Geographic information systems (GIS) offer a method of integrating and visualizing geographically distributed information. More than just a map, a GIS allows one to store, reference, and display such data, greatly enhancing the ability to understand complex spatial relationships.
Archive of Digital Boomer Seismic Reflection Data Collected During USGS Field Activity 08LCA04 in Lakes Cherry, Helen, Hiawassee, Louisa, and Prevatt, Central Florida, September 2008 From September 2 through 4, 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) conducted geophysical surveys in Lakes Cherry, Helen, Hiawassee, Louisa, and Prevatt, located in central Florida, as part of the USGS Lakes and Coastal Aquifers (LCA) study. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital boomer seismic reflection data, trackline maps, navigation files, Geographic Information System (GIS) files, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Filtered and gained (a relative increase in signal amplitude) digital images of the seismic profiles are also provided. Refer to the Acronyms page for expansions of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report. Posted: 2010-04-28
ATM Coastal Topography–Florida 2001: Eastern Panhandle This DVD contains Lidar-derived first surface (FS) topography GIS datasets of the eastern Florida panhandle coastline, from Shell Island to Mashes Island. These datasets were acquired October 2, 2001. Posted: 2010-04-21
ATM Coastal Topography–Florida 2001: Western Panhandle This DVD contains Lidar-derived first surface (FS) topography GIS datasets of the western Florida panhandle coastline, from Perdido Key to Lower Grand Lagoon. These datasets were acquired October 2-4 and 7-10, 2001. Posted: 2010-04-21
ATM Coastal Topography–Texas, 2001: UTM Zone 14 This DVD contains lidar-derived first-surface (FS) topography GIS datasets of a portion of the Texas coastline, within Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) zone 14, from Mustang Island to Matagorda Peninsula. These datasets were acquired October 12-13, 2001. Posted: 2010-03-05
ATM Coastal Topography–Texas, 2001: UTM Zone 15 This DVD contains lidar-derived first-surface (FS) topography GIS datasets of a portion of the Texas coastline within Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) zone 15, from Matagorda Peninsula to Galveston Island. These datasets were acquired October 12-13, 2001. Posted: 2010-03-05
ATM Coastal Topography–Mississippi, 2001 This DVD contains lidar-derived first-surface (FS) topography GIS datasets of the Mississippi coastline, from Lakeshore to Petit Bois Island. These datasets were acquired September 9-10, 2001. Posted: 2010-03-05
ATM Coastal Topography–Louisiana, 2001: UTM Zone 15 (Part 1 of 2) This DVD contains lidar-derived first-surface (FS) topography GIS datasets of a portion of the Louisiana coastline beach face within Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 15, from Isles Dernieres to Grand Isle. These datasets were acquired September 7 and 10, 2001. Posted: 2010-03-05
ATM Coastal Topography–Louisiana, 2001: UTM Zone 16 (Part 2 of 2) This DVD contains lidar-derived first-surface (FS) topography GIS datasets of a portion of the Louisiana coastline beach face within Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 16, from Grand Isle to the Chandeleur Islands. These datasets were acquired September 7 and 9, 2001. Posted: 2010-03-05
ATM Coastal Topography–Alabama 2001 This DVD contains Lidar-derived first surface (FS) topography GIS datasets of the Alabama coastline. These datasets were acquired October 3-4, 2001. Posted: 2010-03-04
California Seafloor Mapping Program The California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP) is a cooperative program to create a comprehensive coastal/marine geologic and habitat base map series for all of California’s State waters. The Ocean Protection Council authorized funds to establish the CSMP in 2007 (OPC, 2007) and assembled a team of experts from state and federal agencies, academia, and private industry to develop the best approach to mapping and classifying estuarine and marine geologic habitats, while at the same time updating all nautical charts. Initiated in 2008, the CSMP is collecting bathymetry (underwater topography) and backscatter data (providing insight into the geologic makeup of the seafloor) that will be turned into habitat and geologic base maps for all of California’s state waters (mean high water line out to three nautical miles). Although the CSMP was originally developed to support the design and monitoring of marine reserves through the Marine Life Protection Act (CDFG, 2007), accurate statewide mapping of the seafloor will: - improve climate change and ocean circulation models; - help evaluate the potential for ocean energy; - improve our understanding of ecosystem dynamics; - identify submerged faults and improve our understanding of tsunami potential - enable more effective regulation of offshore development; - improve maritime safety; and - improve our understanding of sediment transport and sand delivery. Posted: 2010-02-23
Digital Data Series 55: Sea-Floor Images and Data from Multibeam Surveys in San Francisco Bay, Southern California, Hawaii, the Gulf of Mexico, and Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada Accurate base maps are a prerequisite for any geological study, regardless of the objectives. Land-based studies commonly utilize aerial photographs, USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle maps, and satellite images as base maps. Until now, studies that involve the ocean floor have been at a disadvantage due to an almost complete lack of accurate marine base maps. Many base maps of the sea floor have been constructed over the past century but with a wide range in navigational and depth accuracies. Only in the past few years has marine surveying technology advanced far enough to produce navigational accuracy of 1 meter and depth resolutions of 50 centimeters. The Pacific Seafloor Mapping Project, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Menlo Park, California, U.S.A. in cooperation with the Ocean Mapping Group, University of New Brunswick, Canada is using this new technology to systematically map the ocean floor and lakes. This type of marine surveying, called Multibeam surveying, collects high-resolution bathymetry and backscatter data that can be used for a variety of basemaps, GIS coverages, and scientific visualization methods. This is an interactive CD-ROM that contains images, movies, and data of all the surveys the Pacific Seafloor Mapping Project has completed up to January 1999. Images and movies on this CD-ROM, such as shaded relief of the bathymetry, backscatter, oblique views, 3-D views, and Quicktime movies (San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Lake Tahoe) help the viewer to visualize the multibeam data. This CD-ROM also contains ARC/INFO export (.e00) files and full resolution TIFF images of all the survey sites that can be downloaded and used in many GIS software. Posted: 2009-11-24
