavy minerals, such as mafic and ultramafic minerals.
Metam_rock	Facies determined by the observed presence of metamorphic rocks, such as unidentified metamorphic rocks, dolomite, schist, blueschist, gneiss, and slate.
Mineralized	Facies determined by the observed presence of mineralized deposits, such as phosphorite, pyrite, sulfide, and barite.
Mn/Fe	Facies determined by the observed presence of ferromanganese crusts and concretions, such as ferruginous mineralization, iron nodules, siderite, manganese nodules, manganese oxide, and manganese crusts.
Organic	Facies determined by the observed presence of organic material, such as wood, peat, coal, organic debris, and organic carbon.
Plant	Facies determined by the observed presence of plants, such as foliage and plant debris.
Sed_rock	Facies determined by the observed presence of sedimentary rock, such as unidentified sedimentary rocks, mudstone, sandstone, limestone, and chert.
Sediment	Facies determined by the observed presence of sediments, such as terrigenous sediments, metamorphic debris, igneous debris, unidentified sediments, quartz sediments, and volcanic sediments.
Shells	Facies determined by the observed presence of shells, such as unidentified shells, shell debris, skeletal debris, molluscs, bivalves, and mussels.

FacMshp

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

FolkCde

Grain-size classification based on Folk and others (1970). Below lists all possible grain size types, please note that all types may not be present in the table. A value of "-" indicates the Folk code has not been identified. (Source: Folk, R.L, Andrews, P.B., and Lewis, D.W., 1970, Detrital sedimentary rock classification and nomenclature for use in New Zealand: New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, vol. 13:4, p. 937-968.)

Value	Definition
(g)M	Slightly gravelly mud
(g)mS	Slightly gravelly muddy sand
(g)sM	Slightly gravelly sandy mud
(g)S	Slightly gravelly sand
G	Gravel
gM	Gravelly mud
gmS	Gravelly muddy sand
gS	Gravelly sand
M	Mud
mG	Muddy gravel
mS	Muddy sand
msG	Muddy sandy gravel
S	Sand
sG	Sandy gravel
sM	Sandy mud

RckMshp

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

VegMshp

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	0
Units:	degree of membership

Carbonate

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	100
Units:	degree of membership

MunslColr

OrgCarbn

Percent organic carbon in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the percent organic carbon is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	0
Maximum:	0.5
Units:	percent

lShearStr

Range of values
Minimum:	0.1
Maximum:	3
Units:	kilopascals, expressed as log10

Porosity

Void volume present in the sample. A value of -99 indicates the porosity is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source) -99 (representing no data for this field).

PWaveVel

Compressional wave velocity. A value of -99 indicates the wave velocity is unknown. (Source: Defined by original source) -99 (representing no data for this field).

Roughness

lCritShStr

GeolAge

ObsvnDetai

Key

Unique identifier of the sample entry and primary key for the database table. For example, the entry "prs_0000029" is the 29th entry in the US9_PRS data file. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Character set.

ObsvnDate

DateSrc

Source of the date provided for the sample or observation. A blank indicates that no observation date was available for extraction. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Value	Definition
collection date	Date the individual sample or observation was taken.
collection date (translate from Julian)	Date the individual sample or observation was taken translated from Julian day.
no source	No source of date information is available.
survey date	Date(s) the survey or field activity took place.

US9_SRC

Data sources included in usSEABED. This file contains 335 records. (Source: dbSEABED processing software)

DataSetKey

Dataset key that relates the data sources in this table to the other usSEABED data files using the same attribute name. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Character set.

DataOwner

Organization that owns or provides the data. A value of "Unknown" indicates the data owner has not been identified. (Source: As provided by source dataset as primary organization or institution responsible for the data.) Character set.

AttrEntryMethd

Method used to add attribute information from the data source into the database. (Source: Defined by personnel entering data into usSEABED.) Character set.

LocationEntryMethd

Method used to add location information from the data source into the database. (Source: Defined by personnel entering data into usSEABED.) Character set.

DataSourceType

Information on the type of source material from which the data were taken. (Source: Defined by personnel entering data into usSEABED.) Character set.

LocationRegion

Description or location name of where the data were collected. (Source: Defined by personnel entering data into usSEABED.) Character set.

