USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Title Page

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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288

Prepared in cooperation with the Office of Naval Research (ONR)

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, 

Massachusetts

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and 

Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and 

Processing Overview

Geographic 

Information System 

Data Catalog

Acknowledgments

References Cited

By J.F. Denny, W.W. Danforth, D.S. Foster, and C.R. Sherwood

Landsat 7 image of Martha's Vineyard and color shaded-relief image of 

swath bathymetry collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, August 9-13, 

2007.

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Title Page

U.S. Department of the Interior

KEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Marcia K. McNutt, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2009

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Suggested citation: 

Denny, J.F., Danforth, W.W., Foster, D.S., and Sherwood, C.R., 2009, 

Geophysical data collected off the south shore of Martha's Vineyard, 

Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288, (Also 

available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1288/.)

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Contents

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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Contents

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and 

Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and 

Processing Overview

Geographic 

Information System 

Data Catalog

Acknowledgments

References Cited

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and Processing Overview

● Field Program 

● Swath Bathymetry 

● Sidescan Sonar 

● Chirp Seismic Reflection 

● Supplemental Data: Sediment Samples 

Geographic Information System Data Catalog

● Data Access 

● Raster and Vector Data Description 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Contents

● Data Preview 

Acknowledgments

References Cited

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, List of Figures

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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

List of Figures

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and 

Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and 

Processing Overview

Geographic 

Information System 

Data Catalog

Acknowledgments

References Cited

Figure 1. Location map showing the USGS Cruise 07011 survey bounds 

and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) Martha's Vineyard 

Coastal Observatory (MVCO) locations. Environmental Systems Research 

Institute (ESRI) USA Prime Imagery is used as background image (I-cubed, 

2009). Click on figure for larger image.

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, List of Figures

Figure 2. Geologic map of Cape Cod and the Islands, superimposed with 

maximum extent of ice lobes (after Oldale, 1992). Click on figure for larger 

image.

Figure 3. Illustration of the geophysical systems used to characterize the 

seafloor during USGS Cruise 07011. Sidescan-sonar, swath bathymetric, 

and seismic-reflection systems were used to define the surficial sediment 

distribution, depth, and underlying geology. Sampling systems were used 

to collect direct samples of the seafloor sediment. A Differential Global 

Positioning System (DGPS) was used to navigate the sidescan-sonar and 

swath bathymetric systems, while a Global Positioning System (GPS) was 

used to navigate the seismic-reflection system. Click on figure for larger 

image.

Figure 4. Color shaded-relief image of bathymetric data collected by the 

USGS during Cruise 07011. Depth is in meters and ranges from 

approximately 6 to 24 meters water depth. No data were collected in the 

gray regions, where moored instruments and structures were located. The 

locations of Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory (MVCO) (yellow dots) 

and sound velocity profiles (red dots) collected during USGS Cruise 07011 

are also displayed. Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) USA 

Prime Imagery is used as background image. Click on figure for larger 

image. 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, List of Figures

Figure 5. Representative sound velocity profile (SVP) displaying the speed 

of sound in the water column, in meters per second, versus water depth, in 

meters. These data were collected at SVP location 14 during USGS Cruise 

07011. The data reveal the characteristic negative gradient, with 

presumably warmer surface waters overlying relatively cooler sub-surface 

waters. Click on figure for larger image. 

Figure 6. Sidescan-sonar mosaic collected by the USGS during Cruise 

07011. Sidescan-sonar backscatter values (relative strength of return) are 

displayed as digital numbers (DN), on a relative scale, high backscatter is 

represented by light tones within the image and low backscatter is 

represented by dark tones. The locations of Martha's Vineyard Coastal 

Observatory (MVCO) (yellow dots) and 5-meter bathymetric contours are 

also displayed. Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) USA 

Prime Imagery is used as background image. Click on figure for larger 

image. 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, List of Figures

Figure 7. TOP: North-looking oblique view of color shaded-relief image of 

swath bathymetric data collected during USGS Cruise 07011. Depth is 

displayed in meters and ranges from approximately 6 to 24 meters water 

depth. Vertical exaggeration is 50 times. Sun illumination is from the 

northeast. Location of seismic-reflection line is displayed. BOTTOM: seismicreflection data collected during USGS Cruise 07011. See top image for 

location. Depth is displayed as two-way travel time. Approximate depth is 

displayed in meters and assumes a speed of sound of 1,500 meters per 

second. Seismic shot number is indicated along the top of the profile. 

Several features are visible within the seismic image. At shot 5000, a subsurface channel is visible within the seismic record, and reflections from 

shots 7000 to 9000 reveal an unconformity underlying low-relief bedforms. 

The bedforms are visible within the swath bathymetric image. Click on 

figure for larger image. 

Figure 8. Color shaded-relief image of swath bathymetric data collected by 

the USGS during Cruise 07011. Depth is in meters and ranges from 

approximately 6 to 24 meters water depth. No data were collected in the 

gray regions, where moored instruments and structures were located. The 

locations of Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory (MVCO) (yellow dots) 

and beach and seafloor sediment samples collected in 2005 (green dots) 

and 2007 (blue dots) are also displayed. Environmental Systems Research 

Institute (ESRI) USA Prime Imagery is used as background image. Click on 

figure for larger image. 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Conversion Factors and Datum

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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Conversion Factors and Datum

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and 

Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and 

Processing Overview

Geographic 

Information System 

Data Catalog

Acknowledgments

References Cited

SI to Inch/Pound

Multiply By To obtain

Length

centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inch (in.)

meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) 

kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi)

kilometer (km) 0.5400 mile, nautical 

(nmi) 

meter (m) 1.094 yard (yd) 

Area

square kilometer 

(km2) 

247.1 acre

square meter (m2) 10.76 square foot (ft2)

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to local datum 

at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) 

Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory (MVCO).