Open-File Report 2005-1153: Multibeam Bathymetry and Backscatter Data: Northeastern Channel Islands Region, Southern California The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Minerals Management Service (MMS) conducted multibeam mapping in the eastern Santa Barbara Channel and northeastern Channel Islands region from August 8 to15, 2004 aboard the R/V Maurice Ewing. The survey was directed and funded by the Minerals Management Service, which is interested in maps of hardbottom habitats, particularly natural outcrops, that support reef communities in areas affected by oil and gas activity. The maps are also useful to biologists studying fish that use the platforms and the sea floor beneath them as habitat. The survey collected bathymetry and corrected, co-registered acoustic backscatter using a Kongsberg Simrad EM1002 multibeam echosounder that was mounted on the hull of the R/V Maurice Ewing. Three main regions were mapped during the survey including: (1) the Eastern Santa Barbara Channel adjacent to an area previously mapped with multibeam-sonar by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (see the MBARI Santa Barbara Basin Multibeam Survey web page at http://www.mbari.org/data/mapping/SBBasin/), (2) the Footprint area south of Anacapa Island, which has been studied extensively by rockfish biologists and is considered a good site for a marine protected area, and (3) part of the submarine canyons along the continental slope south of Port Hueneme. These data will be used to support a number of new and ongoing projects including, habitat mapping, shelf and slope processes, and offshore hazards and resouces. For more information on the mapping mission see "Mapping Benthic Habitat Around Oil Platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel, California" at http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2004/11/fieldwork3.html This Open-File Report publishes the multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data in a number of different formats, with Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata, along with maps and oblique views of particular areas of interest. Posted: 2009-11-24
Equipment Used in Marine Geology Research Description and links to information on nine types of marine geology research equipment used by the USGS Western Region Coastal & Marine Geology Team Posted: 2009-07-02
WCMG Marine Facility Home Page Links to software downloads and documentation for YoNav and MudSeis systems used on Western Region Coastal and Marine Geology Team cruises. Posted: 2009-07-02
USGS Coral Reef Studies Coral Reef Studies conducted in Hawaii, Florida and California. Posted: 2009-06-24
USGS Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) The goal of the USGS Northern Gulf of Mexico project is to understand the evolution of coastal ecosystems on the Northern Gulf Coast, the impact of human activities on these ecosystems, and the vulnerability of ecosystems and human communities to more frequent and more intense hurricanes in the future. Posted: 2009-05-28
National Seafloor Mapping and Characterization Images of the sea floor off the coasts of California, Hawaii, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, and Washington; images of lake floor of Lake Michigan, Crater Lake, Lake Tahoe. Backscatter and swath bathymetry, regular and in 3-D view. Posted: 2009-05-11
Data Series 436: Oblique Aerial Photography of the Arctic Coast of Alaska, Nulavik to Demarcation Point, August 7–10, 2006 The Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska, an area of strategic economic importance to the United States, is home to remote Native American communities and encompasses unique habitats of global significance. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic and widespread; recent evidence suggests that erosion rates are among the highest in the world (up to ~16 m/yr) and may be accelerating. Coastal erosion adversely impacts energy-related infrastructure, natural shoreline habitats, and Native American communities. Climate change is thought to be a key component of recent environmental changes in the Arctic. Reduced sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean is one of the probable mechanisms responsible for increasing coastal exposure to wave attack and the resulting increase in erosion. Extended periods of permafrost melting and associated decrease in bluff cohesion and stability are another possible source of the increase in erosion. Several studies of selected areas on the Alaska coast document past shoreline positions and coastal change, but none have examined the entire North coast systematically. Results from these studies indicate high rates of coastal retreat that vary spatially along the coast. To address the need for a comprehensive and regionally consistent evaluation of shoreline change along the North coast of Alaska, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as part of their Coastal and Marine Geology Program’s (CMGP) National Assessment of Shoreline Change Study, is evaluating shoreline change from Peard Bay to the United States/Canadian border, using historical maps and photography and a standardized methodology that is consistent with other shoreline-change studies along the Nation’s coastlines (for example, URL http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/shoreline-change/ (last accessed March 2, 2009). This report contains photographs collected during an aerial-reconnaissance survey conducted in support of this study. An accompanying ESRI ArcGIS shape file (and plain-text copy) indicates the position of the aircraft and time when each photograph was taken. Posted: 2009-05-05
Archive of Digital Boomer Seismic Reflection Data Collected During USGS Field Activity 08LCA01 in 10 Central Florida Lakes, March 2008 In March of 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey and St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) conducted geophysical surveys in Lakes Avalon, Big, Colby, Helen, Johns, Prevatt, Searcy, Saunders, Three Island, and Trout, located in central Florida, as part of the USGS Lakes and Coastal Aquifers (LCA) study. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital boomer seismic reflection data, trackline maps, navigation files, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs, Geographic Information System (GIS) files, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Filtered and gained (a relative increase in signal amplitude) digital images of the seismic profiles are also provided. Refer to the Acronyms page for expansions of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report. Posted: 2009-03-26
Archive of Digital Boomer and CHIRP Seismic Reflection Data Collected During USGS Field Activity 08LCA03 in Lake Panasoffkee, Florida, May 2008 In May of 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted geophysical surveys in Lake Panasoffkee, located in central Florida, as part of the USGS Lakes and Coastal Aquifers (LCA) study. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital boomer and Compressed High Intensity Radar Pulse (CHIRP)* seismic reflection data, trackline maps, navigation files, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs, Geographic Information System (GIS) files, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Filtered and gained (a relative increase in signal amplitude) digital images of the seismic profiles and geospatially corrected interactive profiles are also provided. Refer to the Acronyms page for expansions of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report. Posted: 2009-03-26
Digital Data Series 72: 2000 Multibeam sonar survey of Crater Lake, Oregon - Data, GIS, images, and movies In the summer of 2000, the bottom of Crater Lake, Oregon was mapped. The effort was a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey's Pacific Seafloor Mapping Project, the National Park Service, and the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire. The team used a state-of-the-art multibeam sonar system to collect high-resolution bathymetry and calibrated, co-registered acoustic backscatter to support both biological and geological research in the area (aquatic biology, geochemistry, volcanic processes, etc). This survey collected over 16 million soundings and the resulting data portrays the bottom of Crater Lake at a spatial resolution of 2 meters. This CD-ROM is published for the scientific community, the general public, and as a teaching tool. The CD-ROM contains the raw multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data as well as an ArcExplorer 2.0 project for the scientific community to use in research. Computer-generated images and a fly-by movie allow any user to visualize the lake floor. Photographs and a QuickTime® movie of the helicopter operations shows how the multibeam survey took place and a list of Crater Lake publications and related websites can be used for further Crater Lake research and general interest. Posted: 2009-03-10
