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CACOAST - coastline for central California from San Francisco to Point Sur

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Frequently-anticipated questions:


What does this data set describe?

    Title:
    CACOAST - coastline for central California from San Francisco to Point Sur
    Abstract:

    CACOAST is a coastline for the central California region between San Francisco and Point Sur. This file is a subset of the original data extracted from 1:24,000-scale maps by the California State Lands Commission.

    This is one of a collection of digital files of a geographic information system of spatially referenced data related to the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program "Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Project" <http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/mbms>. The data were collected and analyzed between 1994 and 2000.

  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Fukushima, Ted, and Wong, Florence L. , 2001, CACOAST - coastline for central California from San Francisco to Point Sur:.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Wong, F.L., and Eittreim, S.E., 2001, Continental Shelf GIS for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-179, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -123.77998936
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -120.6606531
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 38.26898331
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 35.2290921

  3. What does it look like?

    <http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of01-179/images/basemaps.gif> (GIF)
    location map of cacoast

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

    Calendar_Date: 02-Aug-1994
    Currentness_Reference: Ground Condition

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

    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: map

  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):

      • Point (6080)
      • String (14598)
      • GT-polygon composed of chains (6081)

    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
      Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
      UTM_Zone_Number: 10
      Transverse_Mercator:
      Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.9996
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -123.00000
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.00000
      False_Easting: 500000.00
      False_Northing: 0.00

      Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 1.0
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 1.0
      Planar coordinates are specified in Meters

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is GRS1980.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.0.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257.

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

    The polygons in the coverage CACOAST are identified in the attribute PTYPE. The values for PTYPE are 'sea' or 'land'. There are polygons interior to 'land' (e.g., lakes) that are not separately identified.

    The arcs in the coverage CACOAST are identified in the attribute LTYPE. The values for LTYPE are 'coastline' or 'scratch'.

    NOTES ACCOMPANYING ORIGINAL FILES:

     Name:    California coastline
     FS Name: COASTN27
    
     DATE: 2 Aug 1994
    
    
     DESCRIPTION:
    
     Note: This coverage is a rebuild of the original digitized data
     with greatly reduced tolerances (see below).  The purpose of this
     rebuild is to reduce the number of verticies that are dropped
     out during an ARCINFO "CLEAN" process on a previous version of
     this coverage.  This data set closely resembles the original
     data, and as such, users will probably want to generalize this
     coverage to decrease unwanted verticies and arcs.
    
     California shoreline from the Oregon border to the Mexico border
     including Humboldt, Arcata, San Francisco, San Pablo, Suisun, Honker,
     and San Diego Bays and includes offshore rocks.
    
     This shoreline represents the mean high tide line along the coast and
     bays as shown on the US Geological Survey 7.5' series quadrangles.
    
    
     Vital STATISTICS:
    
     Datum:                       NAD 27
     Projection:                  Albers
     Units:                       Meters
     1st Std. Parallel:           34 00 00
     2nd Std. Parallel:           40 30 00
     Longitude of Origin:         -120 00 00
     Latitude of Origin:          00 00 00
     False Easting (X shift):     0
     False Northing (Y shift):    -4,000,000
     Source:  US Geological Survey
     	 (Various years)
     Source Media:			mylar, paper
     Source Projection:		Lambert
     Source Units:			meters, feet
     Source Scale:			1:24,000
     Capture Method:			Manual digitization
    
     Conversion Software:         	ARC/INFO rev. 5.0.1, 6.1.2
     Data Structure:			Vector
     ARC/INFO Coverage type:         line, point
     ARC/INFO tolerances:            Fuzzy:  .001
     				Weed:   .02 - .006
     Number of features:             28786 arcs, 12150 points
     Layer Size:			66.844 MB
     Date updated:                   July 1994
    
     DATA DICTIONARY:
    
    
     There is only standard attribute information for the
     PAT and AAT files.
    
     DATA QUALITY ASSESSMENT:
    
     The following are subjective comments regarding this data.
    
     This coverage has been compiled from individually digitized 7.5'
     USGS quadrangles controlled by NGS triangulation stations and individual
     quad corners. RMS errors averaged under 5 meters per quad.
    
     Accuracy of this coverage is very good with respects to the original
     source material.
    
     The shoreline between the Mare Island and Cuttings Wharf quads did not match.
     The Cuttings Warf quad was completed in 1949 and the Mare Island quad was
     completed in 1959. The differences were assumed to have resulted from the
     the different mapping dates. Consequently, the shoreline of the quad with the
     later date, the Mare Island quad, was held and the shoreline of the Cuttings
     Wharf quad was manually adjusted to fit.
    