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Conversion Factors and Datum

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the World 

Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84).

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Acronyms and Abbreviations

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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and 

Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and 

Processing Overview

Geographic 

Information System 

Data Catalog

Acknowledgments

References Cited

ASCII American Standard Code for Information 

Interchange

B.P. before present 

CSV Comma Separated Value

DGPS Differential Global Positioning System

DN digital number

DRI Directed-Research Initiative

DTM Digital Terrain Model

ESRI Environmental Systems Research Institute

GeoTIFF Georeferenced Tagged Image Format File 

GIS Geographic Information System

GPS Global Positioning System

JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group

JSF EdgeTech native format

MRU Motion Reference Unit

MVCO Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory

NGDC National Geophysical Data Center

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Acronyms and Abbreviations

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

OASIS Optics Acoustics and Stress In Situ

ONR Office of Naval Research

PDF Portable Document Format

RTK Real-Time Kinematic

R/V Research Vessel

SVP Sound Velocity Profile

tfw Environmental Systems Research Institute 

(ESRI) world files

TIFF Tagged Image Format File

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

UTM Universal Transverse Mercator

WGS84 World Geodetic System 1984

WHOI Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

WHSC Woods Hole Science Center

XTF eXtended Triton Format

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Abstract

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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's 

Vineyard, Massachusetts

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and 

Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and 

Processing Overview

Geographic 

Information System 

Data Catalog

Acknowledgments

References Cited

By J.F. Denny, W.W. Danforth, D.S. Foster, and C.R. 

Sherwood

Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Science Center 

conducted a nearshore geophysical survey offshore of the 

southern coast of Martha's Vineyard, in the vicinity of the 

Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory in 2007. This 

mapping program was part of a larger research effort 

supporting the Office of Naval Research Ripples DirectedResearch Initiative studies at Martha's Vineyard Coastal 

Observatory designed to improve our understanding of 

coastal sediment-transport processes. The survey was 

conducted aboard the Megan T. Miller August 9-13, 2007. 

The study area covers 35 square kilometers from about 0.2 

kilometers to 5 kilometers offshore of the south shore of 

Martha's Vineyard, and ranges in depth from ~6 to 24 

meters. The geophysical mapping utilized the following 

suite of high-resolution instrumentation to map the surficial 

sediment distribution, bathymetry, and sub-surface 

geology: a dual-frequency 100/500 kilohertz sidescansonar system, 234 kilohertz interferometric sonar, and 500 

hertz -12 kilohertz chirp subbottom profiler. These 

geophysical data will be used to provide initial conditions 

for wave and circulation modeling within the study area. 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Abstract

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Introduction

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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Introduction

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and 

Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and 

Processing Overview

Geographic 

Information System 

Data Catalog

Acknowledgments

References Cited

Figure 1. Location map showing the 

USGS Cruise 07011 survey bounds and 

the Woods Hole Oceanographic 

Institute (WHOI) Martha's Vineyard 

Coastal Observatory (MVCO) locations. 

Environmental Systems Research 

Institute (ESRI) USA Prime Imagery is 

used as background image (I-cubed, 

2009) Click on figure for larger image.

Martha's Vineyard is 

located off the 

southeastern coast of 

Massachusetts, 

approximately 6 kilometers 

(km) southeast of Cape 

Cod and the Elizabeth 

Islands (fig. 1). The 

present coastal landscape 

of Martha's Vineyard and 

the surrounding seafloor 

environment are products 

of glacial and modern 

oceanographic processes 

acting to form and reshape 

the region over the past 

20,000 years. 

The most recent ice sheet, 

the Laurentide ice sheet of 

the Wisconsinan glaciation, 

advanced across southern 

New England and reached 

its maximum extent 

around 21,000 years 

before present (B.P.) 

(Oldale, 1992). As the ice 

sheet extended to the 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Introduction

Figure 2.Geologic map of Cape Cod 

and the Islands, superimposed with 

maximum extent of ice lobes (after 

Oldale, 1992) Click on figure for larger 

image.

Figure 3. Illustration of the 

geophysical systems used to 

characterize the seafloor during USGS 

Cruise 07011. Sidescan sonar, swath 

bathymetric, and seismic-reflection 

systems were used to define the 

surficial sediment distribution, depth, 

and underlying geology. Sampling 

systems were used to collect direct 

samples of the seafloor sediment. A 

Differential Global Positioning System 

(DGPS) was used to navigate the 

sidescan-sonar and swath bathymetric 

systems, while a Global Positioning 

System (GPS) was used to navigate 

the seismic-reflection system. Click on 

figure for larger image.

south, glaciers filled 

depressions in the 

underlying bedrock, 

forming Buzzards Bay, 

Cape Cod Bay, and South 

Channel lobes (fig. 2). 

Complex end moraines 

that formed at the junction 

of the Buzzards Bay and 

Cape Cod lobes mark the 

southern extent of the 

Laurentide Ice Sheet and 

lie along the northern 

coast of Martha's Vineyard 

(fig. 2). Seaward of the 

end moraines, extensive 

glacial outwash plains were 

deposited that now form 

the interior and southern 

shore of Martha's Vineyard 

(fig. 2). Subsequent to 

glacier retreat around 

18,000 years B.P., large 

glacial deposits on the 

continental shelf became 

susceptible to erosion and reworking as sea level rose 

nearly 120 meters (m) to present-day levels (Oldale, 1992; 

Uchupi and Oldale, 1994). The action of waves, currents, 

and tides continues to shape the coast and adjacent 

seafloor deposits, providing an ideal setting for studying the 

dynamics of the coastal ocean and the processes 

influencing sediment transport. 