EAARL Coastal Topography–Northeast Barrier Islands 2007: Bare Earth This DVD contains Lidar-derived bare earth (BE) topography GIS datasets of a portion of the northeast coastal barrier islands in New York and New Jersey. These datasets were acquired April 29-30 and May 15-16, 2007. Posted: 2009-03-01
EAARL Coastal Topography - Northeast Barrier Islands 2007: First Surface This DVD contains Lidar-derived first surface (FS) topography GIS datasets of a portion of the northeast coastal barrier islands in New York and New Jersey. These datasets were acquired April 29-30 and May 15-16, 2007. Posted: 2009-03-01
Biological Communities and Geomorphology of Patch Reefs in Biscayne National Park, Florida, U.S.A. Purpose Coral reef ecosystem management benefits from continual, quantitative assessment of the resources being managed, plus assessment of factors that affect distribution patterns of organisms in the ecosystem. In this study, we investigated the relationships among physical, benthic, and fish variables in effort to help explain the distribution patterns of ecologically and economically important species on twelve patch reefs within Biscayne National Park (BNP), Florida, U.S.A. We visited 196 randomly-located sampling stations across twelve shallow (< 10m) patch reefs, using SCUBA to conduct our surveys. We measured physical variables (e.g., substratum type), estimated the percent cover of benthic community members (e.g., coral, algae), and counted and estimated mean size for each fish species observed. We also used high-density bathymetric data collected remotely via airborne laser surveying (Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL)) to calculate rugosity (bumpiness) of the reef habitat. Here we present our findings visually by graphing our quantitative community and physical structure data simultaneously in a GIS map format. You will see that biological organisms arrange themselves on each patch reef in a non-random manner. For example, many species of fish prefer to locate themselves in areas of the reef where the rugosity index is high. Rugose parts of the reef provide them with good hiding places from predators. Posted: 2009-01-01
EAARL Submerged Topography–U.S. Virgin Islands 2003 This DVD contains Lidar-derived submerged topography GIS datasets of a portion of the U.S. Virgin Islands. These datasets were acquired on April 21, 23, and 30, May 2, and June 14 and 17, 2003. Posted: 2008-12-01
EAARL Topography - Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve 2006 This DVD contains Lidar-derived first surface (FS) and bare earth (BE) topography GIS datasets of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana. These datasets were acquired on September 22, 2006. Posted: 2008-12-01
EAARL Topography - Natchez Trace Parkway 2007: First Surface This DVD contains Lidar-derived first surface (FS) topography GIS datasets of a portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississipi. These datasets were acquired on September 14, 2007. Posted: 2008-12-01
EAARL Coastal Topography–Fire Island National Seashore 2007 This DVD contains Lidar-derived first surface (FS) and bare earth (BE) topography GIS datasets of Fire Island National Seashore in New York. These datasets were acquired on April 29-30 and May 15-16, 2007. Posted: 2008-12-01
EAARL Coastal Topography–Sandy Hook 2007 This DVD contains Lidar-derived bare earth (BE) and first surface (FS) topography GIS datasets of the Gateway National Recreation Area's Sandy Hook Unit in New Jersey. These datasets were acquired on May 16, 2007. Posted: 2008-12-01
Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5101: The Coral Reef of South Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i—Portrait of a Sediment-Threatened Fringing Reef In this landmark volume, U.S. Geological Survey researchers and their colleagues have developed and applied a remarkably integrated approach to the reefs of Moloka‘i, combining geology, oceanography, and biology to provide an in-depth understanding of the processes that have made these reefs grow and that now limit them. They have joined old fashioned natural history of marine animals and plants with study of the geological evolution of the island, hydrology, meteorology, and land-use history, to an arsenal of new methods of remote sensing, including aerial photography, laser ranging, infrared thermal mapping, seismic reflection, in-situ instrumentation to measure chemical parameters of water quality, and direct measurements of the physical driving forces affecting them—such as wave energy, currents, sedimentation, and sediment transport. They provide a level of documentation and insight that has never been available for any reef before. Posted: 2008-11-19
Index for Open file report 2006 1169 This USGS Open-File report presents continual resistiviy profiling data collected along the Cape Cod National Seashore. This report also contains a description of the processing techniques used with these data. Groundwater samples data and core data are also included in this report. Posted: 2008-11-17
USGS OFR 2008-1174: Enhanced Sidescan-Sonar Imagery, North-Central Long Island Sound, Title Page Sidescan-sonar imagery from NOAA surveys H11043, H11044, and H11045 in north-central Long Island Sound were enhanced to remove tonal artifacts by matching backscatter tones in adjacent sonar lines. The enhanced imagery minimizes abrupt backscatter changes and striping, and more clearly delineates boundaries of backscatter tones and patterns." Posted: 2008-11-17
USGS OFR 2007-1017: Historical Shoreline Changes at Rincón, Puerto Rico, 1936-2006, Title Page The coast from Punta Higüero to Punta Cadena in Rincón, Puerto Rico is experiencing long-term erosion. This study documents historical shoreline changes at Rincón for the period 1936-2006 and constitutes a significant expansion and revision of previous work. The study area extends approximately 8 km from Punta Higüero to Punta Cadena. Fourteen historical shoreline positions were compiled from existing data, new orthophotography, and Global Positioning System (GPS) field surveys. Posted: 2008-11-17
EAARL Topography - Thomas Stone National Historic Site This Web site contains Lidar-derived topography (first return and bare earth) maps and GIS files for Thomas Stone National Historic Site in Maryland. Posted: 2008-11-01
WCMG Coastal Processes Studies California's beaches and nearshore regions are valuable economic and recreational resources but also provide habitats for numerous sensitive species. During winter storms, the coast represents a potentially dangerous interface between ocean and land, nature and humans. Storms produce high waves, strong currents, and elevated sea level that can rapidly erode beaches and inundate low-lying coastal regions, damaging and/or destroying public and private infrastructure as well as stressing coastal ecosystems. Over longer-time scales (e.g. decadal), persistent erosion exacerbated by the pressures of coastal development, reduction in sediment availability and climate change, can result in severely depleted beaches. The USGS performs research along the California coast to understand the physical processes that control coastal change on time scales from individual storms to decades to support the efforts of local, state and government agencies to make informed coastal management decisions to most effectively preserve and protect this valuable resource. Posted: 2008-09-23