SurveyDate

Date or range of dates attributed to the sample collection or observation activity. Dates are provided as precisely as they can be determined. Where available, dates are given in the format YYYYMMDD, YYYYMM, or YYYY. Sometimes the exact date can only be narrowed down to a time before or after a certain date, or the dates are only known to be "variable." A value of "unknown" indicates the survey dates have not been identified. (Source: Defined by personnel entering data into usSEABED.) Character set.

ReportDate

Date of publication for the source material. Dates are provided as precisely as they can be determined. Where available, dates are given in the format YYYYMMDD, YYYYMM, or YYYY. Sometimes the exact date can only be narrowed down to a time before or after a certain date, or the dates are only known to be "variable." A value of "unknown" indicates the publication date has not been identified. (Source: As provided by publication or dataset information.) Character set.

NavMethod

Navigation method or device used to determine the geospatial location of the data when they were collected. A value of "unknown" indicates the navigation method or device used to determine the geospatial location of the data has not been identified. (Source: As provided by publication or dataset information.) Character set.

LocnsOutput

Number of unique sites from the source material. Unique location keys are used to relate data from the same location in all of the other usSEABED data files using the LocnKey attribute. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Character set.

ObsvnOutput

Number of observations, samples, or subsamples from the source material. Unique observation keys are used to relate data from the same observation or sample in all of the other usSEABED data files using the ObsvnKey attribute. (Source: dbSEABED processing software) Character set.

WestBounding

Westernmost longitude in decimal degrees of the dataset. The horizontal datum associated with the longitude fix varies depending on the year and navigation acquisition system. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-180
Maximum:	158.04
Units:	decimal degrees

EastBounding

Easternmost longitude in decimal degrees of the dataset. The horizontal datum associated with the longitude fix varies depending on the year and navigation acquisition system. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-168.5075
Maximum:	180
Units:	decimal degrees

NorthBounding

Northernmost latitude in decimal degrees of the dataset. The horizontal datum associated with the latitude fix varies depending on the year and navigation acquisition system. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	17.51667
Maximum:	84.135
Units:	decimal degrees

SouthBounding

Southernmost latitude in decimal degrees of the dataset. The horizontal datum associated with the latitude fix varies depending on the year and navigation acquisition system. (Source: Defined by original source)

Range of values
Minimum:	-66.175
Maximum:	70.75
Units:	decimal degrees

Citation

Citation, if available, for the source data. (Source: As provided by publication or dataset information.) Character set.

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

Facies data values are calculated using the dbSEABED software parser that assigns field values based on the form and content of a description using fuzzy set theory. The application of fuzzy set theory to verbal descriptions allows a sample or observation to belong partially to an attribute in the database, referred to as a "set." How much an entry in the database is represented by a set is referred to as degree of membership. Values derived through filters using fuzzy set theory represent a measure of truth about the attribute, not percentages or defined values, and how well it represents the sample or observation. These values range from 0 (no membership, possibly due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). In contrast to the situation with component abundances, the sum of feature memberships in a sample is allowed to exceed 100. The dbSEABED facies processing is limited to a maximum of six components per facies; however, not all facies have six defining components. In the US9_EXT and US9_ONE files, the attribute Porosity has values that are less than 0 and greater than 100, which theoretically is not possible.

Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: U.S. Geological Survey

Who produced the data set?

Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
- B.J. Buczkowski
- J.A. Reid
- P.N. Schweitzer
- V.A. Cross
- C.J. Jenkins
Who also contributed to the data set?
To whom should users address questions about the data?

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: Brian J. Buczkowski

Physical Scientist

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Woods Hole, MA

508-548-8700 x2361 (voice)

508-457-2310 (FAX)

bbuczkowski@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

The data layers output by usSEABED can be used to investigate the known information about a particular area of the sea floor. These data are intended for science researchers, policy makers, students, and the general public. The data can be used with geographic information systems (GIS) software to display geologic and oceanographic information.

How was the data set created?

From what previous works were the data drawn?

Varies with source (source 1 of 1)

Various, Unknown, See Data Sources page (https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/coastal-marine-hazards-and-resources/science/usseabed-data-format-and-content) for the specific sources.: Various, Various.

Other_Citation_Details:
Over 300 sources, both published and unpublished, are used as the sources of information for usSEABED. Pertinent information about each source is provided in the usSEABED source file, US9_SRC, included with the dataset. Sources include the U.S. Geological Survey; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Minerals Management Service; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); University of Washington, Seattle; Oregon State University, Corvallis; University of California in Berkeley, Los Angeles, and San Diego; University of Southern California; San Jose State University; Humboldt State University; Naval Postgraduate School; Virginia Institute of Marine Science; state geological surveys from Alabama, Maryland, and New Jersey; U.S. Navy; Southern California Coastal Water Research Project; NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center; National Ocean Service; Smithsonian Institution; and many others.