Today, the inner continental shelf off the southern shore of 

Martha's Vineyard is the focus of collaborative research 

efforts investigating the oceanographic and physical 

processes influencing sediment transport in the coastal 

ocean (Goff and others, 2005; Sherwood and others, 2009; 

Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory, 2009). Research 

efforts have utilized the Woods Hole Oceanographic 

Institution's (WHOI) Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory 

(MVCO), an integrated system providing continuous 

sampling of atmospheric and oceanographic processes at 

stable platforms positioned on the beach to several 

kilometers offshore (MVCO, 2009). 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Introduction

In August 2007, the USGS conducted a high-resolution 

geophysical study in support of the Office of Naval Research 

(ONR) Ripples Directed-Research Initiative (DRI) studies at 

MVCO. The objectives of the survey were to define the 

bathymetry, sediment distribution, and underlying geology 

of the inner continental shelf offshore of Martha's Vineyard. 

These data will provide high-resolution datasets that will be 

used as initial conditions for oceanographic modeling 

(Sherwood and others, 2009) and as comparison to 

previously collected data (Goff and others, 2005). 

This report presents the geophysical data collected by the 

USGS (fig. 3). Data were acquired with the following 

geophysical systems: a Systems Engineering and 

Assessment, Ltd., SWATHplus interferometric sonar; a Klein 

Associates 3000 dual-frequency sidescan sonar; and an 

EdgeTech 512i chirp sub-bottom profiling system. This 

report details the data processing procedures employed, 

and presents the processed datasets within a Geographic 

Information System (GIS). 

This report also contains beach and seafloor sediment 

samples collected in 2005 and 2007. These sample data 

were collected to support the ONR Optics Acoustics and 

Stress In Situ (OASIS) and Ripples DRI instrumentation and 

modeling efforts rather than to ground-truth the 

geophysical data. Specifically, sample data were collected 

to locate the boundary between coarse and fine sediment 

prior to deployment and retrieval of instrumented tripods, 

and to document physical characteristics of the beach and 

seafloor sediment (Sherwood and others, 2009). 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Data-Acquisition and -Processing Overview

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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Data Acquisition and Processing Overview

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and 

Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and 

Processing Overview

Geographic 

Information System 

Data Catalog

Acknowledgments

References Cited

Figure 1. Location map showing the 

USGS Cruise 07011 survey bounds and 

the Woods Hole Oceanographic 

Institute (WHOI) Martha's Vineyard 

Coastal Observatory (MVCO) locations. 

Environmental Systems Research 

Institute (ESRI) USA Prime Imagery is 

used as background image (I-cubed, 

2009). Click on figure for larger image.

The following sections 

provide basic descriptions 

of shipboard acquisition 

and post-cruise processing 

of the geophysical and 

geospatial data contained 

in this report. Detailed 

descriptions of acquisition 

parameters, postprocessing steps, and 

accuracy assessments for 

each data type are 

provided within the 

metadata files for 

geospatial data layers in 

the GIS Data Catalog.

Field Program

In August 2007, the USGS 

WHSC conducted a 

nearshore geophysical 

mapping effort off the 

south coast of Martha's 

Vineyard in the vicinity of 

the WHOI MVCO aboard 

the Megan T. Miller (fig. 1). 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1288/html/methods.html (1 of 8)09/22/10 01:52:17 PM
USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Data-Acquisition and -Processing Overview

Figure 3. Illustration of the 

geophysical systems used to 

characterize the seafloor during USGS 

Cruise 07011. Sidescan-sonar, swath 

bathymetric, and seismic-reflection 

systems were used to define the 

surficial sediment distribution, depth, 

and underlying geology. Sampling 

systems were used to collect direct 

samples of the seafloor sediment. A 

Differential Global Positioning System 

(DGPS) was used to navigate the 

sidescan-sonar and swath bathymetric 

systems, while a Global Positioning 

System (GPS) was used to navigate 

the seismic-reflection system. Click on 

figure for larger image.

Figure 4. Color shaded-relief image of 

bathymetric data collected by the 

USGS during Cruise 07011. Depth is in 

meters and ranges from approximately 

6 to 24 meters water depth. No data 

were collected in the gray regions, 

where moored instruments and 

structures were located. The locations 

of Martha's Vineyard Coastal 

Observatory (MVCO) (yellow dots) and 

sound velocity profiles (red dots) 

collected during USGS Cruise 07011 

are also displayed. Environmental 

Systems Research Institute (ESRI) 

USA Prime Imagery is used as 

background image. Click on figure for 

larger image. 

The study area covers 35 

square kilometers (km2) 

from ~0.2 km to ~5 km 

offshore and ranges in 

depth from ~6 to 23 m. 

The following highresolution systems were 

used to map bathymetry 

(depth), the surficial 

sediment distribution, and 

the sub-surface geology: a 

Systems Engineering and 

Assessment, Ltd., 

SWATHplus interferometric 

(swath) sonar (234 

kilohertz (kHz)), a Klein 

Associates 3000 dualfrequency (100/500 kHz) 

sidescan sonar, and an 

EdgeTech 512i chirp 

subbottom profiler (500 Hz 

-12 kHz) (fig. 3). 

All geophysical systems 

were run concurrently at 

shore-parallel line spacing 

ranging from 40-m 

spacings in water depths 

less than 15 m and 70-m 

line spacing in water 

depths greater than 15 m. 

Swath bathymetric and 

seismic data were also 

collected along shoreperpendicular lines with a 

500-m to 1-km line 

spacing.