Open-File Report 2008-1327 - Interferometric Sidescan Bathymetry, Sediment and Foraminiferal Analyses; a New Look at Tomales Bay, California U.S.G.S. Open-File Report 2008-1327 entitled, Interferometric Sidescan Bathymetry, Sediment and Foraminiferal Analyses; a New Look at Tomales Bay, California. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with Point Reyes National Sea Shore (PRNS), and the Tomales Bay Watershed Council [http://www.tomalesbaywatershed.org/] has completed a detailed bathymetric survey, and sediment and foraminiferal analyses of the floor of Tomales Bay, California. The study goals are to detail the submarine morphology, the sediment distribution, sedimentary features, and distribution of foraminifera to provide a framework for future studies. The USGS collected swath bathymetric data with a SEA SWATHplus interferometric sidescan sonar system (2004, 2005) and an echo sounder system (2006). The data were processed into continuous mosaic images that show bathymetric detail of the bay floor with 0.2-m vertical and 4.0–m horizontal resolution. Acoustic backscatter data from the 2004 and 2005 surveys were processed into 2-m resolution grids. In addition, 27 sediment samples were collected from various parts of the bay for grain size analyses and a comprehensive study of the distribution of foraminifera in Tomales Bay. The foraminiferal analysis determined that the invasive foraminifera Trochammina hadai from Japan was present in Tomales Bay. The project was conducted in response to a request from the National Park Service, and the Tomales Bay Watershed Council who voiced a need to look at the environmental impacts of human input to the surrounding watersheds that ultimately flow into the bay. The mapping, sediment, and foraminiferal data establish a baseline survey for future comparisons of possible geologic and anthropogenic changes that might occur due to changes in land use or development in the surrounding watershed. These data may also aid in determining the possible pathways of pollutants entering the bay from the surrounding watersheds. Posted: 2008-07-31
Data Series 320: Sea-Floor Mapping and Benthic Habitat GIS for the Elwha River Delta Nearshore, Washington This is a description of selected data layers for the Sea-Floor Mapping and Benthic Habitat GIS for Puget Sound, Washington. From March 1531, 2005, more than 252 km (19.5 km2) of seafloor offshore of the Elwha River Delta in the central Strait of Juan de Fuca was mapped by the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program. The purpose of this nearshore mapping was to (1) obtain high resolution bathymetry and acoustic reflectance properties of the seabed, (2) examine and record geologic characteristics of the seafloor, and (3) construct maps of sea-floor geomorphology and habitat. Substrate distribution was characterized with video-supervised statistical classification of the sonar data. Substrate of the survey was dominated by mixed sand-gravel and sand. Numerous boulder reefs were observed west of the river mouth within Freshwater Bay, whereas the sea-floor immediately adjacent to the river mouth was dominated by sand. Posted: 2008-05-07
Proceedings of the U.S. Geological Survey Seventh Biennial Geographic Information Science Workshop, Denver, Colorado, May 12–16, 2008 This Proceedings volume will serve as an activity reference for workshop attendees, as well as an archive of technical abstracts presented at the workshop. Author, co-author, and presenter names, affiliations, and contact information are listed with presentation titles with the abstracts. Some hands-on sessions are offered twice; in these instances, abstracts submitted for publication are presented in the proceedings on both days on which they are offered. All acronyms used in these proceedings are explained in the text of each abstract. Posted: 2008-05-01
EAARL Topography—Cape Cod National Seashore This Web site contains 90 Lidar-derived bare earth topography maps and GIS files for the Cape Cod National Seashore. Posted: 2008-04-01
USGS-NPS-NASA EAARL Topography - Dry Tortugas National Park This lidar-derived submarine topography map was produced as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program, National Park Service (NPS) South Florida/Caribbean Network Inventory and Monitoring Program, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Wallops Flight Facility. One objective of this research is to create techniques to survey coral reefs for the purposes of habitat mapping, ecological monitoring, change detection, and event assessment (for example: bleaching, hurricanes, disease outbreaks). Posted: 2008-03-24
GIS Library, Multibeam Data, Massachusetts Bay, SBNM Sanctuary, USGS Data Series 99; Version 1.0; Start Page This Geographic Information Systems (GIS) library contains images and grids of bathymetry, shaded relief bathymetry, and backscatter intensity data from surveys of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and western Massachusetts Bay, offshore of Boston, Massachusetts. The data are in an Environmental Systems Research Institute (www.esri.com) (ESRI) ArcMap 9.1 Geographic Information System project. The shapefiles, images, and grids may also be downloaded individually. Descriptions and interpretations of the data are available in a series of published maps. Posted: 2008-03-06
USGS Monterey Bay Science USGS Monterey Bay Science - USGS research in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and coastal watersheds of central California Posted: 2008-01-01
Coastal and Marine Knowledge Bank An initiative to develop and present a national-scale, interdisciplinary scientific framework for marine environments, the coastal zone, and coastal watersheds Posted: 2007-11-28
Index for Open file report 2005 1071 This USGS Open-File report presents digital sidescan-sonar imagery, digital seismic-reflection data, and descriptions and analyses of piston and gravity cores collected by the USGS in the Gulf of Mexico. These data were collected in water depths greater than 200 m. In addition to the data, the report also contains interpretive overlays dervied from these datasets. Posted: 2007-10-11
USGS Open-File Report 2006-1046, Surficial Sediment Character of the New York-New Jersey Offshore Continental Shelf Region: a GIS Compilation, Title Page Broad continental shelf regions such as the New York Bight are the product of a complex geologic history and dynamic oceanographic processes, dominated by the Holocene marine transgression (>100 m sea-level rise) following the end of the last Pleistocene ice advance ~ 20,000 years ago. Geologic maps of these areas containing detailed morphologic features and sediment character can serve many scientific and operational purposes, but have been lacking until recent advances in computer hardware and software began offering promising results. This report contains a compilation of published and unpublished sediment texture and other geologic data about the seafloor, selected from U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 118; usSEABED Atlantic Coast Offshore Surficial Sediment Data Release, version 1.0. Examples of data products displaying attributes such as grain size and sediment color are included. This report contains information that is the scientific foundation for the USGS Marine Aggregate Resources and Processes Assessment and Benthic Habitats projects, and will be useful to the marine science community for other studies of the New York-New Jersey offshore region. Posted: 2007-10-11
USGS OFR 2006-1059: Geologic Interpretation and Multibeam Bathymetry of the Sea floor in Southeastern Long Island Sound, Title Page Digital terrain models (DTMs) produced from multibeam echosounder (MBES) bathymetric data provide valuable base maps for marine geological interpretations (e.g. Todd and others, 1999; Mosher and Thomson, 2002; ten Brink and others, 2004; Poppe and others, 2006a,b). These maps help define the geological variability of the sea floor (one of the primary controls of benthic habitat diversity); improve our understanding of the processes that control the distribution and transport of bottom sediments, the distribution of benthic habitats and associated infaunal community structures; and provide a detailed framework for future research, monitoring, and management activities. Posted: 2007-10-11
