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US Atlantic margin cold seeps database 2011-2016

Metadata Updated: May 1, 2024

U.S. Atlantic margin cold seeps database from multibeam water column imagery, 2011-2016: South Atlantic Bight to Georges Bank. This release includes three data sets that provide geographic positions and water depths for cold seeps identified on the U.S. Atlantic margin between ~50 and ~2650 m water depth from the Blake Ridge on the south to the most seaward part of the southern New England margin on the north. The data were collected on cruises completed by NOAA’s R/V Okeanos Explorer (operated by the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research) or academic research vessels (e.g., R/V Atlantis, R/V Armstrong, and R/V Sikuliaq) between 2011 and 2016. The raw data are available from NCEI’s water column sonar data portal (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/water-column-sonar-data). Details about locating seeps in the raw data are provided in Skarke et al. (2014) and Ruppel et al. (2024). The first data set in this release contains 2052 raw seep identifications, with many places sampled multiple times during subsequent passes on the same cruise or during subsequent cruises. This raw data set therefore includes duplicates, but does report the cruise, trackline, date, and time for the identified water column plume, along with a quality factor and other notes. The second data set, which is the one most useful for plotting unique seep locations, has 1139 seeps culled from the raw dataset by using the density-based clustering with noise algorithms within QGIS software to remove locations that were within 40 m of each other. The third data set applies the same QGIS cluster analysis to the second data set using a search radius of 400 m, yielding 47 seep clusters (5 to 138 seeps each) and 227 identifications outside of clusters. The resulting 274 locations represent the unique seep fields or seep sites along the margin. Details about the analyses are provided in Ruppel et al. (2024). The initial seep identifications used in the raw data set were made by analyzing water column data (WCD) collected by multibeam sonar systems, particularly 30 kHz systems like the EM302. A small amount of the analyzed multibeam data WCD came from EM70 systems.

Access & Use Information

License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

Downloads & Resources

Dates

Metadata Date April 29, 2024
Metadata Created Date May 1, 2024
Metadata Updated Date May 1, 2024
Reference Date(s) April 18, 2024 (publication)
Frequency Of Update notPlanned

Metadata Source

Harvested from NGDC MGG Sonar Water Column

Graphic Preview

Seep locations

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Series
Metadata Date April 29, 2024
Metadata Created Date May 1, 2024
Metadata Updated Date May 1, 2024
Reference Date(s) April 18, 2024 (publication)
Responsible Party NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Point of Contact)
Contact Email
Guid gov.noaa.ncei:US_Atlantic_margin_cold_seeps_database_2011-2016
Access Constraints Cite as: Skarke, A.S., Ruppel, C.D., Kidiwela, M., Kodis, M., Danforth, W., and Baldwin, W., 2024, U.S. Atlantic margin cold seeps database from multibeam water column imagery, 2011-2016: South Atlantic Bight to Georges Bank. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. https://doi.org/10.25921/xm5q-p940 [access date], Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives., Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Bbox East Long -67.3018989
Bbox North Lat 40.80935584
Bbox South Lat 32.36772424
Bbox West Long -76.4266709
Coupled Resource
Frequency Of Update notPlanned
Graphic Preview Description Seep locations
Graphic Preview File https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/wcd/browse/seepsdatabase.png
Graphic Preview Type png
Harvest Object Id da9f2c5d-5fc4-46c5-b24d-e61826b66b84
Harvest Source Id ab8b0290-e4db-4a00-89f2-4e427c2054b2
Harvest Source Title NGDC MGG Sonar Water Column
Licence Not subject to copyright protection within the United States.
Lineage
Metadata Language eng; USA
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-76.4266709, 32.36772424], [-67.3018989, 32.36772424], [-67.3018989, 40.80935584], [-76.4266709, 40.80935584], [-76.4266709, 32.36772424]]]}
Progress completed
Spatial Data Service Type
Spatial Reference System urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326
Spatial Harvester True
Temporal Extent Begin 2011-01-01T00:00:00
Temporal Extent End 2016-12-31T11:59:59

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