Swath Bathymetry

During USGS Cruise 

07011, approximately 660 

km of swath bathymetric 

data were acquired with a 

SEA Ltd. SWATHplus 234-

kHz interferometric 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Data-Acquisition and -Processing Overview

Figure 5. Representative sound 

velocity profile (SVP) displaying the 

speed of sound in the water column, in 

meters per second, versus water 

depth, in meters. These data were 

collected at SVP location 14 during 

USGS Cruise 07011. The data reveal 

the characteristic negative gradient, 

with presumably warmer surface 

waters overlying relatively cooler subsurface waters. Click on figure for 

larger image. 

Figure 6. Sidescan-sonar mosaic 

collected by the USGS during Cruise 

07011. Sidescan-sonar backscatter 

values (relative strength of return) are 

displayed as digital numbers (DN), on 

a relative scale, high-backscatter is 

represented by light tones within the 

image and low backscatter is 

represented by dark tones. The 

locations of Martha's Vineyard Coastal 

Observatory (MVCO) (yellow dots) and 

5-meter bathymetric contours are also 

displayed. Environmental Systems 

Research Institute (ESRI) USA Prime 

Imagery is used as background image. 

Click on figure for larger image. 

bathymetric sonar 

(Systems Engineering and 

Assessment, Ltd., 2009) 

(fig. 4). The SWATHplus 

transducers and a 

CodaOctopus F180R Motion 

Reference Unit (MRU) 

(CodaOctopus Group, Inc., 

2009) were mounted on a 

rigid vertical pole and 

positioned on the 

starboard side of the 

Megan T. Miller about 2.5 

m below the water line. 

Two Differential Global 

Positioning System (DGPS) 

navigation antennas and 

one Real-Time Kinematic 

(RTK) navigation antenna 

were mounted directly 

above (6.76 m) the 

transducers and MRU on a 

rigid horizontal pole as part 

of the sidemount 

configuration. 

SWATHplus acquisition 

software was used to 

acquire the swath 

bathymetry at a 0.125 

second (s) ping rate and 

digitally log the data at a 2 

kilobyte (kB) sample rate. 

Ship motion (pitch, heave, 

roll, and heading) and 

position were acquired with 

the F180R series MRU and 

transmitted via network 

connections to the 

SWATHplus acquisition 

software. Fourteen sound 

velocity profiles (SVP) 

were collected at various 

locations throughout the 

survey area at time 

intervals ranging from 2 to 

12 hours using an Applied 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Data-Acquisition and -Processing Overview

Figure 7. TOP: Color-shaded image of 

swath bathymetric data collected 

during USGS Cruise 07011. Depth is 

displayed in meters and ranges from 

approximately 6 to 24 meters water 

depth. Vertical exaggeration is 50 

times. Sun illumination is from the 

northeast. Location of seismicreflection line is displayed. BOTTOM: 

seismic-reflection data collected during 

USGS Cruise 07011. See top image for 

location. Depth is displayed as twoway travel time. Approximate depth is 

displayed in meters and assumes a 

speed of sound of 1,500 meters per 

second. Seismic shot number is 

displayed across the top of the profile. 

Several features are visible within the 

seismic image. At shot 5000, a subsurface channel is visible within the 

seismic record, and reflections from 

shots 7000 to 9000 reveal an 

unconformity underlying low-relief 

bedforms. The bedforms are visible 

within the swath bathymetric image. 

Click on figure for larger image. 

Microsystems SV Plus v2 

sound velocimeter (Applied 

Microsystems, 2009). SVP 

data were incorporated 

into the SWATHplus 

acquisition software and 

used to minimize refraction 

artifacts due to changes in 

the sound velocity 

structure of the water 

column. SVPs were 

generally collected at the 

eastern and western ends 

of the survey area. This 

procedure was followed 

primarily to coordinate 

collection of SVPs with the 

beginning or end of 

tracklines, simplifying SVP 

data collection and 

minimizing the need to 

stop and restart 

geophysical data collection 

and maneuver the ship 

within the middle of the 

survey area. Ideally, SVPs 

would be collected 

continuously throughout 

the survey area in order to 

map fine-scale changes in 

the speed of sound 

structure of the water 

column. However, only 

small variations in the 

speed of sound and 

negligible refraction 

artifacts present in the 

swath bathymetric data 

allowed for broad-scale 

mapping of the speed of 

sound within the study 

area. Generally, the 

shallow-water SVPs 

displayed a negative 

gradient, with presumably 

warmer surface waters, 

ranging in depth from 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Data-Acquisition and -Processing Overview

Figure 8. Color shaded-relief image of 

bathymetric data collected by the 

USGS during Cruise 07011. Depth is in 

meters and ranges from approximately 

6 to 24 meters water depth. No data 

were collected in the gray regions, 

where moored instruments and 

structures were located. The locations 

of MVCO and beach and seafloor 

sediment samples collected in 2005 

(green dots) and 2007 (blue dots) are 

also displayed. Environmental Systems 

Research Institute (ESRI) USA Prime 

Imagery is used as background image. 

Click on figure for larger image. 

roughly 2 to 10 m, 

overlying relatively cooler, 

deeper waters ranging in 

depth from roughly 5 to 15 

m (fig. 5). 

Swath bathymetric data 

were referenced to a local 

vertical datum at the WHOI 

MVCO. MVCO maintains an 

instrumented node at a 

depth of 12 m that records 

a variety of oceanographic 

data including water level heights above the node (fig. 4). 

