U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-002

USA: United State basemap data layer for the Long Island Sound project area

Frequently-anticipated questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How should this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the data, including topology?
• How can someone get a copy of the data set?
  1. Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
  2. Who distributes the data?
  3. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  4. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
  5. How can I download or order the data?
• Who wrote the metadata?

Title:

USA: United State basemap data layer for the Long Island Sound project area

Abstract:

This ArcView shapefile represents a portion of the United States for the Long Island Sound project area. This data layer provides a resonablly detailed coastline. This is a subset of the complete 50 states compiled from the higher resolution state shapefile datasets provided by Environmental Research Institution, Inc. (ESRI) as data distribution with their software.

1. How should this data set be cited?

   Paskevich, Valerie, and Environmental Systems Research , Inc. (ESRI) (comp.), 20010331, USA: United State basemap data layer for the Long Island Sound project area: U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole, MA.

   Online Links:

   • <http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/openfile/of02-002/data/basemaps/>
   • <http://www.esri.com/data/download/index.html>

   This is part of the following larger work.

   Poppe, Larry, and Paskevich, Valerie, 2002, Geological Framework Data from Long Island Sound, 1981-1990: A Digital Data Release: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File 02-002, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole, MA.

   Online Links:

   • <http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/openfile/of02-002>

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -80.520100

   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -66.950410

   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 47.233304

   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 38.928407

3. What does it look like?

   ../../../htmldocs/browse/usa.gif (GIF)

   Image showing US shapefile for the Long Island Sound project.

4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

   Calendar_Date: 30-Jun-2002

   Currentness_Reference: publication date

5. What is the general form of this data set?

   Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

      This is a Vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):

      • G-polygon (173)

   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 0.000000. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.000000. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees.

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1927.
      The ellipsoid used is Clarke 1866.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378206.400000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/294.978698.
      

7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   usa.dbf

   Shapefile Attribute Table (Source: ESRI)

   FID

   Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI)

   Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   Shape

   Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI)

   Value	Definition
   Connecticut	state name

   Coordinates defining the features.

   AREA

   Area of polygon in native units (Source: Software computed)

   Value	Definition
   Maine	state name

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.000
   Maximum:	13.477
   Units:	Decimal degrees
   Resolution:	.001

   PERIMETER

   Length of Polygon Perimeter (Source: Software Computed)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.005
   Maximum:	37.905
   Units:	Decimal degrees
   Resolution:	.001

   STATE_NAME

   State name (Source: User Defined)

   Character field

   ABBREV

   State abbreviation (Source: User Defined)

   Value	Definition
   CT	Connecticut
   ME	Maine
   NH	New Hampshire
   VT	Vermont
   MA	Massachusetts
   RI	Rhode Island
   NY	New York
   PA	Pennsylvania
   NJ	New Jersey

   REGION

   Regional area name where state is located. (Source: ESRI)

   Value	Definition
   New England	New England states region
   Mid-Atlantic	Mid-Atlantic states region

   STATE_FIPS

   Assigned state FIPS code. (Source: ESRI)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	01
   Maximum:	56
   Units:	integer
   Resolution:	1

   POP_1990

   1990 state population (Source: ESRI)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	562758
   Maximum:	17990455
   Resolution:	1

   POP_1999

   1999 state population (Source: ESRI)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	514869
   Maximum:	18195566
   Resolution:	1

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • Valerie Paskevich
   • Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) (comp.)

2. Who also contributed to the data set?

   This dataset is compiled from the 50 individual state 'trct' files distributed by ESRI with the ArcGIS software.

3. To whom should users address questions about the data?

   U. S. Geological Survey
   c/o Valerie Paskevich
   Computer Specialist, GIS Coordinator
   384 Woods Hole Road
   Woods Hole, MA 02532
   USA
   

   (508) 548-8700 x2281 (voice)
   (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
   vpaskevich@usgs.gov
   

This ArcView shapefile may be used as a general basemap data layer to illustrate the United States boundaries and coastline.

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

   'state'trct.shp (source 1 of 1)

   Environmental Research Institut, Inc. (ESRI), 1999, ESRI Data & Maps, Disks 3, 4 & 5: United States; Disks 3, 4 and 5 Western United States; Eastern United States and Southern United States (by states), Environmental Research Institution, Inc. (ESRI), Redlands, CA.

   Online Links:

   • <http://www.esri.com>

   This is part of the following larger work.

   Environmental Systems Research , Inc., Unknown, ESRI Data and Maps CD: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., Redlands, CA.

   Online Links:

   • <http://www.esri.com/data/download/index.html>

   Other_Citation_Details:

   The data is organized on five CD-ROMS. CD#1 contains data for the world, Mexico, Canada, Europe and the United States. Detailed data for the entire United States is continued on CD #2. The very detailed data for the regions of the United States is split between the west (CD #3), the east (CD # 4), and the south (CD #5). Also, there is a ssample image data on CD #5.

   Type_of_Source_Media: CD-ROM

   Source_Contribution:

   The individual 50 state 'trct' files were compiled to create individual state files. Those files were later combined to create a US shapefile with a medium resolution coastline.

