Other ID: Head of the Meadow 2023
Status: Completed
Organization(s): USGS, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Funding Program(s): Next-Generation Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast (WH) (MN00U03)
Principal Investigator(s): Christopher Sherwood
Affiliate Investigator(s): Peter Traykovski (WHOI)
Information Specialist(s): Jin-Si Over
Data Type(s): Imagery: Photo, Location-Elevation: Navigation, Sonar: Single Beam
Scientific Purpose/Goals: To characterize the beach and nearshore morphology used to validate the USGS Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast and use of ARGUS Camera systems (CoastCams) to visualize and map the beach and nearshore region to determine the types of bar morphologies, their persistence and temporal variability, and the relationship of these changes to wave and water-level conditions. This includes subaerial survey measurements to map the beach; aerial imagery from kite/balloon (Heli-kite) to map beach; bathymetric soundings from WHOI autonomous surface vehicle to map nearshore. Surveys are repeat from 2020-015-FA, 2021-014-FA, and 2022-015-FA at Head of the Meadow.
Vehicle(s):
Start Port/Location: Falmouth, MA
End Port/Location: Falmouth, MA
Start Date: 2023-03-10
End Date: 2023-04-07
Equipment Used: Sony a6000, PPK GPS, Spectra Precision SP80, Aeropoint targets, UAS- heli-kite, Cerulean Sonar S-500 Sounder
Information to be Derived: Updated year of change at Head of the Meadow of the topography and bathymetry of the beach and nearshore region in view of the cameras.
Summary of Activity and Data Gathered: Helikite was deployed on March 10 - C. Sherwood, J. Over, P. Traykovski, and I. Reeves assisted. Photos were overexposed on first two attempts and thus the tide came up so survey does not cover as much of the low beach as previous field activities. Bathymetry was done on April 7 by C. Sherwood, P. Traykovski, and J. Over - Yellowfin was used and extent mapped is greater than previous surveys due to interesting features observed from the beach.
Staff: Jin-Si Over, Christopher Sherwood
Affiliate Staff:
Notes: Survey days and personnel will be based on availability and weather
Entries for this field activity are based on entries from Field Activity 2022-015-FA.
Location:
Head of the Meadow Beach, Truro Cape Cod National Seashore, Barnstable County, MA, United States
| Boundaries | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| North: 42.05933014 | South: 42.04906957 | West: -70.08041382 | East: -70.06998539 |
Platform(s):
 WHOI Yellowfin |  on foot |
Hill, J., Sherwood, C., 2024, Measuring coastal change through photogrammetry at Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro, Massachusetts: , Ocean Sciences Meeting 2024.
Over, J.R., Sherwood, C.R., and Traykovski, P.A., 2023, Topographic and bathymetric data, structure from motion imagery, and ground control data collected at Head of the Meadow Beach, Truro, MA in March and April 2023, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2023-011-FA: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9FYVLCD.
| Survey Equipment | Survey Info | Data Type(s) | Data Collected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony a6000 | JPEG taken every 5 seconds. | Photo | 2023011FA_Truro_imagery_metadata (Low-altitude aerial imagery collected from a Helikite at Head of the Meadow Beach, Truro, MA on March 10, 2023. Dataset also includes a CSV file of image locations.) 2023011FA_Truro_ortho (Orthomosaic representing Head of the Meadow Beach, Truro, MA on March 10, 2023) |
| PPK GPS | Hot shoed to the camera so there is highly accurate photo location information and also on Autonomous Surface Vehicle Yellowfin | Navigation | |
| Spectra Precision SP80 | used in RTK mode to provide location information to the tarp targets used as ground control | Navigation | |
| Aeropoint targets | Placed in survey area as ground control for structure from motion | Navigation Transects Profiles | |
| UAS- heli-kite | Filled with helium and towed by hand up and down the beach with a digital camera and ppk GPS attached. | Photo Navigation Video | |
| Cerulean Sonar S-500 Sounder | placed in ASV to record depth to seafloor | Single Beam | 2023011FA_Truro_bathymetry (Bathymetric data and grid of offshore Head of the Meadow Beach, Truro, MA on April 7, 2023) |
