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The National Assessment of Shoreline Change: A GIS Compilation of Vector Cliff Edges and Associated Cliff Erosion Data for the California Coast

Entry ID: USGS_OFR_2007_1112

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Summary

Abstract: Introduction:

The U.S. Geological Survey has generated a comprehensive data clearinghouse of digital vector cliff edges and associated rates of cliff retreat along the open-ocean California coast. These data, which are presented herein, were compiled as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project.

Cliff erosion is a chronic problem along many coastlines ... of the United States. As coastal populations continue to grow and community infrastructures are threatened by erosion, there is increased demand for accurate information including rates and trends of coastal cliff retreat. There is also a critical need for these data to be consistent from one region to another. One objective of this work is to a develop standard, repeatable methodology for mapping and analyzing cliff edge retreat so that periodic, systematic, and internally consistent updates of cliff edge position and associated rates of erosion can be made at a national scale.

This data compilation for open-ocean cliff edges for the California coast is a separate, yet related study to Hapke and others, 2006 documenting shoreline change along sandy shorelines of the California coast, which is itself one in a series that includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Southeast Atlantic coast (Morton and others, 2004; Morton and Miller, 2005). Future reports and data compilations will include coverage of the Northeast U.S., the Great Lakes, Hawaii and Alaska. Cliff edge change is determined by comparing the positions of one historical cliff edge digitized from maps with a modern cliff edge derived from topographic LIDAR (light detection and ranging) surveys. Historical cliff edges for the California coast represent the 1920s-1930s time-period; the most recent cliff edge was delineated using data collected between 1998 and 2002. End-point rate calculations were used to evaluate rates of erosion between the two cliff edges. Please refer to our full report on cliff edge erosion along the California coastline at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1133/ for additional information regarding methods and results (Hapke and others, 2007).

Data in this report are organized into downloadable layers by region (Northern, Central and Southern California) and are provided as vector datasets with accompanying metadata. Vector cliff edges may represent a compilation of data from one or more sources and the sources used are included in the dataset metadata. This project employs the Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) ArcGIS as it's Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping tool and contains several data layers (shapefiles) that are used to create a geographic view of the California coast. The vector data form a basemap comprising polygon and line themes that include a U.S. coastline (1:80,000), U.S. cities, and state boundaries.

GIS Data Layers:

Data in this publication are intended to be integrated into a Geographical Information System (GIS). A GIS is defined as a system of hardware and software used to support the display, manipulation, and analysis of spatial data for mapping and data analysis. This integrated system provides researchers the ability to analyze and map the various datasets to help with research, and economic and social policy-making decisions regarding the environment.

All of the files necessary to conduct coastal cliff retreat analyses are provided. These include five GIS data layers (shapefiles) for each section of the California coast: one historical and one modern vector cliff edge, an offshore baseline used for generating shore-normal transects, shore-normal transects for cliff edge erosion rates, and transect/cliff edge intersection positions for cliff edge erosion rates as a point shapefile. The GIS data layers from this publication are cataloged below by region for easy access. Please refer to http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/dsas/ for information about the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) used for the analysis of this data.

[Summary provided by the USGS.]

Related URL

Link: GET DATA

Description: Get GIS data files for the southern region of the California coast.

Link: GET DATA

Description: Get GIS data files for the central region of the California coast.

Link: GET DATA

Description: Get GIS data files for the northern region of the California coast.

Link: GET DATA

Description: Get GIS base layers for California.

Geographic Coverage

(Click for Interactive Map)

Spatial coordinates

N: 52.0

S: 32.0

E: -118.0

W: -130.0

Data Set Citation

Dataset Originator/Creator: Cheryl Hapke, Dave Reid, and Mark Borrelli

Dataset Title: The National Assessment of Shoreline Change: A GIS Compilation of Vector Cliff Edges and Associated Cliff Erosion Data for the California Coast

Dataset Series Name: USGS Open File Report

Dataset Release Date: 2007

Dataset Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Version: 1.0

Data Presentation Form: GIS layers

Online Resource: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1112/

Location Keywords

CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > CALIFORNIA

Science Keywords

LAND SURFACE > EROSION/SEDIMENTATION > EROSION > CLIFF EROSION

LAND SURFACE > EROSION/SEDIMENTATION > WEATHERING

ISO Topic Category

ENVIRONMENT

GEOSCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

INLAND WATERS

OCEANS

Ancillary Keywords

OFR

Open File Report

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Originating Center

USGS

Data Center

Publications-Western Region,Geological Division, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior

Data Center URL: http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/

Data Center Personnel
Name: MICHAEL F. DIGGLES Phone: (650) 329-5404 Email: mdiggles at usgs.gov Contact Address: U.S. Geological Survey 345 Middlefield Road Mail Stop 531 City: Menlo Park Province or State: CA Postal Code: 94025 Country: USA

Distribution

Distribution Media: Online

Distribution Format: Shapefiles

Fees: No fees

Personnel

CHERYL HAPKE

Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Phone: (401) 874-5532

Fax: (831) 427-4748

Email: chapke at usgs.gov

Contact Address:

USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

University of Rhode Island

317 Woodward Hall, Dept. of Geosciences

City: Kingston

Province or State: RI

Postal Code: 02881

Country: USA

DAVE REID

Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Phone: (831) 427-4759

Email: dreid at usgs.gov

Contact Address:

U.S. Geological Survey

Pacific Science Center

400 Natural Bridges Drive

City: Santa Cruz

Province or State: CA

Postal Code: 95060

Country: USA

MARK BORRELLI

Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Email: mborrelli at uri.edu

Contact Address:

Department of Geosciences

University of Rhode Island

City: Kingston

Province or State: RI

Postal Code: 02881

Country: USA

Publications/References

Hapke, C.J., and Reid, D., 2007, The National assessment of shoreline change: Part 4, Historical coastal cliff retreat along the California coast: U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report 2007-1133 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1133)

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2007-05-31

Last DIF Revision Date: 2008-05-27

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