| Abstract: | Summary -- Mapping surficial seafloor facies (sand, silt, muddy sand, rock, etc.) should be the first step in marine geological studies and is crucial when modeling sediment processes, pollution transport, deciphering tectonics, and defining benthic habitats. This report outlines an empirical technique that predicts the distribution of seafloor facies for a large area offshore Los Angeles, CA using high-resolution bathymetry and co-registered, calibrated backscatter from multibeam echosounders (MBES) correlated to ground-truth sediment samples. The technique uses a series of procedures that involve supervised classification and a hierarchical decision tree classification that are now available in advanced image-analysis software packages. Derivative variance images of both bathymetry and acoustic backscatter are calculated from the MBES data and then used in a hierarchical decision-tree framework to classify the MBES data into areas of rock, gravelly muddy sand, muddy sand, and mud. A quantitative accuracy assessment on the classification results is performed using ground-truth sediment samples. The predicted facies map is also ground-truthed using seafloor photographs and high-resolution sub-bottom seismic-reflection profiles.
This Open-File Report contains the predicted seafloor facies map as a georeferenced TIFF image along with the multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data used in the study as well as an explanation of the empirical classification process. |
| Genre: | USGS Numbered Series |
| ProdID: | 54127 |
| Citation Author: | Dartnell, Peter; Gardner, James V. |
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| Citation Language: | ENGLISH |
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| Citation Phsyical Description: | dataset |
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| Citation Series: | Open-File Report |
| Citation Series Code: | OFR |
| Citation Series Number: | 2004-1081 |
| Citation Search Results Text: | Predicted seafloor facies of Central Santa Monica Bay, California; 2004; OFR; 2004-1081; Dartnell, Peter; Gardner, James V. |
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| Citation Year: | 2004 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Predicted seafloor facies of Central Santa Monica Bay, California; 2004; OFR; 2004-1081; Dartnell, Peter; Gardner, James V. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/usgs_thumb.jpg |
| URL (INDEX PAGE): | http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1081/ |
| Date Other: | Thu, 1 Apr 2004 00:00 -0600 |
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