Recorded oscillation of the water level above the node was 

used to reference the bathymetric data. These data are not 

tied into any chart datum (that is, Mean Lower Low Water) 

but, rather, represent a long-term mean water depth 

directly above the MVCO node (11.68 m, August 2006 - 

present). This local vertical reference system was chosen as 

the vertical datum because several datasets, all relative to 

the MVCO node, will be utilized in oceanographic modeling. 

SWATHplus, Computer Aided Resource Information System 

(CARIS, 2009), and Interactive Visualization Systems (IVS, 

2009) processing software packages were used to postprocess the swath bathymetric data. Navigation data were 

edited to remove outliers (that is, poor-quality navigation 

positions), and raw bathymetric soundings were filtered to 

remove spurious soundings, rectified for ship motion and 

changes in the speed of sound within the water column, 

and referenced to the local vertical datum (MVCO) within 

SWATHplus. CARIS software was used to grid the 

processed data at a 2-m cell size by averaging the highdensity data and to apply a 5x5 grid cell median filter to the 

composite grid. The tight line spacing during data 

acquisition provided complete seafloor coverage, thus 

limiting the need for interpolation within the gridded data to 

infill data gaps between survey tracklines. Data gaps exist 

where the ship had to steer around obstacles, such as the 

components of the MVCO. IVS software (IVS, 2009) was 

used to generate Digital Terrain Models (DTM) and export 

Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) format 

ASCII raster grids for inclusion in a GIS. All gridded data 

are projected in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), Zone 

19 N, meters, referenced to WGS84 horizontal datum. 

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Sidescan Sonar

Approximately 620 km of shore-parallel sidescan-sonar 

data were acquired with a Klein System 3000 digital 

sidescan-sonar (Klein Associates, Inc., 2009) (fig. 6). This 

dual-frequency sonar acquires data at nominal frequencies 

of 100 and 500 kHz (actually 132 and 445 kHz). The 100-

kHz data were used to generate the composite sidescansonar mosaic (fig. 6). 

The sidescan sonar was towed from the starboard side of 

the Megan T. Miller. A DGPS antenna positioned on the 

starboard aft roof of the USGS mobile acquisition lab was 

used to acquire positions. A digital cable-out display was 

used to measure towfish layback. Layback and DGPS input, 

and their relative offsets, were used by the Klein SonarPro 

acquisition software to calculate position of the sonar 

towfish. SonarPro acquired raw data files in eXtended Triton 

Format (XTF) format at a 0.03-s ping rate yielding a 50-m 

range (100-m swath). 

XSonar/Showimage sonar processing software packages 

were used to correct for geometric and radiometric 

distortions inherent in the sonar data (Danforth, 1991; 

1997). PCI Geomatica software (Geomatica, 2009) was 

used to generate georeferenced sidescan-sonar mosaics for 

the 100-kHz sidescan-sonar data (Paskevich, 1996). Grayscale TIFF images were produced at a 0.5-m resolution and 

referenced to the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS84), 

Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM-Zone 19) Coordinate 

System. A linear stretch was applied to the TIFF image to 

increase the dynamic range of the data. TIFF images were 

incorporated into a GIS. Environmental Systems Research 

Institute (ESRI) world files (*tfw) are associated with each 

TIFF image and define the upper left coordinates and image 

resolution. 

Chirp Seismic Reflection

Approximately 680 km of seismic-reflection data were 

collected using an EdgeTech Geo-Star full spectrum subbottom (FSSB) system and a SB-0512i towfish with a swept 

frequency range of 0.5 – 12 kHz (EdgeTech, 2009) (fig. 7). 

The 512i towfish was mounted on a catamaran and towed 

approximately 5 m off the stern of the Megan T. Miller and 

1.5 m below the sea surface. A GPS navigation receiver was 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Data-Acquisition and -Processing Overview

mounted on the seismic catamaran to provide towfish 

navigation. GPS positions were transmitted to a receiver 

positioned on the center, aft of the USGS mobile acquisition 

van and input to the seismic acquisition software. EdgeTech 

J-Star seismic acquisition software was used to control the 

Geo-Star topside unit and digitally log trace data in 

EdgeTech native format (JSF) (Edgetech, 2009). Data were 

acquired using a 0.25-s shot rate, 5 millisecond (ms) pulse 

length, and a 0.5-to 8.0-kHz swept frequency. Recorded 

trace lengths were approximately 250-ms. 

The JSF format trace data were converted to SEG-Y format 

using an in-house C program, jsf2segy. SIOSEIS (SIOSEIS, 

2007) and Seismic Unix (Stockwell and Cohen, 2007) were 

used to post-process the raw chirp seismic-reflection data. 

Navigation data were inspected and edited to remove 

outliers, static corrections were applied to correct for 

towfish depth beneath the sea surface, seafloor reflections 

were identified by peak amplitude, and sea-surface heave 

was removed. Final trace data, plotted as JPEG images, and 

geo-located shot-point trackline files are presented in this 

report. JPEG images and seismic navigation are also 

incorporated within a GIS. 

Supplemental Data: Sediment Samples

Included within this data release are onshore beach and 

seafloor sediment samples collected near the MVCO by 

investigators participating in the ONR-funded OASIS and 

Ripples (DRI) projects(fig. 8). Beach and seafloor samples 

were generally collected to locate the boundary between 

coarse and fine sediment along low-amplitude rippled 

bedforms prior to deployment and retrieval of instrumented 

tripods and to document the physical characteristics of the 

beach (Sherwood and others, 2009). Samples were not 

collected to ground-truth the geophysical data acquired 

during USGS Cruise 07011. 

