This data set contains the sea floor topographic contours, sun-illuminated topographic imagery, and backscatter intensity generated from a multibeam sonar survey of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts, an area of approximately 1100 square nautical miles. The Stellwagen Bank NMS Mapping Project is designed to provide detailed maps of the Stellwagen Bank region's environments and habitats and the first complete multibeam topographic and sea floor characterization maps of a significant region of the shallow EEZ. Data were collected on four cruises over a two year period from the fall of 1994 to the fall of 1996. The surveys were conducted aboard the Candian Hydrographic Service vessel Frederick G. Creed, a SWATH (Small Waterplane Twin Hull) ship that surveys at speeds of 16 knots. The multibeam data were collected utilizing a Simrad Subsea EM 1000 Multibeam Echo Sounder (95 kHz) that is permanently installed in the hull of the Creed.

Smoothed contours were produced at 2 foot intervals from topographic vector data (breaklines) collected by photogrammetrists. Breaklines denote the major terrain shifts as percieved by viewing the aerial photography stereoscopically. Major breaks, such as the top and bottom of hills were marked with the breaklines. Point data (DTM) was used to supplant the breakline data to provide enough information to model the terrain of the area. The data was collected at scale of 1"= 40'.

Survey field crews surveyed 14 photo identifiable points used for photo control. All the ground control points were used in the final analytical triangulation solution. The horizontal positions were reported in feet; NAD1983 (2011) Massachusetts State Plane Coordinate System, Mainland Zone, Epoch 2010.00. Elevations were based on the NorthAmerican Vertical Datum, 1988.

The aerial photographic mission was carried out on April 12, 2017. 459 exposures were taken in 16 flight lines at 3300' AMT resulting in a pixel resolution of 0.22' . The photography was collected with 60% overlap to ensure proper stereo viewing.

The digital photographs were triangulated using KLT software. The interior orientations of each photo were measured, the photos were tied togther within flight lines and lastly each flight line was tied, creating one single unified block. This block was then projected into Massachusetts State Plane NAD 83 coordinates using the14 aerial photo ground control points that were collected by traditional survey. RMS formulas were used to compute error propagation and reduce error.

The breakline and dtm data collected through the stereocompilation process was edited in KLT Atlas software to check for continuity. A TIN was generated from the edited topographic data which was then used to produce smoothed contours at 2' intervals. The contour information was then checked for errors and converted into AutoCAD .dxf format for GIS import.

Elevation maps (also known as Digital Elevation Models or DEMs) of Cape Cod National Seashore were produced from remotely-sensed, geographically-referenced elevation measurements in cooperation with NASA and NPS. Point data in ascii text files were interpolated in a GIS to create a grid or digital elevation model (DEM) of each beach surface. Elevation measurements were collected in Massachusetts, over Cape Cod National Seashore using the NASA Experimental Advanced Airborne Research LiDAR (EAARL), a pulsed laser ranging system mounted onboard an aircraft to measure ground elevation and coastal topography. The system uses high frequency laser beams directed at the earth's surface through an opening in the bottom of the aircraft's fuselage. The laser system records the time difference between emission of the laser beam and the reception of the reflected laser signal in the aircraft. The plane travels over the beach at approximately 60 meters per second while surveying from the low-water line to the landward base of the sand dunes. The EAARL, developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) located at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, measures ground elevation with a vertical resolution of 15 centimeters. A sampling rate of 3 kHz or higher results in an extremely dense spatial elevation data set. Over 100 kilometers of coastline can be easily surveyed within a 3- to 4-hour mission time period. The ability to sample large areas rapidly and accurately is especially useful in morphologically dynamic areas such as barrier beaches. Quick assessment of topographic change can be made following storms comparing measurements against baseline data. When subsequent elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to make management decisions regarding coastal development. For more information on Lidar science and the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) system and surveys, see http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/overview/index.php and http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/tech/eaarl/index.php .

Topographic map of Dedham, Massachusetts with contours and shaded relief. Shaded relief and contours were generated from LiDAR data collected on December 8th, 2013 and also April 7th, 2014.

Integrated terrain models covering 16,357 square kilometers of the Massachusetts coastal zone and offshore waters were built to provide a continuous elevation and bathymetry terrain model for ocean planning purposes. The area is divided into the following four geographical areas to reduce file size and facilitate publishing: Massachusetts Bay from the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border south to Provincetown and Scituate and east to Stellwagen Bank; Cape Cod Bay from Provincetown to Scituate and south to Hyannis; Buzzards Bay from the Cape Cod Canal southwest to the State border including the Elizabeth Islands and extending north to Fall River and Mount Hope Bay; and Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds, from Hyannis south to the border of the Massachusetts Coastal zone approximately 8 kilometers south of Nantucket. A Triangulated Irregular Network was created from public-domain bathymetric and LiDAR data using the ArcGIS terrain-model framework and then interpolated into a 32-bit GeoTiff of 10 meter resolution. The grids for each of the four geographical areas are referenced to the Universal Transverse Mercator, Zone 19, North American Datum of 1983 coordinate system, and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988. A polygon shapefile recording the source datasets accompanies each of the four grids.

