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  • Bathymetry of Lake Michigan

    Metadata Updated: November 12, 2020

    Bathymetry of Lake Michigan has been compiled as a component of a NOAA project to rescue Great Lakes lake floor geological and geophysical data and make it more accessible to the public. The project is a cooperative effort between investigators at the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center's Marine Geology & Geophysics Division (NGDC/MGG) and the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL). was compiled utilizing the entire historic sounding data base. This bathymetry resolves physiography of the lake floor to an extent that known features are revealed more accurately and features never before seen are revealed for the first time. Bathymetry has been compiled using the entire array of good-quality historical hydrographic soundings collected in support of nautical charting over a 120-year period by the NOAA National Ocean Service and its predecessor agency for Great Lakes surveying, the Army Corps of Engineers. More than 600,000 bathymetric soundings were employed, of which approximately 60 per cent were already in digital form, 25 per cent were digitized in conjunction with this effort, and the remaining 15 per cent were available only on paper survey sheets. Bathymetry was compiled at a scale of 1:250,000, with a contour interval of 5 meters. Density of tracklines is generally about 2000m for the open lake and ranges from 200m to 600m for nearshore areas. Soundings collected since 1903 were already reduced to the Lake Michigan mean low water datum; these were used for bathymetric contouring without further calibration or adjustments. Soundings collected prior to 1903 were reduced to the mean low water datum. In preparation for bathymetric contouring, digital soundings were converted to metric units and plotted in color; separate colors were assigned to the various depth ranges. From the paper sheets, contours in metric units were generated directly on overlays; these contours were then reduced to the compilation scale of 1:250,000 and incorporated into the map. Compilation sheets were then scanned and vectorized; and the resulting digital vector bathymetric contour data were used to generate the imagery shown on the large color plate. Images were constructed using the publicly-available software Generic Mapping Tools (GMT).

    Access & Use Information

    License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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    Dates

    Metadata Date July 3, 2017
    Metadata Created Date November 12, 2020
    Metadata Updated Date November 12, 2020
    Reference Date(s) January 1, 1996 (publication)
    Frequency Of Update asNeeded

    Metadata Source

    Harvested from NGDC MGG DEM

    Graphic Preview

    Lake Michigan preview image

    Additional Metadata

    Resource Type Dataset
    Metadata Date July 3, 2017
    Metadata Created Date November 12, 2020
    Metadata Updated Date November 12, 2020
    Reference Date(s) January 1, 1996 (publication)
    Responsible Party DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce (Point of Contact)
    Contact Email
    Guid gov.noaa.ngdc.mgg.dem:264
    Access Constraints Cite as: National Geophysical Data Center, 1996. Bathymetry of Lake Michigan. National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA. doi:10.7289/V5B85627 [access date]., Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
    Bbox East Long -84.50
    Bbox North Lat 46.09
    Bbox South Lat 41.62
    Bbox West Long -88.00
    Coupled Resource
    Frequency Of Update asNeeded
    Graphic Preview Description Lake Michigan preview image
    Graphic Preview File https://gis.ngdc.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/DEM_global_mosaic_hillshade/ImageServer/exportImage?bbox=-88.00,41.62,-84.50,46.09&size=300,300&format=png32&interpolation=%20RSP_BilinearInterpolation&renderingRule=%7B%22rasterFunction%22:%22ColorHillshade%22%7D&f=image
    Graphic Preview Type JPEG
    Licence Not to be used for navigation. Although these data are of high quality and useful for planning and modeling purposes, they are not suitable for navigation. For navigation, please refer to the NOS nautical chart series., Produced by the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center. Not subject to copyright protection within the United States.
    Metadata Language eng; USA
    Metadata Type geospatial
    Progress completed
    Spatial Data Service Type ArcGIS Image Service
    Spatial Reference System urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4269
    Spatial Harvester True

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