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  • 2013-14 Massachusetts Lidar-Derived Dune Toe Point Data

    Metadata Updated: March 22, 2021

    This data release of dune metrics for the Massachusetts coast is part of a 2018 update to the Massachusetts Shoreline Change Project. Because of continued coastal population growth and the increased threat of coastal erosion, the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast. Maps of historic shoreline locations from the mid-1800s to 1978 were produced from multiple data sources, and in 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to enable the calculation of long- and short-term shoreline change rates. In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with CZM, delineated an additional oceanfront shoreline using 2007 topographic lidar data and 2008–9 color aerial orthoimagery. Further cooperation between CZM and the USGS resulted in this 2018 update, intended to increase the understanding of coastal erosion and to support coastal management decision making. This update includes beach shorelines, marsh shorelines, and dune metrics, all of which were derived from topographic lidar data. This data release, which is part of the 2018 update, defines the position and elevation of the most seaward dune crest and toe along the Massachusetts coast as derived from 2013–14 lidar data. In the absence of a dune, the peak of the berm or the seaward edge of a bluff, headland, or hard structure (for example, a seawall, road, or parking lot) was chosen as a proxy for the dune crest. Where possible, the dune toe was placed at the base of the proxy feature.

    Access & Use Information

    License: No license information was provided.

    Downloads & Resources

    Dates

    Metadata Date August 4, 2020
    Metadata Created Date March 22, 2021
    Metadata Updated Date March 22, 2021
    Reference Date(s) January 1, 2018 (publication)
    Frequency Of Update notPlanned

    Metadata Source

    Harvested from USGS-Harvest

    Graphic Preview

    Image showing dune crest and toe points atop aerial photography near Chatham, MA, and figure showing the location of the dune crest and toe on a cross-shore beach profile.

    Additional Metadata

    Resource Type Dataset
    Metadata Date August 4, 2020
    Metadata Created Date March 22, 2021
    Metadata Updated Date March 22, 2021
    Reference Date(s) January 1, 2018 (publication)
    Responsible Party U.S. Geological Survey (Point of Contact)
    Contact Email
    Guid
    Access Constraints Use Constraints: Public domain data from the U.S. Government are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey as the originator of the dataset. Users are advised to read the dataset's metadata thoroughly to understand appropriate use and data limitations., Access Constraints: None
    Bbox East Long -69.9292
    Bbox North Lat 42.8746
    Bbox South Lat 41.2393
    Bbox West Long -71.1135
    Coupled Resource
    Frequency Of Update notPlanned
    Graphic Preview Description Image showing dune crest and toe points atop aerial photography near Chatham, MA, and figure showing the location of the dune crest and toe on a cross-shore beach profile.
    Graphic Preview File https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/5bca0f11e4b0fc368ebff85a?name=MA_2013_2014_DuneMetrics_BrowseGraphic.png
    Graphic Preview Type PNG
    Licence Neither the U.S. Government, the Department of the Interior, nor the USGS, nor any of their employees, contractors, or subcontractors, make any warranty, express or implied, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, nor represent that its use would not infringe on privately owned rights. 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. Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
    Metadata Language eng; USA
    Metadata Type geospatial
    Progress completed
    Spatial Data Service Type
    Spatial Reference System
    Spatial Harvester True
    Temporal Extent Begin 2013-11-16
    Temporal Extent End 2014-12-27

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