Woods Hole Science Center
Database of Grain size and Composition
of Marine Sediment Samples
This database contains data on collection, location, description, and texture of samples taken by the marine sampling programs of the Branch of Atlantic Marine Geology of the U.S. Geological Survey.
Map of sample locations
along eastern U.S. coast
Most of the samples are from the Atlantic Continental Margin of the United States, but some are from as diverse locations as Lake Baikal, Russia, the Hawaiian Islands region, Puerto Rico, the Gulf of Mexico, and Lake Michigan. The database contains data for about 12,000 samples and includes texture data for approximately 2300 samples taken or analyzed by the Atlantic Continental Margin Program, a joint U.S. Geological Survey/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution project conducted from 1962 to 1970. This program was under the direction of K.O. Emery from 1962 to 1968, and the data were originally reported by J.C. Hathaway (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Report 71-15, 1971).
Texture data for approximately 8000 samples analyzed by the Sediment Laboratory of the Branch of Atlantic Marine Geology of the U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole MA. after 1980 are included here. Considerable data from the period 1970 to 1980 are yet to be digitized and added.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This database is in "flat file" form, which means that it is not "normalized". While this is considered inefficient from the point of view of database management, it is the simplest way of presenting the basic data. Since I know neither the software capabilities of the user nor the probable uses that may be made of the data, I have made no attempt to split the files to reduce blank regions or remove redundancies. The same data may be presented in more than one form, e.g.: phi class frequencies and cumulative frequencies. Even though each form can be derived from the other, presenting both eliminates the need for the user to program formulas to calculate one from the other. Although this may violate the principal of having a single entry for any given data item, it greatly simplifies the use of the file. If the user wishes to make the data base more efficient through "normalization", I feel that it is better that this be done by the user to fit both the applications available to the user and the database structural logic that is familiar to the user. The price paid for the "flat file" approach is additional storage space, rather wide records, and the possibility that corrections made here at the source may fail to be carried through to all forms of the data affected. We will make every effort to see that this last possibility does not happen.
The files in this database are under three subdirectories:
- 1) ASCGROUP
- This directory contains the data and headings for the tables of data in uncompressed ASCII format. Use these files if you are not using a DOS or Windows compatible computer and wish to import the data into applications that can accept ASCII character information.
- 2) PCZGROUP
- This directory contains the same data files as in the directory above, but as self-extracting compressed files. These can be extracted using a DOS or Windows compatible computer by simply typing the file name (without the .exe extension) after you have copied the file to your computer. The full database is large; you will need as much as 26 mb available on your hard disk.
- 3) PDXGROUP
- This directory contains the same data as above in a self-extracting compressed group of files in .DB (Paradox)1/ format and accompanying family files used by Paradox. File SEDIMENT.DB, which is one of the compressed files, contains the database and is compatible with Paradox 3.5 and later versions. The other compressed files are used automatically by the appropriate versions of Paradox, including Paradox for Windows, for formatting and displaying the data. These contain no data usable directly by the user.
See the README.1ST and STRUCTUR.DOC files in each of these subdirectories for information specific to each of these groups
1/ The use of trade names in this document is for illustrative purpose only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.
USE OF THE FILES
1) IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A DOS/WINDOWS COMPATIBLE CUMPUTER,
e.g. UNIX OR MACINTOSH, USE DIRECTORY ASCGROUP
If no applications capable of using or importing .DB (Paradox) file
structure are available to the user, or if the self-extracting files
(usable with IBM PC-compatible computers under the DOS operating
system) in the PCZGROUP directory will not work, the user can download
the files from the ASCGROUP directory. These files are provided to
allow importation of the data into applications available in systems
other than IBM PC-compatible computers. Together they occupy about
13 megabytes of disk space.
See file STRUCTUR.DOC for description of the files and their
data.
2) IF YOU HAVE AN IBM-PC COMPATIBLE COMPUTER USE DIRECTORY PCZGROUP,
OR DIRECTORY PDXGROUP IF PARADOX IS AVAILABLE
A) If an IBM compatible computer using DOS/WINDOWS is available, the
user can download the compressed files in the PCZGROUP subdirectory.
1) If quotation mark delimited and comma separated data are
applicable to the software available to the user, download
the SEDATCSV.EXE (1.5Mb) file. The data and headings files can then
be obtained by typing the command SEDATCSV (without the .EXE
extension) This will cause two compressed file to self-extract.
Do not do this until you have downloaded the .EXE file to your
computer. Disk space required by the expanded files will be 6
to 7 megabytes.
2) If tab delimited data and headings are desired, download the
SEDATTSV.EXE (1.5Mb) file. The data and headings files in this format
can then be obtained by typing the command SEDATTSV. This will
cause two compressed file to self-extract. Do not do this until
you have downloaded the .EXE file to your computer. Disk space
required by the expanded files will be 6 to 7 megabytes.
B) If an application which can use .DB format database files is available,
download the file SEDPDOX.EXE (2.3 Mb) from the PDXGROUP subdirectory.
After the file is in your computer, type SEDPDOX as a command and a
group of .DB compatible files will self-extract. They will require
about 26 megabytes of hard disk space.
See file STRUCTUR.DOC for description of the files and their data.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
This database was assembled by John C. Hathaway, Geologist Emeritus, U.S. Geological Survey, and is now managed by Larry Poppe.
Version of March 7, 1994
DISCLAIMER
This database, identified as Branch of Atlantic Marine Geology Sediment
Database, has been approved for release and publication by the Director
of the USGS. Although this database has been subjected to rigorous review
and is substantially complete, the USGS reserves the right to revise the
data pursuant to further analysis and review. Furthermore, it is released
on condition that neither the USGS nor the United States Government may be
held liable for any damages resulting from its authorized or unauthorized
use.
USGS Privacy Statement and Disclaimer
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Modified Tuesday, 13-Jun-2000 18:42:22 EDT