The sample data are contained within the GIS catalog and 

in a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file. All samples were 

processed for grain-size analyses in the Woods Hole 

Science Center's sediment lab using sieve and coulter 

counter techniques (Poppe and others, 2005). Beach 

samples (top 2 centimeters (cm)) were hand sampled with 

a Teflon-coated scoop. The majority of seafloor samples 

were obtained by SCUBA divers with short (~15 to -30-cm 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Data-Acquisition and -Processing Overview

long x -4.5-cm diameter) push cores, but a few samples 

were collected with a modified Van Veen grab sampler and 

subsampled to obtain representative material from the top 

2 cm. Samples were collected in September 2005 and 

August and October 2007. 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, GIS Data Catalog

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Contact USGS

Search USGS

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Geographic Information System Data Catalog

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and 

Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and 

Processing Overview

Geographic 

Information System 

Data Catalog

Acknowledgments

References Cited

1. Data Access

2. Raster and Vector Data Description

3. Data Preview

1. Data Access

The spatial data in this report are delivered in two different formats:

● raster data

● vector data

Selected raster and vector data can be viewed within an ArcMapTM 9.2 

map document (2008-1288.mxd). Refer to the “Raster and Vector 

Data Description” section below for details on file descriptions and 

locations.

Projection: 

Raster data: Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) M, Zone 19N, 

WGS84 Datum. 

Vector data: Geographic Coordinate System, WGS84 Datum. 

Viewing the data:

The data can be accessed in several ways depending on software 

availability:

● ArcGIS® 9.2 or higher 

● ArcGIS Explorer (available at no cost: http://www.esri.com/

software/arcgis/explorer/index.htm)

Viewing the map documents: 

ArcGIS® 9.2 or higher: 

To download the data from the Web, copy the GIS_Catalog folder or 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, GIS Data Catalog

the GIS_Catalog zip file (approximately 790 megabytes (MB)) to a 

local computer and open the ArcMapTM 9.2 map document 2008-1288.

mxd. This map document is saved with relative paths to the data 

files. As long as the file structure remains the same under the parent 

directory (GIS_Catalog) there is no need to change drive letters or 

pathways. Approximately 2 gigabytes (GB) of free space is needed in 

order to save and extract the data to a local drive. 

Data download:

Raster and vector data are stored and compressed within zip files in 

order to facilitate Web downloads. WinZip® files of the individual data 

layers are linked within the Data Preview section. Data Preview also 

lists specific download instructions.

Raster grids are stored as ESRI® binary grid format in the 

GIS_Catalog (included in the GIS_Catalog.zip file) and as ASCII 

raster files within individual data-set zip files. The ASCII raster files 

can be converted easily to ESRI® grid format in ArcGIS® with Spatial 

Analyst extension (ASCII to Raster). Vector data are stored as 

shapefiles within the zip file. 

If WinZip® is not currently installed on the local system, go to 

WinZip® http://www.winzip.com to download the latest version of 

the WinZip® utility. 

2. Data Description

This section describes the location of the raster and vector data within the directory structure of 

the Web page. Raster data are delivered as ESRI® Binary Grids, ASCII Raster Grids, or TIFF 

images. Vector data are delivered as ESRI® Shapefiles. Text files are delivered as CSV files.

Grid: floating point ASCII with ESRI® header (included within individual dataset zip files) and 

ESRI® binary grid format within the GIS_Catalog.zip file. 

Image: binary image (TIFF, GeoTIFF, and JPEG formats).

Shapefile: ESRI® file format for point, polyline, or polygon vector data.

Text Files: CSV files and raw data files. 

GIS_Catalog

This folder contains:

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, GIS Data Catalog

Basemaps

1. mv_topobath.tif – Image: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) Coastal Relief Model of southeastern coast of 

Massachusetts. 

2. MVCO.shp– Point Shapefile: Locations of the WHOI MVCO components

Bathy

1. bathy_2m – Grid: Bathymetry at 2-m resolution 

2. bathy_2mh – Grid: Bathymetric hillshade at 2-m resolution 

3. bathy_2m_csh – GeoTIFF: Color shaded-relief bathymetry at 2-m resolution 

4. con_5m – Polyline Shapefile: 5-m bathymetric contours 

5. svp.shp – Point Shapefile: Location of sound velocity profiles (SVP)

svp

This folder contains JPEG images of charts displaying the sound velocity profiles collected during 

USGS Cruise 07011 and CSV files containing the sound velocity profile data. 

The JPG images are hotlinked to the svp locations shapefile (svp.shp) within the ArcMapTM 9.2 

map document 2008-1288.mxd.

Using hotlink within ArcGIS 9.2 or higher:

In order to hotlink to these data, the shapefile must be selected within the Table of Contents. 

The hotlink feature (lightning bolt ) within the tools menu can then be used to display the 

SVP chart associated with an individual map object. 

● Open 2008-1288.mxd 

● Select shapefile of interest (that is, svp.shp) in the Table of Contents 

● Select the lightning bolt tool ( ) and click on a map object to view an image of the data. 

Nav

This folder contains the raw HYPACK®, Inc., navigation stored in individual Julian Day 

directories (Julian Days 221 through 225). These data are not incorporated in the ArcMapTM 9.2 

map document 2008-1288.mxd. They are included in this report in order to provide the raw 

Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) navigation associated with the USGS Cruise 07011. Individual 

navigation files stored within each Julian Day directory were saved in HYPACK® format. File 

name convention is LLL_TTTT.DDD, where LLL is the HYPACK® line number, TTTT is the 24 hour 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, GIS Data Catalog

time for the beginning of the file, and DDD is the Julian Day. A full description of these data is 

included in the metadata linked within the table below, Data Preview.

Samples

1. samples – Point Shapefile: Beach and seafloor samples collected in 2005 and 2007 

2. samples_csv.csv – CSV file: Beach and seafloor samples collected in 2005 and 2007. 

