Backscatter intensity and sun-illuminated topographic imagery of the seafloor in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region (bcksctter.tif)

Metadata also available as - [Questions & Answers] - [Parseable text] - [XML]

Metadata:

Identification_Information
Data_Quality_Information
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
Spatial_Reference_Information
Entity_and_Attribute_Information
Distribution_Information
Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Page C. Valentine
Originator: Jessica L. Baker
Originator: Tanya S. Unger
Publication_Date: 2005
Title:

Backscatter intensity and sun-illuminated topographic imagery of the seafloor in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region (bcksctter.tif)

Edition: 1.0
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: remote-sensing image
Series_Information:

Series_Name: Scientific Investigations Map
Issue_Identification: 2840

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Woods Hole Science Center, Woods Hole, MA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program

Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.3133/sim2840
Online_Linkage:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2005/2840/DATA/backscatter/bcksctter.zip

Larger_Work_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Page C. Valentine (editor)
Publication_Date: 2005
Title:

Sea floor image maps showing topography, sun-illuminated topography, backscatter intensity, ruggedness, slope, and the distribution of boulder ridges and bedrock outcrops in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts

Edition: 1.0
Series_Information:

Series_Name: Scientific Investigations Map
Issue_Identification: 2840

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Other_Citation_Details:

1:60,000, 6 maps, 12 sheets. Suggested citation: Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., Unger, T.S., Sculy, L.A., Fuller, S.J., 2005, Sea floor image maps showing topography, sun-illuminated topography, backscatter intensity, ruggedness, slope, and the distribution of boulder ridges and bedrock outcrops in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 2840, https://doi.org/10.3133/sim2840.

Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.3133/sim2840
Online_Linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2005/2840/

Description:

Abstract:

This data set contains the sun-illuminated topographic imagery and backscatter intensity generated from a multibeam sonar survey of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts, an area of approximately 1100 square nautical miles. The Stellwagen Bank NMS Mapping Project is designed to provide detailed maps of the Stellwagen Bank region's environments and habitats and the first complete multibeam topographic and sea floor characterization maps of a significant region of the shallow EEZ.
Data were collected on four cruises over a two year period from the fall of 1994 to the fall of 1996. The surveys were conducted aboard the Canadian Hydrographic Service vessel Frederick G. Creed, a SWATH (Small Waterplane Twin Hull) ship that surveys at speeds of up to 16 knots. The multibeam data were collected utilizing a Simrad Subsea EM 1000 Multibeam Echo Sounder (95 kHz) that is permanently installed in the hull of the Creed.

Purpose:

Development of interpretive seabed maps, sea floor imagery, and a GIS database that are accessible to scientists, policymakers, managers, and the general public.

Supplemental_Information:

For additional information about the field activities associated with this dataset, see https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=1994-008-FA, https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=1995-013-FA, https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=1996-032-FA, https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=1996-043-FA.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 1994
Ending_Date: 1998

Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Status:

Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.600
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.0333
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.800
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.0833

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: USGS Metadata Identifier
Theme_Keyword: USGS:de6a9ef2-0f4d-4586-aca5-12c55027d0ee

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: Geographic Information Systems
Theme_Keyword: U.S. Geological Survey
Theme_Keyword: USGS
Theme_Keyword: Coastal and Marine Geology Program
Theme_Keyword: CMGP
Theme_Keyword: Woods Hole Science Center
Theme_Keyword: WHSC
Theme_Keyword: SIMRAD SUBSEA EM 1000
Theme_Keyword: Frederick G. Creed
Theme_Keyword: Multibeam Echo Sounder
Theme_Keyword: Sea floor topography
Theme_Keyword: bathymetry
Theme_Keyword: shaded relief imagery
Theme_Keyword: backscatter intensity
Theme_Keyword: psuedo color encoded
Theme_Keyword: GeoTIFF image

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: oceans
Theme_Keyword: geoscientificInformation
Theme_Keyword: imageryBaseMapsEarthCover
Theme_Keyword: elevation

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: USGS Thesaurus
Theme_Keyword: marine geology
Theme_Keyword: sea-floor acoustic reflectivity
Theme_Keyword: multibeam sonar
Theme_Keyword: sea-floor characteristics
Theme_Keyword: marine geophysics
Theme_Keyword: geospatial datasets
Theme_Keyword: image mosaics