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1048 The imagery, interpretive data layers, and data presented herein were derived from multibeam echo-sounder data collected off Eastern Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and from the stations occupied to verify these acoustic data. The basic data layers show sea-floor topography, sun-illuminated shaded relief, and backscatter intensity; interpretive layers show the distributions of surficial sediment and sedimentary environments. Presented verification data include new and historical sediment grain-size analyses and a gallery of still photographs of the seabed. Posted: 2007-10-11
LASED IMS Louisiana Sedimentary and Environmental Database Internet Map Server Posted: 2007-10-09
Open-File Report 2007-1217 - Coastal Processes Study at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA: Summary of Data Collection 2004-2006 Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California, contains a persistent erosional section in the shadow of the San Francisco ebb tidal delta and south of Sloat Boulevard that threatens valuable public infrastructure as well as the safe recreational use of the beach. Coastal managers have been discussing potential mediation measures for over a decade, with little scientific research available to aid in decision making. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initiated the Ocean Beach Coastal Processes Study in April 2004 to provide the scientific knowledge necessary for coastal managers to make informed management decisions. This study integrates a wide range of field data collection and numerical modeling techniques to document nearshore sediment transport processes at the mouth of San Francisco Bay, with emphasis on how these processes relate to erosion at Ocean Beach. The Ocean Beach Coastal Processes Study is the first comprehensive study of coastal processes at the mouth of San Francisco Bay. Posted: 2007-10-04
El Niño Home Page El Niño information with links to a broad range of topics such as Floods, Landslides, Coastal Hazards, Climate, News Releases. Posted: 2007-09-30
National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project Beach erosion is a chronic problem along most open-ocean shores of the United States. As coastal populations continue to grow, and community infrastructures are threatened by erosion, there is increased demand for accurate information regarding past and present shoreline changes. There is also need for a comprehensive analysis of shoreline movement that is regionally consistent. To meet these national needs, the Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting an analysis of historical shoreline changes along open-ocean sandy shores of the conterminous United States and parts of Alaska and Hawaii. A primary goal of this work is to develop standardized methods for mapping and analyzing shoreline movement so that internally consistent updates can periodically be made to record shoreline erosion and accretion. Posted: 2007-09-29
Open-File Report 2005-1070: Moloka'i Benthic Habitat Mapping In order to provide evidence of change in any ecosystem, one must first have a starting point, or "baseline" inventory of resources. Thematic maps providing this baseline inventory are an important tool in assessing change in coral reef ecosystems, allowing scientists to spatially document the location of corals, percentage of coral cover, and relative overall health of the system. In the last decade, scientists and managers have recognized the lack of thematic maps for coral reefs worldwide. In 1998, the President of the U.S. issued Executive Order 13089 establishing the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (CRTF). Comprised of several Federal agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, the primary duty of the CRTF is mapping and monitoring of coral reefs in the U.S. and U.S. Trust Territories. U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 2005-1070 Version 1.0 Moloka'i Benthic Habitat Mapping By Susan A. Cochran-Marquez USGS Pacific Science Center Santa Cruz, CA Introduction In order to provide evidence of change in any ecosystem, one must first have a starting point, or "baseline" inventory of resources. Thematic maps providing this baseline inventory are an important tool in assessing change in coral reef ecosystems, allowing scientists to spatially document the location of corals, percentage of coral cover, and relative overall health of the system. In the last decade, scientists and managers have recognized the lack of thematic maps for coral reefs worldwide. In 1998, the President of the U.S. issued Executive Order 13089 establishing the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (CRTF). Comprised of several Federal agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, the primary duty of the CRTF is mapping and monitoring of coral reefs in the U.S. and U.S. Trust Territories. Moloka'i is one of the main eight Hawaiian Islands (Figure 1). The south shore of Moloka'i is home to the most continuous fringing coral reef in U.S. waters... Posted: 2007-07-05
Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5254: Geologic Resource Evaluation of Pu‘ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, Hawai‘i In cooperation with the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has mapped the underwater environment in and adjacent to three parks along the Kona coast on the island of Hawai‘i. This report is the second of two produced for the NPS on the geologic resource evaluation of Pu‘ukohola Heiau National Historic Site (PUHE) and presents benthic habitat mapping of the waters of Kawaihae Bay offshore of PUHE. See Part I (Richmond and others, 2006) for an overview of the regional geology, local volcanics, and a detailed description of coastal landforms in the park. Posted: 2007-07-05
Open-File Report 2007-1169: 2005 Hydrographic Survey of South San Francisco Bay, California USGS report entitled: 2005 Hydrographic Survey of South San Francisco Bay, California; this report documents how the hydrographic survey was conducted, provides an accuracy assessment of the data and distributes the sounding data along with a high-resolution shaded relief map of the bathymetry of South San Francisco Bay. Posted: 2007-07-05
Florida Shelf Habitat (FLaSH) Map Project The FLaSH Map project is a multiagency approach to benthic habitat mapping. Existing data is presented via user-friendly graphic, geographic, and visualization tools. Data from multibeam, sidescan sonar imagery, still and video images, streaming resistivity, and sediment grabs are available for viewing by the general public, scientists and managers. Posted: 2007-06-18
Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5256: Benthic Habitats and Offshore Geological Resources of Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Hawai'i Kaloko-Honok?hau National Historical Park (KAHO) is one of three National Park lands located along the western coast of the Island of Hawai‘i and the only one to include submerged lands and marine resources within its official boundaries. The park was established in 1978 and is 1,160 acres in size, including 596 acres of marine area. The submerged lands are currently managed by the State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources (DLNR-DAR). Marine resources located within KAHO include coral reef and habitat for many marine animals, including the green sea turtle and a variety of fish and invertebrates. In addition, many archeological, cultural, and recreational resources are located within the marine realm of the park. Potential threats and stressors to the modern marine environment include ground-water and surface-water contamination, invasive plants and algae, fishing pressure and use of monofilament gill nets (which can ensnare marine life or become tangled on reefs and be left behind as fishing debris), and visitor use impacts, such as scuba diving and snorkeling. Illegal dumping, oil releases, boat groundings, and other physical damage to reef resources are potential threats from users of the nearby harbor. Special issues of concern for the park include establishing baseline conditions of the offshore resources before the development of adjacent coastal lands. Until this study, only a general knowledge of the distribution of benthic habitats and the characteristics of the offshore region of Kaloko-Honok?hau National Historical Park was available. In 2003, a collaborative project between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program and the National Park Service (NPS) was initiated to develop detailed benthic-habitat classification maps for the marine lands within and adjacent to the park. The intent of this project is to provide baseline maps and a Geographic Information System (GIS) database and description of the biological and geological resources of these marine lands in order to facilitate the management, interpretation, and understanding of park resources. A benthic-habitat classification map was created for the park using existing color aerial photography, Scanning Hydrographic Operational Airborne Lidar Survey (SHOALS) bathymetric data, georeferenced underwater video, and still photography. Individual habitat polygons were classified using five basic attributes: (1) major structure or substrate, (2) dominant structure, (3) major biologic cover on the substrate, (4) percentage of major biological cover, and (5) geographic zone. Additional information regarding geology, morphology, and coral species were also noted. Posted: 2007-05-22
Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2399: Map Showing Seacliff Response to Climatic and Seismic Events, Seacliff State Beach, Santa Cruz County, California The 1.2 km stretch of Seacliff State Beach included in this study is a portion of a continuous section of sea cliffs that extend 3 km from New Brighton State Beach in the north to Aptos Creek in the south. The cliffs at Seacliff State Beach are protected from waves by a seasonally dependent, variable-width sandy beach backed by a seawall. Waves only reach the base of the cliffs during extreme storms that occur on the order of once every several decades. Therefore, the sea cliff failures and resulting cliff retreat that occur along this stretch of coast are primarily a result of terrestrial processes (overland flow, groundwater flow, and seismic shaking). Posted: 2007-04-23
Data Series 182, 2006: usSEABED: Pacific Offshore Surficial-Sediment Data Release Over the past 50 years there has been an explosion in scientific interest, research effort, and information gathered on the geologic sedimentary character of the continental margin of the United States. Data and information from thousands of publications have greatly increased our scientific understanding of the geologic origins of the margin surface but rarely have those data been combined and integrated. This publication is the first release of the Pacific coast data from the usSEABED database. The report contains a compilation of published and unpublished sediment texture and other geologic data about the sea floor from diverse sources. usSEABED is an innovative database system developed to unify assorted data, with the data processed by the dbSEABED system. Examples of maps displaying attributes such as grain size and sediment color are included. This database contains information that is a scientific foundation for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Seafloor Mapping and Benthic Habitats project and the Marine Aggregate Resources and Processes assessment project, and will be useful to the marine science community for other studies of the Pacific coast continental margin. Posted: 2006-12-01
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-221 This report contains descriptions and ancillary information for 62 bedrock cores, most with associated photographs, from western Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Posted: 2006-10-20
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1001 Sediments off the eastern United States vary markedly in texture - the size, shape, and arrangement of their grains. For descriptive purposes, however, it is typically most useful to classify these sediments according to their grain-size distributions. Starting in 1962, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) began a joint program to study the marine geology of the continental margin off the Atlantic coast of the United States. As part of this program and numerous subsequent projects, thousands of sediment samples were collected and analyzed for grain size. Posted: 2006-10-20
USGS Fact Sheet 2005-3041 USGS Fact Sheet 2005-3041: South Carolina Caostal Erosion Study Posted: 2006-10-20
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1018: Surficial GeologicInterpretation and Sidescan Sonar Imagery of the Sea Floor in West-Central LongIsland Sound The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is working cooperatively with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT-DEP) to conduct detailed studies of the surficial geology in Long Island Sound (LIS). The study goals are to interpret sedimentary environments within the Sound, to further understand processes controlling sediment distribution, and to provide a framework for future studies. Sidescan-sonar mosaics produced by USGS and NOAA show detailed acoustic images of the sea floor with 1-m resolution. These images, along with data obtained from sediment grabs, seismic lines, and bottom video, are used to interpret the surficial geology. Posted: 2006-10-20
USGS OFR 2005-1145: Interpolation of Reconnaissance Multibeam Bathymetry from North-Central Long Island Sound, Title Page This data report contains both the original reconnaissance bathymetry collected during NOAA surveys H11043, H11044, H11045 of north-central Long Island Sound, and interpolated grids and color-encoded hill-shaded imagery produced from the reconnaissance. The report was produced because these bathymetric grids and imagery help define the geological variability of the sea floor, improve our understanding of surficial processes, and provide a detailed framework for future research, monitoring, and management activities. Posted: 2006-10-20
usSEABED: East Coast Offshore Surficial Sediment Data Release, Title Page Over the past 50 years there has been an explosion in scientific interest, research effort and information gathered on the geologic sedimentary character of the U.S. Atlantic coast continental margin. Data and information from thousands of publications have greatly increased our scientific understanding of the geologic origins of the shelf surface but rarely have those data been combined and integrated. This publication is the first release of the Atlantic coast data from the usSEABED database. The report contains a compilation of published and unpublished sediment texture and other geologic data about the seafloor from diverse sources. usSEABED is an innovative database system developed to bring assorted data together in a unified database. The dbSEABED system is used to process the data. Examples of maps displaying attributes such as grain size and sediment color are included. This database contains information that is the scientific foundation for the USGS Marine Aggregate Resources and Processes Assessment and Benthic Habitats projects and will be useful to the marine science community for other studies of the Atlantic coast continental margin. The publication is divided into ten sections: Home, Introduction, Contents, usSEABED (data), dbSEABED (processing), Data Catalog, References, Contacts, Acknowledgments, and Frequently Asked Questions. Use the navigation bar on the left to navigate to specific sections of this report. Underlined topics throughout the publication are links to more information. Links to specific and detailed information on processing and those to pages outside this report will open in a new browser window. Posted: 2006-08-03