Type_of_Source_Media: Hard copy and digital
Source_Contribution:
Point locations, descriptions, and various analytical data (textural, granulometric, geochemical, geophysical, acoustic) on sediments, rock exposure, and benthos. Contributions vary with source.
How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

Date: 2016 (process 1 of 9)
The provenance of the source data (entry method, location entry method, and data source type) is available from the US9_SRC table.
Source data were digitized as necessary (typed or scanned), then the digitized data were visually compared to the source report and corrected as needed. These data were examined for completeness and transcription accuracy in Microsoft Excel as appropriate. Other digital data were decoded using source-specific programs, downloaded over the internet, or sent directly to the USGS or University of Colorado through email. Descriptive data were coded using the dbSEABED dictionary (db9_dict.txt, version date 8/4/2011). Data were formatted into the dbSEABED Data Entry template (db9_DataEntry.xls, version date 3/16/2012) by hand, and tested using the dbSEABED relational database program (RDBi, version date 1/3/2011) for correctness of formatting. For consistency, simple unit changes (Julian date to YYYYMMDD, English units to metric, etc.) may have been done. All available data were compiled into source data resource files (DRF) and were processed on 12/18/2016 through the dbSEABED data mining program (MNEv, version date 4/23/2010) using the dbSEABED thesaurus (db9_dict.rtf, version date 8/21/2009), the component set up file for U.S. waters (SET_ABUN_2016.txt, version date 5/29/2016), and the facies set up file for U.S. waters (SET_FACI.txt, version date 3/16/2012). This work was carried out over a time period from 2003 to 2016. Person who carried out this activity:

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: Jane A. Reid

Geologist

Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Santa Cruz, CA

USA

831-460-7402 (voice)

831-427-4709 (FAX)

jareid@usgs.gov

Date: 2016 (process 2 of 9)
Data were iteratively reprocessed and corrected until noted errors were fixed, as recorded by the _RBDS.2fx and _MNE.DGN files. Data were additionally exercised in a GIS for location tests and usability. Once the errors were corrected to the best of our ability, the final processing output of the dbSEABED data mining program (MNEv, version date 4/23/2010) produced the following seven files of data and information:
US9_EXT, which provides extracted information about grain size, sediment texture, color, age, and other information about the sea floor derived from quantitative observations and analyses of samples;
US9_PRS, which provides parsed information about grain size, sediment texture, color, age, and other information about the sea floor derived from written descriptions from cores, grabs, photographs, and videos;
US9_CLC, which provides calculated information about grain size, sediment texture, color, age, and other information about the sea floor derived from calculations based on empirical relations or known functions performed by dbSEABED;
US9_ONE, which provides combined extracted, parsed, and calculated information about grain size, sediment texture, color, age, and other information about the sea floor derived from quantitative observations and analyses of samples (extracted), from written descriptions from cores, grabs, photographs, and videos (parsed), or from calculations based on empirical relations or known functions performed by dbSEABED (calculated);
US9_CMP, which provides numeric data about selected components (for example, minerals, rock type, microfossils, and benthic biota) and sea-floor features (for example, odors) that are reported in more than 0.01% of observations nationwide (the values in the attribute fields represent the degree of membership to that attribute's fuzzy set);
US9_FAC, which provides concatenated information about components (minerals and rock type), genesis (metamorphic, carbonate, terrigenous), and other appropriate facies or groupings of information about the sea floor parsed from written descriptions from cores, grabs, photographs, and videos; and
US9_SRC, which contains information about the original data that were incorporated into the usSEABED database. Person who carried out this activity:

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: Jane A. Reid

Geologist

Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Santa Cruz, CA

USA

831-460-7402 (voice)