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: Massachusetts
Place_Keyword: MA
Place_Keyword: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Place_Keyword: SBNMS
Place_Keyword: Shallow EEZ
Place_Keyword: EEZ
Place_Keyword: Gulf of Maine
Place_Keyword: Atlantic Ocean
Place_Keyword: North Atlantic
Place_Keyword: Boston

Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:

Public domain data from the U.S. Government are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as the source of this information.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Page C. Valentine
Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Contact_Position: Research Geologist
Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: U.S. Geological Survey
Address: 384 Woods Hole Rd.
City: Woods Hole
State_or_Province: MA
Postal_Code: 02543-1598
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (508) 548-8700 x2239
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (508) 457-2310
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: pvalentine@usgs.gov

Browse_Graphic:

Browse_Graphic_File_Name:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2005/2840/data/backscatter/bcksctter-thumb.gif

Browse_Graphic_File_Description:

Thumbnail image showing backscatter intensity and sun-illuminated topography of the seafloor in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region.

Browse_Graphic_File_Type: GIF

Browse_Graphic:

Browse_Graphic_File_Name:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2005/2840/data/backscatter/bcksctter-browse.gif

Browse_Graphic_File_Description:

Browse image showing backscatter intensity and sun-illuminated topography of the seafloor in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region.

Browse_Graphic_File_Type: GIF

Native_Data_Set_Environment:

Microsoft Windows XP Version 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.0.0.535

Cross_Reference:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Page C. Valentine
Originator: Tammie J. Middleton
Originator: Sarah J. Fuller
Publication_Date: 2001
Title:

Sea floor maps showing topography, sun-illuminated topography, and backscatter intensity of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts

Edition: 1.01
Series_Information:

Series_Name: Open-File Report
Issue_Identification: 2000-410

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Woods Hole Science Center, Woods Hole, MA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program

Online_Linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/of00-410/
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr00410

Cross_Reference:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Page C. Valentine
Originator: Jessica L. Baker
Originator: Tanya S. Unger
Publication_Date: 2003
Title:

Backscatter intensity and sun-illuminated sea Floor topography of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts

Edition: 1.0
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: map
Series_Information:

Series_Name: Geologic Investigations Map
Issue_Identification: I-2676-C

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Woods Hole Science Center, Woods Hole, MA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program

Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.3133/i2676C

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

The ship's position was determined with an accuracy of 10 m or better using a Magnavox 4200 geographic positioning system (GPS) receiver in conjunction with differential GPS corrections transmitted by U.S. Coast Guard radio beacons. At the start of each day, casts were made to record the sound velocity profile of the water column in the area to be surveyed. This information is used by the data acquisition system to correct for the refraction of the transmitted multibeam sound signal as it travels through the water to and from the sea floor.

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Multibeam echo sounder data was collected aboard the Canadian Hydrographic Service vessel Frederick G. Creed, an aluminum SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) ship that surveys at speeds up to 16 knots. The ship has two submerged torpedo-shaped hulls that support the main deck via two thin struts. This design reduces wave motion on the ship and resistance to the ship's forward motion through the water, thus making it a very stable platform at high survey speeds. Stability of the ship is also enhanced by the computer-controlled action of four stabilizer fins located fore and aft on the inboard side of the hulls. The stabilizers control the pitch and roll of the vessel and allow adjustment of the heel and trim of the ship while under way.
An Applied Analytics POS/MV motion sensor located in the hull near the EM 1000 transducer detects changes in pitch, roll, and heave of the vessel. The motion information is recorded concurrently with the acquired multibeam signal and both are logged in a single file on the Sun workstation and made available to other workstations for further processing.

Completeness_Report:

The sidescan-sonar backscatter data are displayed in real time on the Sun workstation using software designed and written by the Ocean Mapping Group, University of New Brunswick. This display allows data gaps to be identified during the survey and also gives a measure of the data quality.

Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:

Sounding rates depend on water depth but vary from 2 to 4 per second in water depths less than 100 meters. Horizontal spatial resolution at these sounding rates is on the order of 10% of the water depth at 16 knots; however, vertical resolution is approximately 1% or better in the same depth range.

Vertical_Positional_Accuracy:

Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report:

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Multibeam data were processed using SwathEd, a suite of multibeam software editing and display tools developed by Dr. John Hughes Clarke of the Ocean Mapping Group, University of New Brunswick (UNB).

