NOS HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY DATA ON DVD
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 On-line Store: DVD Ver 5.0.10 |
 Free Data Download
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NGDC's National Ocean Service (NOS) Hydrographic Survey Digital Database can now be purchased on a single DVD disc. The DVD version contains an additional 4.1 million soundings from 706 surveys, added since Version 4.1.18. Total data available are 77 million soundings from 6,684 surveys.
Also provided on the DVD is GEODAS search and retrieval software which runs under MS Windows® , UNIX Xwindows, and Macintosh OS-X.
The database consists of depths and navigation features digitized from the plots of hydrographic surveys completed between 1851 and 1965, and survey data acquired digitally in the field since 1965. These data were collected by the National Ocean Service, its predecessor the Coast and Geodetic Survey, and prior to 1976 in the Great Lakes by the Army Corps of Engineers. In addition, subsets of multibeam data were extracted from Seabeam surveys collected by NOS in the 1980's and early 1990's. Distribution of data points is variable, typically dense inshore and less dense offshore. Review and quality control is a continuous process and although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and completeness, the data are historical and are not to be used for navigation. The NOS nautical chart series (see RELATED MAPS AND CHARTS in this Data Announcement) should be used for all navigational purposes because the charts best represent current safe navigation conditions. Future updates to this DVD set will include additional data as they become available.
Total Coverage of NOS hydrographic Surveys Version 5.0.10 DVD
Over 75 million soundings and 376 thousand features from 6,476 surveys are contained in the database.
Hydrographic Survey Data DVD Set
The National Ocean Service (NOS) Survey Data provides the most extensive digital bathymetric data available for the coastal waters of the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands. Because the database contains depth values obtained during surveys, more detailed bathymetric information is available than can normally be found on published nautical charts. The dense inshore and shallow-water data are well suited for computer generation of grids to be used in hydrodynamic models of estuaries and other coastal systems. Both inshore data and the less dense offshore and deep-water data are valuable input to: bathymetric basemaps, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), geophysical exploration, coastal engineering studies, and other research purposes. This DVD-ROM set includes Header- and Data- Records (see below) stored in a compacted binary format. Also included on the DVD-ROM is custom menu-driven, GEODAS (GEOphysical DAta System) software developed by NGDC specifically for managing geophysical and hydrographic data.
"HYD93" Hydrographic Survey Format
For each survey there is a header record (survey documentation) and data records (soundings and features).
The header record documents information concerning each survey and includes important details defining how the survey was compiled. Some significant fields in the header record are: survey id, platform name, type of survey, year of survey, survey scale, specific location of survey, position determination method, horizontal and vertical datum. The header record is readily accessible and easily viewed on the screen as shown below or saved to a text file.
HYD93 Header Record
Each data record contains the following: source survey number, position, depth, value type, and cartographic code. Positions are given in degrees (to six decimal places) of latitude and longitude relative to the North American Datum of 1927 or other datums as noted. All depths are given in meters and tenths. Depths are corrected for tides and are relative to the local water datum. In addition, a cartographic code defines the type of feature for each data record. The data are not edited to reflect current conditions and are not to be used for navigation.
Software - GEODAS for MS Windows®, UNIX Xwindows and Mac OS-X®
NGDC provides GEODAS software versions for use with Microsoft® Windows on PCs and X Windows on UNIX. The software includes color PostScript® plotting capabilities. Access programs allow you to SEARCH for data by a combination of the criteria: geographic area, platform, year of survey, survey identifier, or date the survey was added to the database. In addition, interactive search capabilities enable users to select an area of interest by dragging a mouse or defining an area with mouse clicks. "Zooming" capabilities are also supported, with each zoom defining a narrower search area. Once the user is satisfied with the search criteria, data can be downloaded from the DVD-ROM in several user selectable formats. All search routines are interactive and displayed as windows on a computer screen. This user interface has a high degree of flexibility which is paramount in satisfying a wide variety of user needs. These window driven interfaces simplify data searches and guide users with an on-line Windows-style help system.
GEODAS Hydro-Plot Application
FEATURES OF GEODAS Version 5.0.10 User Software
ENHANCED VISUALIZATION PACKAGE
Hydroplot, the visualizaton and interpretation tool for bathymetry, magnetics and
gravity data has been upgraded and refined to provide additional features for
MS Windows® and Linux-X86 users, providing data editing, profiling and
histogram capabilities.
MS Windows® users can create shape files from downloaded data, for importing
directly into many GIS packages, including ESRI ArcMap.
GEODAS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Windows PC System Requirements:
- An IBM® PC or compatible with Microsoft® Windows(tm) 95 or newer
- A DVD drive with full ISO 9660 compatibility
- A hard disk drive with 9.5 Megabytes available for the GEODAS software
- Additional disk space will be needed to download ASCII data files from the DVD
Macintosh System Requirements:
- A Macintosh® PC with OS-X® operating system or newer
- A DVD drive with full ISO 9660 compatibility
- A hard disk drive with 9.5 Megabytes available for the GEODAS software
- Additional disk space will be needed to download ASCII data files from the DVD
UNIX(tm) System Requirements:
- X Windows
- Tcl/Tk 8.0 freeware available on Internet
- A DVD drive with full ISO 9660 compatibility
- A hard disk drive with available space: 6 Megabytes required, 87 Megabytes recommended
- Additional disk space will be needed to download ASCII data files from the DVD
Easily installed GEODAS software binaries are supplied for Linux-x86 and (non-Intel) MAC OSX. Other UNIX users must build from supplied source code, and will need:
- Fortran compiler; C++ compiler
GEODAS Online (Network Access)
You can use the GEODAS On-line System to Search and Download data for free, create PostScript® and PDF plot files, view survey documentation information.
RELATED DATA
NGDC maintains a worldwide Marine Geophysical database that includes trackline bathymetry, magnetics and gravity. It also uses the same GEODAS search and retrieval software as the NOS Hydrographic Data DVD-ROM. In addition, gridded data sets are available on NGDC's GLOBAL RELIEF Data Set and more multibeam bathymetric data are available from NGDC, including US East Coast Multibeam Bathymetry on CD-ROM. Coastal Relief Models on CD-ROM including gridded bathymetric data are also available from NGDC.
For more information on NGDC's marine geological and geophysical data holdings see the following URL on the World Wide Web: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/mggd.html.
RELATED MAPS AND CHARTS
Published bathymetric maps, fishing maps and copies of preliminary bathymetric maps are available from NGDC in Boulder, Colorado (phone: 303-497-6338). The Bathymetric/Topographic map series are available only from the USGS Map Distribution Office in Denver, Colorado (phone: 303-202-4700). NOS will continue to distribute nautical charts (for navigation) through the NOS Distribution Office in Riverdale, Maryland (phone: 301-436-6990).