831-427-4709 (FAX)

jareid@usgs.gov

Date: 2019 (process 3 of 9)
Output data files were loaded into ArcMap Desktop 10.6.1 and clipped to include only those samples that fall inside the U.S. EEZ. The mask file used to clip the data was built from merging eez_v10.shp (Flanders Marine Institute, 2018), dtl_st.shp (Esri, 2002), and the Great Lakes shapefiles hydro_p_LakeErie.shp, hydro_p_LakeHuron.shp, hydro_p_LakeMichigan.shp, hydro_p_LakeOntario.shp, hydro_p_LakeSuperior.shp, and hydro_p_LakeStClair.shp (USGS, 2010).
Each input file was modified slightly:
eez_v10.shp was edited in ArcGIS 10.3.1 to remove any polygons not part of U.S. territorial waters.
dtl_st.shp was reprojected from geographic, NAD83 to geographic, WGS84 using the default transformation in the Project tool.
The Great Lakes shapefiles (hydro_p_LakeErie.shp, hydro_p_LakeHuron.shp, hydro_p_LakeMichigan.shp, hydro_p_LakeOntario.shp, hydro_p_LakeSuperior.shp, and hydro_p_LakeStClair.shp) were reprojected from geographic, NAD83 to geographic, WGS84 using the default transformation in the Project tool, and then edited to remove any areas outside the U.S. territorial waters in the Great Lakes.
These modified input files were merged into a single polygon file. This file was then processed through the Union tool to eliminate any gaps that may fall between the U.S. EEZ boundaries and U.S. coastlines.
Citations for input files:
eez_v10.shp: Flanders Marine Institute, 2018, Maritime Boundaries Geodatabase: Maritime Boundaries and Exclusive Economic Zones (200NM), version 10. Available online at http://www.marineregions.org/ or https://doi.org/10.14284/312.
dtl_st.shp: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (Esri), 2002, U.S. States, copied from distribution CD-ROM.
hydro_p_LakeErie.shp, hydro_p_LakeHuron.shp, hydro_p_LakeMichigan.shp, hydro_p_LakeOntario.shp, hydro_p_LakeSuperior.shp, and hydro_p_LakeStClair.shp: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 2010, Great Lakes and Watersheds Shapefiles available from https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/530f8a0ee4b0e7e46bd300dd and accessed on 8/17/2018. Person who carried out this activity:

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: Brian J. Buczkowski

Physical Scientist

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Woods Hole, MA

USA

508-548-8700 x2361 (voice)

508-457-2310 (FAX)

bbuczkowski@usgs.gov

Date: 2019 (process 4 of 9)
The database was searched for quality assurance/quality control purposes and any inconsistencies in values and ranges were identified. The attribute values were reviewed and rectified for completeness and clarity. Entries containing no data have were output with values of "-" or "null." Devices left blank were assigned the value "UnidDevice" (unidentified device). Person who carried out this activity:

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: Brian J. Buczkowski

Physical Scientist

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Woods Hole, MA

USA

508-548-8700 x2361 (voice)

508-457-2310 (FAX)

bbuczkowski@usgs.gov

Date: 2019 (process 5 of 9)
The output data files that had been trimmed to the U.S. EEZ, along with the source file US9_SRC, were loaded into PostgreSQL 9.3.4 using Navicat Premium 11.2.10. An additional table was created in PostgreSQL to extract the dataset date (ObsvnDate) and the source of that date (DateSrc) from the US9_XTA table (extra information not included in the output data files). Not every unique observation is present in the US9_XTA table. The available ObsvnDate and DateSrc information was joined with the individual tables for the six point coverages provided in this data release. Person who carried out this activity:

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: Brian J. Buczkowski

Physical Scientist

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Woods Hole, MA

USA

508-548-8700 x2361 (voice)

508-457-2310 (FAX)

bbuczkowski@usgs.gov

Date: 2019 (process 6 of 9)
Upon inspection of the data, a couple of issues were discovered. Because these data are output from software, the problems are noted, but not corrected.
In the US9_EXT and US9_ONE files, the attribute Porosity has values that are less than 0 and greater than 100, which theoretically is not possible.
The date formats were entered inconsistently both in terms of format and content (numeric, text, greater than symbols) making a query by date incredibly difficult.
In the US9_EXT file, there are some records where DataTypes = "-" and there are no data values for nearly all the attributes.
In the US9_EXT file, there are a few records where Clay > Mud, and when the clay percentage is used to calculate the combined weight percentage, the total is >105%.
In the US9_FAC file, there are some records that are -99 for all the facies attributes but provide a component membership value >33.
The data entry method in the US9_SRC table (AttrEntryMethd and LocationEntryMethd) could potentially explain oddities in the data (for instance, due to typing errors). Person who carried out this activity:

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: VeeAnn A. Cross

Geologist

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Woods Hole, MA

USA

508-548-8700 x2251 (voice)

508-457-2310 (FAX)

vatnipp@usgs.gov

Date: 2020 (process 7 of 9)
The data were exported from PostgreSQL 9.3.25 as CSV files using a custom PHP (version 5.6.28) script using the built-in fputcsv function.
In addition to the CSV files, the data are also available through a map interface where the user specifies the search criteria. The interface is available online at:
https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/usseabed/ Person who carried out this activity:

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: Peter N. Schweitzer

Geologist

12201 Sunrise Valley Dr.
Reston, VA

USA

703-648-6533 (voice)

703-648-6252 (FAX)

pschweitzer@usgs.gov

Date: Jun-2020 (process 8 of 9)
Several records within the data owner field of the US9_SRC table were updated after the initial publication of the data release. Within the table, six records are better clarified based on additional information received after the initial publication and release. These records have the following DataSetKeys: 63, 133, 134, 135, 165, and 316. For example, DataSetKey owner was changed from Various to Humboldt State University/Skidmore University/University of Washington. An additional 59 records received minor updates in order to have consistency within the field. These DataSetKeys are 2-8, 28, 49-51, 71-75, 97, 121-132, 137-141, 143, 146-154, 156, 159-162, 185, 190-192, 251, 259-262, and 334. Once the fixes were applied to the database, the new US9_SRC.csv file was created as well as an update to the metadata. The original data and metadata files are archived and available upon request. Person who carried out this activity:

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: Brian J. Buczkowski

Physical Scientist

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Woods Hole, MA

USA

508-548-8700 x2361 (voice)

508-457-2310 (FAX)

bbuczkowski@usgs.gov

Date: 08-Sep-2020 (process 9 of 9)
Added keywords section with USGS persistent identifier as theme keyword. Person who carried out this activity:

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: VeeAnn A. Cross

Marine Geologist

384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA

508-548-8700 x2251 (voice)

508-457-2310 (FAX)

vatnipp@usgs.gov
What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
Buczkowski, B.J., Reid, J.A., and Jenkins, C.J., 2020, Sediments and the sea floor of the continental shelves and coastal waters of the United States: About the usSEABED integrated sea floor-characterization database, built with the dbSEABED processing system: Open-File Report 2020-1046, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
Online Links:
- https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201046
Other_Citation_Details:
This report provides updated information pertaining to the dbSEABED software, the input parameters and output datasets provided by the program, and uses for the datasets provided by usSEABED.
Reid, J.M., Reid, J.A., Jenkins, C.J., Hastings, M.E., Williams, S.J., and Poppe, L.J., 2005, usSEABED: Atlantic Coast Offshore Surficial Sediment Data Release: Data Series 118, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
Online Links:
- https://doi.org/10.3133/ds118
- https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2005/118/
Other_Citation_Details:
This data series provides usSEABED data for the United States Atlantic coast.
Buczkowski, B.J., Reid, J.A., Jenkins, C.J., Reid, J.M., Williams, S.J., and Flocks, J.G., 2006, usSEABED: Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands) Offshore Surficial Sediment Data Release: Data Series 146, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
Online Links:
- https://doi.org/10.3133/ds146
- https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2006/146/
Other_Citation_Details:
This data series provides usSEABED data for the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands).
Reid, J.A., Reid, J.M., Jenkins, C.J., Zimmermann, M., Williams, S.J., and Field, M.E., 2006, usSEABED: Pacific Coast Offshore Surficial-Sediment Data Release: Data Series 182, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
Online Links:
- https://doi.org/10.3133/ds182
- https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2006/182/
Other_Citation_Details:
This data series provides usSEABED data for the United States Pacific coast.

Geological Society of America, 1991, The Geological Society of America Rock Color Chart with Genuine Munsell Color Chips: Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO.

Other_Citation_Details:
This publication provides a standard for identifying and labeling colors commonly found in rocks, sediments, and geological formations.
Folk, R.L., Andrews, P.B., and Lewis, D.W., 1970, Detrital Sedimentary Rock Classification and Nomenclature for Use in New Zealand: New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics volume 13, New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, Wellington, New Zealand.
Online Links:
- https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288306.1970.10418211
Other_Citation_Details:
This publication provides a standard for classifying sedimentary grain sizes.