Process_Date: unknown

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

The metadata was edited to remove errors as well as update some information. Edits include modifying the title to move the dataset name to the end of the title, adding the DOI link in the identification section, added the suggested citation, added supplemental information with link to the related field activity pages on CMGDS, added the USGS Thesaurus keywords, added keywords section with USGS persistent identifier as theme keyword, added online links to cross-references, replaced distribution liability with FSP statement, used a generic email address in metadata. The metadata date (20050822), but not the contact (except email and contact instructions) was updated. The metadata available from a harvester may supersede metadata available from the publication. Compare the metadata dates to determine which metadata file is most recent. Original edits on 20210816. An additional author name fix on 20210908. Links to the data were fixed with respect to case-sensitivity issues. Added file transfer size. (20230428)

Process_Date: 20230428
Process_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Contact_Person: VeeAnn A. Cross

Contact_Position: Marine Geologist
Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical
Address: 384 Woods Hole Road
City: Woods Hole
State_or_Province: MA
Postal_Code: 02543-1598

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 508-548-8700 x2251
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 508-457-2310
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: vatnipp@usgs.gov

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Raster
Raster_Object_Information:

Raster_Object_Type: Pixel
Row_Count: 6199
Column_Count: 3631
Vertical_Count: 1

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Planar:

Map_Projection:

Map_Projection_Name: Mercator
Mercator:

Standard_Parallel: 41.650000
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -70.316667
False_Easting: 0
False_Northing: 0

Planar_Coordinate_Information:

Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: row and column
Coordinate_Representation:

Abscissa_Resolution: 13.000000
Ordinate_Resolution: 13.000000

Planar_Distance_Units: meters

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Overview_Description:

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

Backscatter imagery combines the sun-illuminated topography with the backscatter intensity (shown here in color) of the sea floor. Backscatter intensity is a measure of the hardness and roughness of the sea floor as determined from the strength of sound waves reflected from the seabed during the survey. High-backscatter materials (red and orange) are coarse sand, gravel (including piles and ridges of boulders), and rock outcrops. Moderate backscatter (green) represents sand or muddy sand. Low backscatter (blue) represents sandy mud and mud. These interpretations apply best in region's of low regional topography, because steep slopes can divert the paths of some of the reflected sound waves away from the survey vessel. Thus, seabed that slopes steeply away from the survey track can produce a lower backscatter intensity than if it were level. Unnatural-looking stripes and patterns oriented parallel or perpendicular to survey track lines are artifacts of data collection. Blank areas represent places where no data exists.

Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: Information unavailable from original metadata file.

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Page C. Valentine
Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Contact_Position: Research Geologist
Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: U.S. Geological Survey
Address: 384 Woods Hole Rd.
City: Woods Hole
State_or_Province: MA
Postal_Code: 02543-1598
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (508) 548-8700 x2239
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (508) 457-2310
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: pvalentine@usgs.gov

Resource_Description: Downloadable Data
Distribution_Liability:

Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data for other purposes, nor on all computer systems, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: TIFF
Format_Version_Number: Information unavailable from original metadata file.
Format_Specification: GeoTIFF
Format_Information_Content:

A zip archive containing the GeoTIFF image, associated world file, and metadata.

File_Decompression_Technique: zip
Transfer_Size: 34

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2005/2840/DATA/backscatter/bcksctter.zip

Offline_Option:

Offline_Media: DVD-ROM
Recording_Capacity:

Recording_Density: 4.75
Recording_Density_Units: Gbytes

Recording_Format: UDF

Fees: None

Technical_Prerequisites:

This image is available as a GEOTIFF image with an accompanying world file. To utilize this data, the user must have an image viewer, image processing or GIS software package capable of importing a GeoTIFF image.

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20230408
Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Contact_Person: Page C. Valentine

Contact_Position: Research Geologist
Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: U.S. Geological Survey
Address: 384 Woods Hole Rd.
City: Woods Hole
State_or_Province: MA
Postal_Code: 02543-1598
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (508) 548-8700 x2239
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (508) 457-2310
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: whsc_data_contact@usgs.gov
Contact_Instructions:

The metadata contact email address is a generic address in the event the contact person is no longer with the USGS.

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Time_Convention: local time

This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/whcmsc/sim/sim2840/bcksctter-metadata.html>