These data were created as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management's efforts to create an online mapping viewer called the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer. It depicts potential sea level rise and its associated impacts on the nation's coastal areas. The purpose of the mapping viewer is to provide coastal managers and scientist...

With this mapping application, users can click anywhere within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to find the elevation at that location in both meters and feet. The elevation data digital elevation model (DEM), in integer units, are derived from statewide Lidar (2013-2021) Terrain Data. The Vertical Datum of the lidar data used to create the DEM is NAVD88 – Geoid18 (m).

The map displays a tile service that shows the DEM using a custom color ramp along with Lidar-derived shaded relief image. The symbology was created by MassGIS staff in ArcGIS Pro using the 'multiply' layer blending option. At medium and large scales the MassGIS Map Features for Imagery tile layer displays atop the imagery.Click the "i" button in the lower left to view a legend.This application is hosted by MassGIS at ArcGIS Online.

ASCII XYZ point cloud data were produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements acquired cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service (NPS). Elevation measurements were collected over Cape Cod National Seashore using the first-generation National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), a pulsed laser ranging system mounted onboard an aircraft to measure ground elevation, vegetation canopy, and coastal topography. The system uses high-frequency laser beams directed at the Earth's surface through an opening in the bottom of the aircraft's fuselage. The laser system records the time difference between emission of the laser beam and the reception of the reflected laser signal in the aircraft. The plane travels over the target area at approximately 60 meters per second at an elevation of approximately 300 meters, resulting in a laser swath of approximately 240 meters with an average point spacing of 2-3 meters. The EAARL, developed originally by NASA at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, measures ground elevation with a vertical resolution of 3 centimeters. A sampling rate of 3 kilohertz or higher results in an extremely dense spatial elevation dataset. Over 100 kilometers of coastline can be surveyed easily within a 3- to 4-hour mission. When resultant elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to make management decisions regarding land development.

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the Massachusetts coast. Seventy-six maps were produced in 1997 depicting a statistical analysis of shoreline change on ocean-facing shorelines from the mid-1800s to 1978 using multiple data sources. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added. More recently, in cooperation with CZM, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) delineated a new shoreline for Massachusetts using color aerial ortho-imagery from 2008 to 2009 and topographic lidar data collected in 2007. This update included a marsh shoreline, which was defined to be the tonal difference between low- and high-marsh seen in ortho-photos. Further cooperation between CZM and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has resulted in another update in 2018, which includes beach shorelines, marsh shorelines and dune parameters, all of which were calculated from 2013-14 topographic lidar data. This metadata file describes the marsh shoreline that is part of the 2018 update. The marsh shoreline was defined to be the steep slope found at the seaward edge of the marsh vegetation. This definition was used because the marsh edge is the preferred shoreline indicator for computing rates of change and making position forecasts.

The Massachusetts Statewide LiDAR from 2005 has been classified to show high elevations in Central and Western Massachusetts. The Digital Elevation Model has been classified as follows:Elevations below 1,700 feet are light blueElevations between 1,700 and 2,199 feet are light greenElevations between 2,200 and 3,000 feet are brownElevations greater than 3,000 feet are white. To view the full Massachusetts Forest Action Plan, click here. *For source data information, please see credits.

Integrated terrain models covering 16,357 square kilometers of the Massachusetts coastal zone and offshore waters were built to provide a continuous elevation and bathymetry terrain model for ocean planning purposes. The area is divided into the following four geographical areas to reduce file size and facilitate publishing: Massachusetts Bay from the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border south to Provincetown and Scituate and east to Stellwagen Bank; Cape Cod Bay from Provincetown to Scituate and south to Hyannis; Buzzards Bay from the Cape Cod Canal southwest to the State border including the Elizabeth Islands and extending north to Fall River and Mount Hope Bay; and Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds, from Hyannis south to the border of the Massachusetts Coastal zone approximately 8 kilometers south of Nantucket. A Triangulated Irregular Network was created from public-domain bathymetric and LiDAR data using the ArcGIS terrain-model framework and then interpolated into a 32-bit GeoTiff of 10 meter resolution. The grids for each of the four geographical areas are referenced to the Universal Transverse Mercator, Zone 19, North American Datum of 1983 coordinate system, and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988. A polygon shapefile recording the source datasets accompanies each of the four grids.