2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

   Date: 12-Mar-2001 (process 1 of 4)

   Each of the individual state shapefiles were processed to dissolve the 'trct' boundaries. The database was edited to remove unwanted attributes.

   Person who carried out this activity:
   

   U. S. Geological Survey
   c/o Valerie Paskevich
   computer specialist
   384 Woods Hole Road
   Woods Hole, MA 02543
   USA
   

   (508) 548-8700 x2281 (voice)
   (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
   vpaskevich@usgs.gov
   

   Data sources used in this process:

   • 'state'trct.shp

   Data sources produced in this process:

   • 'state'.shp

   Date: 31-Mar-2001 (process 2 of 4)

   The individual 'states' were combined to create one shapefile representing the US.

   Person who carried out this activity:
   

   U. S. Geological Survey
   c/o Valerie Paskevich
   Computer Specialist
   384 Woods Hole Road
   Woods Hole, MA 02543
   USA
   

   (508) 548-8700 x2281 (voice)
   (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
   vpaskevich@usgs.gov
   

   Data sources used in this process:

   • 'state'.shp

   Data sources produced in this process:

   • usa.dbf
   • usa.shp
   • usa.shx
   • usa.sbx
   • usa.sbn
   • usa.avl

   Date: 14-Jan-2002 (process 3 of 4)

   The US shapefile was clipped to the extent of the project view area. The Area value was updated using the XTOOLS extension.

   Person who carried out this activity:
   

   U. S. Geological Survey
   c/o Valerie Paskevich
   Computer Specialist
   384 Woods Hole Road
   Woods Hole, MA 02543
   USA
   

   (508) 548-8700 x2281 (voice)
   (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
   vpaskevich@usgs.gov
   

   Data sources used in this process:

   • usa.dbf
   • usa.shp

   Data sources produced in this process:

   • usa.dbf
   • usa.shp

   Date: 08-Apr-2002 (process 4 of 4)

   The shapefile was reprojected from GRS80/NAD83 to Clarke1866/NAD27 to match the archived datasets.

   Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Valerie Paskevich
   U.S. Geological Survey
   Computer Specialist
   384 Woods Hole Road
   Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
   USA
   

   (508) 548-8700 x2281 (voice)
   (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
   vpaskevich@usgs.gov
   

   Data sources used in this process:

   • usa.shp
   • usa.prj
   • usa.dbf

   Data sources produced in this process:

   • usa.shp
   • usa.prj
   • usa.dbf

1. How well have the observations been checked?

2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

   This data set is a subset of the US dataset.

5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

   No additional checks for topological consistency were performed on this data set.

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: None

Use_Constraints:

Although this derived data set and its lineage dataset have been used by the USGS, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS or ESRI as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS or ESRI in the use of these data or related materials.

Please read the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) licensing agreement at <http://www.esri.com/licenseagreement/>

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

   U. S. Geological Survey
   c/o Valerie Paskevich
   Computer Specialist, GIS Coordinator
   384 Woods Hole Road
   Woods Hole, MA 02543
   USA
   

   (508) 548-8700 x2281 (voice)
   (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
   vpaskevich@usgs.gov
   

2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

   United States shapefile

3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

   Although this derived data set and its lineage dataset have been used by the USGS, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. 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.

4. How can I download or order the data?
   • Availability in digital form:

     Data format:	The seven ArcView shapefiles (usa.avl, usa.dbf, usa.prj, usa.sbn, usa.sbx, usa.shp, usa.shx) comprising the USA land mass for the Long Island Sound project area and an ASCII version of the text file. in format ArcView (version 3.2) ESRI polygon shapefile Size: 2.32 Kbytes
     Network links:	<http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/openfile/of02-002/data/basemaps/usa.zip>
     Media you can order:	DVD (Density 4.75 Gigabytes) Note: The user must have a system with a DVD capable of reading an UDF standard DVD-R disk. To browse the information contained on this disk, the user must also have a current version of a WWW browser available.

   • Cost to order the data: none

5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

   The base map overlay is available as an ArcView shapefile format. The user must have ESRI's ArcView 3.0 or greater software to read and process the data file. In lieu of Arcview, the user may utilize another GIS application package capable of importing the data.

   Access to the data and information contained on this CD-ROM was developed using the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) utilized by the World Wide Web (WWW) project. Development of the CD-ROM documentation and user interface in HTML allows a user to access the information by using a variety of WWW information browsers to facilitate browsing and locating information and data. To access the information contained on this disk with a WWW client browser, open the file 'index.htm' at the top level directory of this CD-ROM with your selected browser.

   This CD-ROM should be readable by a variety of operating systems including Windows 95/98/NT, Macintosh and UNIX.

Dates:

Last modified: 19-Apr-2002

Metadata author:

U. S. Geological Survey
c/o Valerie Paskevich
Computer Specialist
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA 02543
USA

(508) 548-8700 x2281 (voice)
(508) 457-2310 (FAX)
vpaskevich@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:

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