Automated Extraction of Coastal Dune High and Dune Low from High Resolution Lidar Digital Elevation Models An automated method of extracting dune high (Dhi) and dune low (Dlo) from lidar DEMs has been developed for use on the sandy Southeast and Gulf coasts of the United States. The method has been written into an Arc AML script that runs from a command line in ArcInfo Workstation, a popular GIS software product. The output are GIS ready Dhi and Dlo point shapefiles that include several attributes that can assist in post-processing editing as well as elevation. Posted: 2005-12-06
Coastal Classification Atlas - Southeastern Louisiana Coastal Classification Maps - Pass Abel to East Timbalier Island A Coastal Classification Map describing local geomorphic features is the first step toward determining the hazard vulnerability of an area. The Coastal Classification Maps of the National Assessment of Coastal Change Project present ground conditions such as beach width, dune elevations, overwash potential, and density of development. In order to complete a hazard vulnerability assessment, that information must be integrated with other information, such as prior storm impacts and beach stability. The Coastal Classification Maps provide much of the basic information for such an assessment and represent a critical component of a storm-impact forecasting capability. This CD covers Southeastern Louisiana Coastal Classification from Pass Abel to East Timbalier Island. Posted: 2005-05-04
USGS OFR 03-85 - Nearshore Benthic Habitat GIS for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Southern California State Fisheries Reserves Volume 1. The nearshore benthic habitat of the Santa Barbara coast and Channel Islands supports diverse marine life that is commercially, recreationally, and intrinsically valuable. Some of these resources are known to be endangered including a variety of rockfish and the white abalone. Agencies of the state of California and the United States have been mandated to preserve and enhance these resources. Data from sidescan sonar, bathymetry, video and dive observations, and physical samples are consolidated in a geographic information system (GIS). The GIS provides researchers and policymakers a view of the relationship among data sets to assist scienctific research and to help with economic and social policy-making decisions regarding this protected environment. Posted: 2003-10-01
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-001, Title Page This report contains surficial sediment data from previously unpublished data sources or from gray literature. These data have been compiled as part of the National Benthic Habitats and Marine Aggregate Resources and Processes Projects to update the existent maps on surficial sediment distribution available for the Gulf of Maine region. Sediment data in this report are GIS ready and are broken into data layers by their original source project. The data layers are provided as single-point vector datasets with sample identifiers, navigation, textural attribute information, and FGDC compliant metadata. Posted: 2003-08-14
Multibeam Bathymetric and Backscatter Maps of the Upper Hudson Shelf Valley and Adjacent Shelf, Offshore of New York About aproject to map the surficial geology and subsurface stratigraphy of the Hudson Shelf Valley and adjacent continental shelf from its head near New York Harbor to where it crosses the outer. The northwesterly area of the survey encompasses a region of the shelf that may provide sediment to the valley as well as the principal disposal sites used since the 1800's. Posted: 2002-04-24
An Environmental and Geological Bibliography for Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana This presentation has been prepared both as a CD ROM and as a Web site for those with access to the Internet. It contains examples of illustrations that would not be available in normal local libraries, including a slide show designed to introduce Lake Pontchartrain to school and general audiences, satellite photographs, and downloadable environmental atlas pages. It also includes information on presentations and organizations involved in a series of scientific conferences on the environment of Lake Pontchartrain. Posted: 2002-04-24
Massachusetts Bay Disposal Site Maps The site lies 17 nautical miles east of the entrance to Boston Harbor and is adjacent to the boundary of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The area has had a complex history since the 1940's. The USGS/NOAA cooperative mapping program has acquired multibeam echo-sounder data in combination with video and still photos to describe the character of the sea floor and produce interpretive maps of the region. The maps were published in 1996, and are made available on this CD-ROM in Portable Document File, Encapsulated PostScript, and PostScript formats. Includes a gallery of bottom photographs. Posted: 2002-04-24
USGS Marine Sediment analysis procedures, database of East Coast sediment analyses, and georeferenced displays of the sediment types This report (available as CDROM) contains full procedural instructions and methods for marine sediment analysis, including video tutorials and analytical software. It also contains the full database of sediment textural information of the USGS Woods Hole Field Center during about 38 years of operations, about 19,000 samples, beginning with the Continental Margin Program conducted with K.O. Emery and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution from 1962-1970. It also provides background and tools for visualizing and displaying sediment textural information using GIS. Truly a significant compilation of data, information, and instructional materials for Marine sedimentological studies. Posted: 2002-04-24
Gulf of Mexico GLORIA Sidescan Sonar Geologic Interpretation This (online) CD-ROM contains copies of the 250 m resolution GLORIA sidescan sonar mosaic for the Gulf of Mexico and its geologic interpretation. The imagery and interpretation have been archived here to preserve this legacy data set. The data are intended to be GIS-ready in as much as the data do not require any additional cleanup, formatting, renaming of fields or other "data work" to use the data in the GIS of choice. Posted: 2002-04-24
USGS Studies in Long Island Sound: Geology, Contaminants, and Environmental Issues Long Island Sound is a major coastal estuary near the New York-Connecticut metropolitan area. More than eight million people live in its watershed. Due to the enormous population, the Sound is used heavily and its sea floor has been impacted by human activities. There are many benthic habitats in the Sound that support large commercial and recreational fisheries. Sediments of the Sound are a sink for wastes and contaminants from various sources such as wastewater treatment plants, urban and agricultural runoff, and waste disposal. Posted: 2002-04-24
Boston Harbor/ Massachusetts Bay Studies Environmental effects of the Boston sewage outfall tunnel are being studied using computer simulations of ocean circulation and dilution of sewage from the tunnel, also mapping and sediment analyses to find the pathways and ultimate repositories of contaminants from the Boston Metropolitan area, and monitoring to establish a baseline of contaminant levels in sediments and to document their natural variability. Posted: 2002-04-23