     Not all of the quadrangles were current, since we could not afford new mylar
     sets.  You will find some differences between our shoreline and the most
     recent USGS quadrangles.  This shoreline will be updated on an ongoing basis.
    
     The marine terminal facility known as Pacific Wharf situated on the east side
     of San Pablo Bay alongside the main channel of the bay and west of the Unocal's
     Wharf at Oleum (Mare Island Quad), was positioned from registered and rectified
     air photos. The method used to position the facility was as follows:
    
     1.  The scanned air photo was registered with the coastline coverage then rectified;
    
     2.  The facility was then digitized in arcedit with a mouse from the registered
     and rectified scanned air photo.
    
     DATA CONTACT:
    
     Contact Name:		Ted Fukushima
     Contact Agency:		State Lands Commission
     Contact's Phone:	916-322-7813
    
     --NOTICE--
    
     This map and/or data has been prepared for reconnaissance and general
     information purposes only.
    
     The map and/or data has not been approved by the State Lands
     Commission and does not constitute an official map or dataset of the
     Commission, nor does it establish the boundary lines of any State
     owned lands depicted on the map or described in the data.  The map
     and/or data is preliminary, is based upon readily information, and is
     subject to revision as the need arises.  Any republication or other
     distribution of this map and/or data, by any means whatsoever, must
     include this disclaimer.
    
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: none


Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)

  2. Who also contributed to the data set?

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

    Florence L. Wong
    United States Geological Survey (USGS)
    Geologist, GIS Coordinator
    USGS, MailStop 999, 345 Middlefield Road
    Menlo Park, CA 94025-3561
    USA

    (650) 329-5327 (voice)
    (650) 329-5190 (FAX)
    fwong@usgs.gov


Why was the data set created?

These data are intended for science researchers, students, policy makers, and the general public. The data can be used with geographic information systems (GIS) software to display geologic and oceanographic information about the shallower areas of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.


How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

    CSLC (1994) (source 1 of 1)
    Fukushima, Ted, and California State Lands Commission, 1994, California coastline COASTN27.

    Type_of_Source_Media: electronic
    Source_Scale_Denominator: 24000
    Source_Contribution: line geometry and features

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

    Date: 1996 (process 1 of 5)
    Download from CSLC.

    Date: 1996 (process 2 of 5)
    Michael Hamer edited to remove "extraneous features".

    Date: Nov-1999 (process 3 of 5)
    Converted from datum NAD27 to NAD83

    Date: Mar-2001 (process 4 of 5)
    Enclosed in neatline and built polygons

    Date: 28-Mar-2001 (process 5 of 5)
    First draft of metadata created by F.L. Wong using a modified version of FGDCMETA.AML on ARC/INFO data set CACOAST

  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?


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?

    Polygons are 'land' include everything that is not 'sea', so lakes are not separately identified.

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

    Polygon and chain-node topology present.


How can someone get a copy of the data set?

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

Access_Constraints:
None

Use_Constraints:
Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as the source of this information.

Although these data have been used by the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior, no warranty expressed or implied is made by the U.S. Geological Survey as to the accuracy of the data.

The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Geological Survey in the use of this data, software, or related materials.

This information is not intended for navigational purposes.

Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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

    United States Geological Survey (USGS)
    c/o Florence L. Wong
    Geologist, GIS Coordinator
    USGS, MailStop 999, 345 Middlefield Road
    Menlo Park, CA 94025-3561
    USA

    (650) 329-5327 (voice)
    (650) 329-5190 (FAX)
    fwong@usgs.gov

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

    USGS Open-File Report 01-179

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as the source of this information.

    Although these data have been used by the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior, no warranty expressed or implied is made by the U.S. Geological Survey as to the accuracy of the data.

    Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

    The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Geological Survey in the use of this data, software, or related materials.

  4. How can I download or order the data?


Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 28-Mar-2001
Last Reviewed: May-2001

Metadata author:
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
c/o Florence L. Wong
Geologist, GIS Coordinator
USGS, MailStop 999, 345 Middlefield Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025-3561
USA

(650) 329-5327 (voice)
(650) 329-5190 (FAX)
fwong@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata ("CSDGM version 2") (FGDC-STD-001-1998)


http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of01-179/data/basemaps/cacoast_faq.html
Maintained by: Florence L. Wong
Last modified: Jul 2, 2001 (flw)
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Generated by mp version 2.7.9 on Mon Jul 2 14:08:47 2001