Contains the same data as the samples point shapefile. 

Seisimage

This folder contain JPEG images of seismic-reflection profiles. These images are hotlinked to the 

geophysical tracklines within the ArcMapTM 9.2 map document 2008-1288.mxd. See 

description under SVP for instructions on accessing hotlinks in map documents.

Sonar

1. sonar_05m.tif – GeoTIFF Image: Sidescan-sonar mosaic at 0.5-m resolution (TIFF)

2. sonar_05m_str.tif – GeoTIFF Image: Sidescan-sonar mosaic at 0.5-m resolution with a 

linear stretch applied (TIFF)

Tracklines

** Within 2008-1288.mxd: Seismic-reflection tracklines are hotlinked to JPEGs stored 

within the“Seisimage” directory. ** 

1. bathy_10sec.shp – Point Shapefile: 10-s navigation for swath bathymetric data

2. bathy_trknav.shp – Polyline Shapefile: Swath bathymetric tracklines 

3. seismic_100sht.shp – Point Shapefile: Shot points at 100-shot interval for seismic data 

4. seismic_500sht.shp – Point Shapefile: Shot points at 500-shot interval for seismic data 

5. seismic_trknav.shp – Polyline Shapefile: Seismic tracklines 

6. sonar_1min.shp – Point Shapefile: 1-minute navigation for sidescan-sonar data 

7. sonar_trknav.shp – Polyline Shapefile: Sidescan-sonar tracklines 

Map document:

2008-1288.mxd – ArcMapTM 9.2 map document containing selected data layers described 

above. 

3. Data Preview 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, GIS Data Catalog

Downloading data: 

To download raster and vector data, right click on the link within the 'Download zip file'

column in the table below. 'Save Target As...' to save a compressed WinZip® file to the local 

hard drive. If WinZip® is not currently installed on the local system, go to WinZip® to download 

the latest version of the WinZip® utility. 

File 

description 

File name 

(Metadata) View File 

format 

File 

location 

Download zip 

file

NOAA NGDC 

Coastal 

Relief Model

(UTM)

mv_topobathy GeoTIFF 

Image

GIS_catalog/

Basemaps

mv_topobathy.

zip (609 KB)

WHOI MVCO 

Locations

(Geographic 

Coordinate 

System)

MVCO ESRI 

Shapefile 

Points

GIS_catalog/

Basemaps

mvco.zip (35 

KB)

Bathymetry 

(2-m cell 

size)

(UTM)

bathy_2m

bathy_2m_asc.

asc

ESRI Grid 

32 bit 

floating 

point 

(ASCII 

raster in 

zip file) 

GIS_catalog/

Bathy

bathy_2m.zip

(8 MB)

Bathymetric 

Hillshade (2-

m cell size)

(UTM)

bathy_2mh 

bathy_2mh_asc.

asc

ESRI Grid 

8 bit 

integer 

(ASCII 

raster in 

zip file)

GIS_catalog/

Bathy

bathy_2mh.zip

(5 MB)

Color 

ShadedRelief 

Bathymetric 

Image (2-m 

cell size)

(UTM)

bathy_2m_chs.

tif

GeoTIFF 

Image

GIS_catalog/

Bathy

bathy_2m_chs.

zip (24 MB)

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, GIS Data Catalog

5-meter 

Bathymetric 

Contours

(Geographic 

Coordinate 

System)

con_5m ESRI 

Shapefile 

Polylines

GIS_catalog/

Bathy

con_5m.zip

(100 KB)

Sound 

Velocity 

Profile 

Locations

(Geographic 

Coordinate 

System)

svp ESRI 

Shapefile 

Points

GIS_catalog/

Bathy

svp.zip (36 KB)

Charts of 

Sound 

Velocity 

Profiles 

svp_jpg JPEG 

Image

GIS_catalog/

Bathy/svp

svp_jpg.zip

(247 KB)

Sound 

Velocity 

Profiles 

svp_csv No Image Comma 

Separated 

Value 

Files (*.

csv)

GIS_catalog/

Bathy/svp

svp_csv.zip (40 

KB)

HYPACK 

Navigation 

hypack No Image HYPACK 

raw 

navigation 

files

GIS_catalog/

Nav

hypack.zip (27 

MB)

Sample 

Locations

(Geographic 

Coordinate 

System)

samples ESRI 

Shapefile 

Points

GIS_catalog/

Samples

samples.zip

(54 KB)

Sample 

Locations

samples No Image Comma 

Separated 

Value 

Files (*.

csv) 

GIS_catalog/

Samples

samples_csv.

zip (44 KB)

SeismicReflection 

Profiles

seisimage JPEG GIS_catalog/

Seisimage

seisimage.zip

(135 MB) 

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SidescanSonar 

Mosaic (0.5-

m cell size) 

(UTM)

sonar_05m.tif TIFF 8 bit 

integer 

GIS_catalog/

Sonar

sonar_05m.zip

(80 MB)

SidescanSonar 

Mosaic with 

linear 

stretch (0.5-

m cell size) 

(UTM)

sonar_05m_str.

tif

TIFF 8 bit 

integer 

GIS_catalog/

Sonar

sonar_05m_str.

zip (80 MB)

10-second 

Interval 

Trackline 

Navigation - 

Swath 

Bathymetry

(Geographic)

bathy_10sec.

shp

ESRI 

Shapefile 

Points

GIS_catalog/

Tracklines

bathy_10sec.

zip (1.2 MB)

Swath 

Bathymetric 

Tracklines 

(Geographic)

bathy_trknav.

shp

ESRI 

Shapefile 

Polylines

GIS_catalog/

Tracklines

bathy_trknav.