Seafloor Characterization Offshore New York-New Jersey Metropolitan Area using sidescan sonar A preliminary synthesis of systematic high-resolution mapping of the sea floor in the New York Bight Apex, using sidescan-sonar and seismic-reflection profiles. The survey provides a new and detailed view of the sea floor, and a new framework for understanding the regional sediment transport system of the New York Bight. Posted: 2002-04-23
Long Island Sound Environmental Studies Reports and maps on acoustic and textural features of Long Island Sound bottom sediments; Sidescan-sonar imagery of areas off Hammonasset Beach state park, Norwalk, Niantic Bay, Milford, Fishers Island Sound, Falkner Island, New Haven, New London, CT, and Roanoke Pt., NY. Also, articles on a surficial sediment data, benthic communities and contaminants, and currents, and a bibliography. Posted: 2002-04-23
Georeferenced Sea-Floor Mapping and Bottom Photography in Long Island Sound Extensive information in 12 separate chapters on geology (including late-Pleistocene stratigraphy, and a free-air gravity anomaly map indicative deep substructure), surface sediments, organic carbon, benthic enviroments, megafaunal environments, contaminanats such as metals, mercury, and a bacterial indicator of human pollution; GIS referenced mapping data, and a collection of bottom photographs; Environmental changes 1940s to 1990s. Posted: 2002-04-23
Lake Pontchartrain, LA, Geochemistry Geology, geologic history, sediments, circulation, satellite imagery, of Lake Pontchartrain, LA, and a sediment database and geochemical assessment of the Lake. Posted: 2002-04-23
Seafloor Sediment Distribution Off Southern Long Island, New York The late Holocene evolution of the Fire Island barrier-island is linked directly to the geologic framework of the inner-continental shelf. Mapping results show that the modern physiography of the inner-continental shelf off southern Long Island is an expression of antecedent geology and glacial history, as well as oceanographic processes acting on the sea floor during Holocene marine transgression. The upper surface of the Cretaceous strata provided the foundation for deposition of Quaternary sediment and formed the core of a subaerial headland off Watch Hill during times of lower sea level. The modern sediment deposit was formed from erosion of both the headland areas east of Southampton and off Watch Hill and the inner-continental shelf during Holocene marine transgression. Posted: 2002-04-23
SeaMARC 1A sidescan sonar mosaic, cores and depositional interpretation of the Mississippi Fan: ArcView GIS Data Release An online CDROM contains a SeaMARC 1A sidescan sonar mosaic, cores, and a depositional interpretation of the Mississippi Fan, with an ArcView GIS Data Release. This study focused on a depositional lobe identified in previous GLORIA imagery. A channel and breached levee were studied to understand the processes by which sedimentation is redirected to a different part of the fan. The channel that originated at the breach in the levee of the main channel was traced to the distal edge of the Mississippi Fan where deposits associated with the end of this channel system were mapped. Posted: 2002-04-23
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary - off Boston MA - Sea Floor topographic contours maps and perspective views A multibeam echo sounder aboard the Canadian Hydrographic Survey vessel Frederick G. Creed mapped the Stellwagen bank area (covering 1100 sq. nautical miles). Topographic contour maps and perspective maps -displayed as sun-illuminated seabed imagery - show sea floor topography (scale of 1:25,000) show the complex sea floor created by glacial erosion, deposition, and subsequent wave and current action. GIS data of the maps are included. Posted: 2002-04-22
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-410 Sea floor features of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region at a scale of 1:60,000. The maps depict topography, sun-illuminated (shaded relief) topographic imagery, and combined imagery of sun-illuminated sea floor topography and backscatter intensity Posted: 2002-03-22
A Marine GIS Library for Massachusetts Bay: This CD-ROM contains information in a Geographic Information System (GIS) format (ESRI's ArcView) for the coastal region offshore of Boston, Massachusetts. This collection of coverages (here defined as ArcView shapefiles, grids and TIFs) is a beginning effort to develop a library of information in GIS format that can be referenced and shared by those working in, and seeking to understand, the Massachusetts Bay region. The CD-ROM was assembled at a workshop attended by an ad-hoc group representing federal and state government, industry and academia. This CD-ROM principally contains data on waste disposal sites and characteristics of the sea floor. Posted: 2001-10-15
USGS EAST-COAST SEDIMENT ANALYSIS: PROCEDURES, DATABASE, AND GEOREFERENCED DISPLAYS This CD-ROM contains descriptions of the field and laboratory methods used to collect and process sediment samples at the Woods Hole Field Center for Coastal and Marine Geology Program, USGS in Woods Hole, Massachusetts; an archive of digitally-available sediment data generated at this facility between 1962 and 2000; and data layers that can be viewed with geographic mapping tools. Posted: 2001-10-12
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-154 This Open-File Report contains bottom photographs that were collected in the early 1960's as part of the U. S. Geological Survey's Continental Margin Program. This joint program conducted with the USGS and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution conducted a geologic reconnaissance investigation of the continental shelf and slope off the Atlantic coast of the United States. As part of the program nearly 3800 locations were occupied that extended from the Canadian border to the southern tip of Florida. Bottom photography was completed at many of these stations in conjunction with sediment sampling. This report provides a digital release of the historical photos collected collected at these stations. Posted: 2001-09-26
National Coastal Assessment The coastal margin of the US is among the most densely populated, developed, property valued, tax generating, income generating, and recreational valued region of the US. The dynamic natural processes and human-induced changes within this margin are poorly understood yet result in a highly mobile coastal zone that is subject to rapid (decadal or less) change. The goal of this project is to develop a GIS based inventory of scientific data including those variables known to contribute to coastal change. Posted: 1999-05-14
Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary Studies The USGS Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Project gathers, interprets, and distributes geologic information - tools necessary for sound resource protection and preservation of the federally established Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This web site provides access to that information. Posted: 1999-02-22
Hydrocarbons in Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary Description and interpretation of hydrocarbons associated with fluid venting processes in Monterey Bay, California. Posted: 1999-02-17
USGS TerraWeb Software: MIPS Image Processing System Software distribution and documentation for USGS MIPS open source image processing freeware for UNIX and VMS. The United States Geological Survey's Mini Image Processing system is a fully functional digital image processing software package complete with online documentation. It was developed by the USGS, is in the public domain, and available free of charge. It has the ability to process a variety of remotely sensed data including: Landsat MSS and TM, SPOT, AVHRR, radar, sonar, eigitized aerial photographs, digital elevation models, and geophysical data. Posted: 0000-00-00
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