The National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards project derives beach morphology features from lidar elevation data for the purpose of understanding and predicting storm impacts to our nation's coastlines. This dataset defines beach slopes along the United States Northeast Atlantic Ocean for Massachusetts for data collected at various times between 2000 and 2013

These digital elevation model (DEM) data consist of ground surface elevations derived from source lidar measurements collected in April and August 2022 in the vicinity of Petersham, MA during the SMAPVEX19-22 campaign. This location was chosen due to its forested land cover, as SMAPVEX19-22 aims to validate satellite derived soil moisture estimates in forested areas. The two acquisition periods occurred to characterize differences during "leaf-off” and "leaf-on" conditions.

A bare-earth topography Digital Elevation Model (DEM) mosaic for the Cape Cod National Seashore was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements acquired cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service (NPS). Elevation measurements were collected over Cape Cod National Seashore using the first-generation National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), a pulsed laser ranging system mounted onboard an aircraft to measure ground elevation, vegetation canopy, and coastal topography. The system uses high-frequency laser beams directed at the Earth's surface through an opening in the bottom of the aircraft's fuselage. The laser system records the time difference between emission of the laser beam and the reception of the reflected laser signal in the aircraft. The plane travels over the target area at approximately 60 meters per second at an elevation of approx ...

When using apps or web maps from MassGIS in ArcGIS Online, this map may be added as a basemap from the Basemap Gallery (based on the MassGIS Basemap with Parcels tile service).This general-reference map for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts uses MassGIS data and includes a topographic base featuring water bodies, rivers and streams, open space areas and hillshade; many "detailed features" including roads, points of interest, place names, and more; and 2D building structure outlines. The three "layers" in this map are also cached separately and may be added to maps individually as needed:Building Structures (2D)Standardized Assessor ParcelsDetailed FeaturesTopographic Base>> See a map legend and read more about this map. Published on August 20, 2020.

Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create the elevation data representing the terrain environment of a watershed and/or floodplain. Terrain data requirements allow for flexibility in the types of information provided as sources used to produce final terrain deliverables. Once...

Link to the ScienceBase Item Summary page for the item described by this metadata record. Service Protocol: Link to the ScienceBase Item Summary page for the item described by this metadata record. Application Profile: Web Browser. Link Function: information

description: A first-surface topography Digital Elevation Model (DEM) mosaic for the Cape Cod National Seashore was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements acquired cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service (NPS). Elevation measurements were collected over Cape Cod National Seashore using the first-generation National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), a pulsed laser ranging system mounted onboard an aircraft to measure ground elevation, vegetation canopy, and coastal topography. The system uses high-frequency laser beams directed at the Earth's surface through an opening in the bottom of the aircraft's fuselage. The laser system records the time difference between emission of the laser beam and the reception of the reflected laser signal in the aircraft. The plane travels over the target area at approximately 60 meters per second at an elevation of approximately 300 meters, resulting in a laser swath of approximately 240 meters with an average point spacing of 2-3 meters. The EAARL, developed originally by NASA at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, measures ground elevation with a vertical resolution of 3 centimeters. A sampling rate of 3 kilohertz or higher results in an extremely dense spatial elevation dataset. Over 100 kilometers of coastline can be surveyed easily within a 3- to 4-hour mission. When resultant elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to make management decisions regarding land development.; abstract: A first-surface topography Digital Elevation Model (DEM) mosaic for the Cape Cod National Seashore was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements acquired cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service (NPS). Elevation measurements were collected over Cape Cod National Seashore using the first-generation National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), a pulsed laser ranging system mounted onboard an aircraft to measure ground elevation, vegetation canopy, and coastal topography. The system uses high-frequency laser beams directed at the Earth's surface through an opening in the bottom of the aircraft's fuselage. The laser system records the time difference between emission of the laser beam and the reception of the reflected laser signal in the aircraft. The plane travels over the target area at approximately 60 meters per second at an elevation of approximately 300 meters, resulting in a laser swath of approximately 240 meters with an average point spacing of 2-3 meters. The EAARL, developed originally by NASA at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, measures ground elevation with a vertical resolution of 3 centimeters. A sampling rate of 3 kilohertz or higher results in an extremely dense spatial elevation dataset. Over 100 kilometers of coastline can be surveyed easily within a 3- to 4-hour mission. When resultant elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to make management decisions regarding land development.

The quadrangle template datalayer contains the boundaries of the 189 1:25,000 USGS 7.5-minute topographic map sheets that cover Massachusetts.See full metadata.Feature service also available.

The Stratified Deposits data layer is part of a comprehensive study to produce a statewide digital map of the surficial geology at a 1:24,000-scale. This compilation of surficial geologic materials defines the areas of exposed bedrock, and the boundaries between glacial till, glacial stratified deposits, and overlying postglacial deposits. The stratified deposits layer shows areas of glacial stratified deposits categorized as Coarse, Glaciolacustrine Fine, and Glaciomarine Fine. This data layer should be used in conjunction with the underlying till bedrock data layer and the overlying early postglacial and postglacial data layers. MassGIS stores this layer as SURFGEO24K_SD_POLY.