Aleutian Islands Coastal Resources Inventory and Environmental Sensitivity Maps: GEO (Geothermal Activity Points)

This data set contains point locations of geothermally active areas as compiled by Motyka et al., 1993. Because of the variety of geothermal activity present at any given site, each site has been mapped according to the dominant style of geothermal activity (i.e. water dominated sites, vapor dominated sites, or sites of known subsurface activity). It is important to note that at any given site, a combination of vapor, water, and subtle indicators of subsurface geothermal activity is most likely present.This data set comprises a portion of the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) data for Aleutians East Borough and Aleutians West Coastal Resource Service Area (CRSA). These data identify the marine and coastal environments and wildlife. The ESI data include information for three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources.

The ESI data were collected, mapped, and digitized to provide environmental data for oil spill planning and response. The Clean Water Act with amendments by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires response plans for immediate and effective protection of sensitive resources.

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Prepared by Research Planning, Inc., Columbia, South Carolina for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service, Office of Response and Restoration, Hazardous Materials Response Division, Seattle, Washington; Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute; Aleutians West Coastal Resource Service Area (CRSA); Aleutians East Borough; Alaska Chadux Corporation; United States Coast Guard; and National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.

Resource Description - ESI Atlas for the Aleutian Islands

Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. NOAA warrants the delivery of this product in computer-readable format, and will offer a replacement copy of the product when the product is determined unreadable by computer-input peripherals, or when the physical medium is delivered in damaged condition.

Contact NOAA for distribution options (see Distributor). ESI data are processed into multiple formats to make them useful to a wider community of GIS/mapping users. Distribution formats include ARC export, MOSS and Shape files, and MARPLOT map folders. An ArcView ESI project and ESI_Viewer product are also included on the distribution CDs for ease of use of the ESI data. The database files are distributed both in the NOAA standard relational database format (see NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS ORCA 115) and in a simplified desktop flat file format. This metadata document includes information on both of these database formats.;

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DO NOT USE MAPS FOR NAVIGATIONAL PURPOSES.Besides the above warning, there are no use constraints on these data. Note that the ESI database should not be used to the exclusion of other pertinent data or information held by state or federal agencies or other organizations. Likewise, information contained in the database cannot be used in place of consultations with environmental, natural resource, and cultural resource agencies, or in place of field surveys. Recognize that the information contained in the ESI database represents known concentration areas or occurrences of natural, cultural, and human-use resources, but does not necessarily represent the full distribution or range of each species or resource. This is particularly important to recognize when considering potential impacts to protected resources, such as endangered species, wetlands, etc. Acknowledgment of the originators, publishers, contributors, and sources listed would be appreciated in products derived from these data.

The software packages used to develop the atlas are Environmental Systems Research Institute's ARC/INFO(r) (version 8.0.2) and ORACLE(r) RDBMS (version 8.0.5.0.0). The hardware configuration is Hewlett Packard workstations (models 715/50 and 712/80i) with UNIX operating system (HP-UX Release A.10.20), and PC's with Windows Operating System (NT4.0/2000). The Spatial_Data_Organization Information section refers only to the source files in the ARC export format. The following files are included in that data set: birds.e00, bio_lut.e00, biofile.e00, biores.e00, breed.e00, breed_dt.e00, esi.e00, faults.e00, fish.e00, fishl.e00, geo.e00, habitats.e00, hydro.e00, index.e00, invert.e00, m_mammal.e00, m_mampt.e00, mgt.e00, nests.e00, seasonal.e00, soc_dat.e00, soc_lut.e00, socecon.e00, sources.e00, species.e00, status.e00, volcanos.e00. Associated relational and desktop data tables provided in Arc export and text format are bio_lut, biofile, biores, breed, breed_dt, seasonal, soc_dat, soc_lut, socecon, sources, species, and status.

A multi-stage error checking process is used to verify both attribute accuracy and logical consistency throughout data production. The process includes a standardized data entry methodology, hardcopy data review by in-house and external resource experts, a final Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) process, and multiple automated logical consistency checks. Quantitative data (such as densities, counts, abundances, or concentrations) provided by resource experts for inclusion in the data set may vary widely in attribute accuracy, depending upon the methodology used to collect and compile such data. For a more detailed evaluation of source data attribute accuracy, contact the sources listed in the Lineage section.

It is difficult to estimate the positional accuracy of the data, except to state that each geothermal site's latitude and longitude, as published in 1993 by Motyka et al., were compiled and plotted on hardcopy basemaps at scale of 1:250,000 and 1:63,360 (in the case of Unalaska). The coordinates provided in Motyka et al, 1993, are general site locations only, typically with more than one geothermal feature present.

This data set is a condensed version of the information presented in Motyka et al., 1993. In the original work by Motyka et al., geothermal sites were presented in a table listing all observed geothermal features (i.e. fumeroles, mud pots, hot springs, warm springs, steaming ground, etc.) at each location. As such, each site had a unique combination of geothermal activity types. To avoid mapping 56 individually attributed points, each site is mapped according to the dominant type of geothermal activity. Hence, the spatial data set produced from the Motyka et al. table has less detail than the original compilation.

A multi-stage error checking process, described in the above Attribute_Accuracy_Report, is used to verify both attribute accuracy and logical consistency throughout data production. This process includes multiple automated logical consistency checks that test the files for missing or duplicate data, rules for proper coding, GIS topological consistencies (such as dangles, unnecessary node, etc.), and ORACLE(r) to ARC/INFO(r) consistencies. A final review is made by the GIS manager, where the data are written to CD-ROM and the metadata are written. After the data are delivered to NOAA, they are again subjected to a number of quality and consistency checks.