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

How well have the observations been checked?
Accuracy of each attribute is dependent on the accuracy of the original source description and the values calculated by the mining software, dbSEABED. Facies data values are calculated using the dbSEABED software parser that assigns field values based on the form and content of a description using fuzzy set theory. The application of fuzzy set theory to verbal descriptions allows a sample or observation to belong partially to an attribute in the database, referred to as a "set." How much an entry in the database is represented by a set is referred to as degree of membership. Values derived through filters using fuzzy set theory represent a measure of truth about the attribute, not percentages or defined values, and how well it represents the sample or observation. These values range from 0 (no membership, possibly due to no information) up to 100 (maximum feature development). In contrast to the situation with component abundances, the sum of feature memberships in a sample is allowed to exceed 100. The dbSEABED facies processing is limited to a maximum of six components per facies; however, not all facies have six defining components. In the US9_EXT and US9_ONE files, the attribute Porosity has values that are less than 0 and greater than 100, which theoretically is not possible.
How accurate are the geographic locations?
Locational accuracy is dependent on both the accuracy of the navigational technique and the level of detail about the location as recorded in the individual data sources, and may vary widely (e.g., from 2 to 5 meters based on differential GPS in the more recent surveys to greater than 2 kilometers based on radar, Loran, or dead reckoning in the older surveys). The US9_SRC table contains the navigation method, when known. Additional inaccuracy is introduced because no attempt has been made to make datum transformations from the older datums (such as Loran-C and radar) to WGS 84, so the latitudes and longitudes represent a mix of datums. Users of the data should note the available information found in the original sources and use their own criteria for assessing the accuracy of the locations.
How accurate are the heights or depths?
Depth determinations, both water depth and subsample depth, are dependent on the accuracy of the depth determination technique and the level of detail noted in the original source. Users of the data should note the information written about the original sources and use their own criteria for assessing the accuracy of the values. A value of 9999 is used in the Depth_Resolution of the Depth_System_Definition in order to satisfy the metadata standard and to also flag that no specific value can be assigned depths.
Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
This dataset represents all the data processed by usSEABED that falls within the U.S. EEZ.
How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
Data in the usSEABED data collection are based on the observations and analyses of others, filtered through a unifying and mining software. Each source report varies in type of information or data recorded and the format of that information. Only those observations that are recorded can be filtered and mined; only presence (not absence) of information can be noted. Please note that a single observation or sample may have data associated with it that are derived from lab-based, numeric analyses (these would be included in the EXT file). This same observation or sample may also have verbal logs, descriptions, shipboard notes, or photographs associated with them (these would be included in the PRS file). The dbSEABED software uses information from all of these sources to create calculated data included in the CLC file. In order to allow users to use their preferred type of data, the full and independent files of extracted, parsed, and calculated data are provided. Data may exist in each of the three files for a given subsample, consistent with the original data source(s). Date formats were entered inconsistently both in terms of format and content (numeric, text, greater than symbols) making a query by date incredibly difficult.

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	Not to be used for navigation. The public domain data from the U.S. Government are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey as the originator of the dataset.

Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: Brian J. Buczkowski

Physical Scientist

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Woods Hole, MA

508-548-8700 x2361 (voice)

508-457-2310 (FAX)

bbuczkowski@usgs.gov
What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? The dataset contains usSEABED data in seven CSV files (US9_ONE.csv, US9_CLC.csv, US9_CMP.csv, US9_EXT.csv, US9_FAC.csv, US9_PRS.csv, and US9_SRC.csv), a browse graphic (usSEABED_EEZ_browse_graphic.png), and the associated FGDC CSDGM metadata in XML, TXT and HTML formats.
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.

How can I download or order the data?

Availability in digital form:

Data format:	The zip file contains the CSV files of the usSEABED data, browse graphic, and the associated metadata. in format CSV (version PostgresSQL v. 9.3.25) Size: 30
Network links:	https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/data/whcmsc/data-release/doi-P9H3LGWM/usSEABED_EEZ.zip https://doi.org/10.5066/P9H3LGWM

Cost to order the data: none

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 18-Mar-2024

Metadata author:

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: Brian J. Buczkowski

Physical Scientist

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Woods Hole, MA

508-548-8700 x2361 (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 person is no longer with USGS. (updated on 20240318)

Metadata standard:

FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)

This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/whcmsc/other_datarelease/DR_P9H3LGWM/usSEABED_EEZ_meta.faq.html>