zip (366 KB)

100-interval 

Seismic 

Shots

(Geographic)

seismic_100sht.

shp

ESRI 

Shapefile 

Points

GIS_catalog/

Tracklines

seismic_100sht.

zip (550 KB) 

500-interval 

Seismic 

Shots

(Geographic)

seismic_500sht.

shp

ESRI 

Shapefile 

Points

GIS_catalog/

Tracklines

seismic_500sht.

zip (184 KB) 

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Seismic 

Shots

(Geographic)

seismic_sht.shp ESRI 

Shapefile 

Points

GIS_catalog/

Tracklines

seismic_sht.zip

(9 MB) 

Seismic 

Tracklines

(Geographic)

seismic_trknav.

shp

ESRI 

Shapefile 

Polylines

GIS_catalog/

Tracklines

seismic_trknav.

zip (2 MB) 

1-minute 

Interval 

SidescanSonar 

Navigation

(Geographic)

sonar_1min.shp ESRI 

Shapefile 

Points

GIS_catalog/

Tracklines

sonar_1min.zip

(266 KB) 

SidescanSonar 

Tracklines

(Geographic) 

sonar_trknav.

shp

ESRI 

Shapefile 

Polylines

GIS_catalog/

Tracklines

sonar_trknav.

zip (84 KB) 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Acknowledgments

USGS Home

Contact USGS

Search USGS

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Acknowledgments

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and 

Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and 

Processing Overview

Geographic 

Information System 

Data Catalog

Acknowledgments

References Cited

Funding for this research was provided by the U.S. 

Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Program, 

the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and the Optics 

Acoustics and Stress In Situ (OASIS) project. Assistance in 

the field was provided by Charles Worley, Emile Bergeron, 

Brian Buczkowski, Elizabeth Pendleton, and Bené Ferré of 

the USGS and the captain and crew of the Megan T. Miller. 

This report benefited from reviews by Elizabeth Pendleton, 

Seth Ackerman, and VeeAnn Cross. 

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Acknowledgments

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USGS OFR 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, References

USGS Home

Contact USGS

Search USGS

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

References Cited

Title Page

Contents

List of Figures

Conversion Factors

Acronyms and 

Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and 

Processing Overview

Geographic 

Information System 

Data Catalog

Acknowledgments

References Cited

Applied Microsystems, 2009, Sound velocity: SV Plus v2., 

accessed July 1, 2009, at http:www.appliedmicrosysstems.

com/products/productDetails.aspx?id=1.

Computer Aided Resource Information System (CARIS), 

2009, Geomatics Software Solutions, CARIS: HIPS and 

SIPS, accessed July 1, 2009, at http://www.caris.com/

products/hips-sips.

CodaOctopus Group, Inc., 2009, Octopus F180 Attitude and 

Positioning System, accessed July 1, 2008, http://www.

codaoctopus.com/motion/f180/index.asp.

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Prepared in cooperation with the Office of Naval Research (ONR)

Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's 

Vineyard, Massachusetts

By J.F. Denny, W.W. Danforth, D.S. Foster, and C.R. Sherwood

Abstract

The U.

S. 

Geological 

Survey 

Woods 

Hole 

Science 

Center 

conducted 

a 

nearshore 

geophysical 

survey 

offshore 

of the 

southern 

coast of 

Martha's 

Vineyard, 

in the vicinity of the Martha's Vineyard Coastal 

Observatory in 2007. This mapping program was part of a 

larger research effort supporting the Office of Naval 

First posted 

January 2010

● OFR 2008-

1288

For additional 

information 

contact:

Jane Denny

U.S. Geological 

Survey 

Coastal and 

Marine Geology 

Program 

Woods Hole 

Science Center 

384 Woods Hole 

Road 

Woods Hole, MA 

02543 

(508)457-2311

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1288/ (1 of 3)09/22/10 01:52:24 PM
USGS Open-File Report 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Research Ripples Directed-Research Initiative studies at 

Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory designed to 

improve our understanding of coastal sediment-transport 

processes. The survey was conducted aboard the Megan T. 

Miller August 9-13, 2007. The study area covers 35 square 

kilometers from about 0.2 kilometers to 5 kilometers 

offshore of the south shore of Martha's Vineyard, and 

ranges in depth from ~6 to 24 meters. The geophysical 

mapping utilized the following suite of high-resolution 

instrumentation to map the surficial sediment distribution, 

bathymetry, and sub-surface geology: a dual-frequency 

100/500 kilohertz sidescan-sonar system, 234 kilohertz 

interferometric sonar, and 500 hertz -12 kilohertz chirp 

subbottom profiler. These geophysical data will be used to 

provide initial conditions for wave and circulation modeling 

within the study area.

http://woodshole.

er.usgs.gov/

Part or all of this 

report is presented 

in Portable 

Document Format 

(PDF); the latest 

version of Adobe 

Reader or similar 

software is required 

to view it. Download 

the latest version of 

Adobe Reader, free 

of charge.

Suggested citation:

Denny, J.F., Danforth, W.W., Foster, D.S., and Sherwood, C.R., 2009, 

Geophysical data collected off the south shore of Martha's Vineyard, 

Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1288, (Also 

available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1288/.)

Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Data Acquisition and Processing Overview

Field Program 

Swath Bathymetry 

Sidescan Sonar 

Chirp Seismic Reflection 

Supplemental Data: Sediment Samples 

Geographic Information System Data Catalog

Data Access 

Raster and Vector Data Description 

Data Preview 

Acknowledgments

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USGS Open-File Report 2008-1288: Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

References Cited

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Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 27-Jan-2010 13:30:52 EST 

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