Metadata:
  Identification_Information:
    Citation:
      Citation_Information:
        Originator: Alexander C. Seymour
        Originator: Kara S. Doran
        Publication_Date: 20260310
        Title: North Carolina Dune and Beach Time Series Features
        Edition: 1.0
        Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
        Larger_Work_Citation:
          Citation_Information:
            Originator: Alexander C. Seymour
            Originator: Kara S. Doran
            Publication_Date: 20260310
            Title: Coastal Dune Condition Codes and Time Series Features, North Carolina
            Series_Information:
              Series_Name: U.S. Geological Survey data release
              Issue_Identification: doi:10.5066/P9WYA19U
            Publication_Information:
              Publication_Place: St. Petersburg, FL
              Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
            Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.5066/P9WYA19U
    Description:
      Abstract: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) supports multiple efforts to understand and predict storm impacts to our nation's coastlines. The geospatial dataset (vector feature class) and comma-delimited American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) table describes a time series of modern foredune crest elevations and cross-shore positions across the North Carolina ocean-fronted coastline between September 1997 and October 2018. Beach width and slope statistics are additionally reported. Results are provided at an alongshore resolution of 500 meters (m) as a series of coincident points, with individual points describing dune and beach statistics derived from a particular topographic survey. Individual time series feature positions (points) represent the center of an alongshore “bin” and describe coastal topography statistics within 250 m alongshore on either side of the point. This data is intended as a companion to the dune condition codes provided in this same data release and are ideal for visualizing interannual changes in the dune crest and beach at individual locations. An ArcGIS Pro Map Package file is also included, which displays dune condition code and time series features with specific symbology and graphing schema that aid the user in interpreting and visualizing some of the most important attributes in the data. The methods used to generate this data followed the process outlined in “Decadal-scale characteristics of natural and anthropogenic dune morphology along North Carolina barrier islands (SE Atlantic coast)” by Seymour and others (2026).
      Purpose: To provide information on the changes in the elevation and position of coastal dunes over the last two decades, along with beach width and slope data along the North Carolina coast.
    Time_Period_of_Content:
      Time_Period_Information:
        Range_of_Dates/Times:
          Beginning_Date: 19970915
          Ending_Date: 20181002
      Currentness_Reference: ground condition
    Status:
      Progress: Complete
      Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned
    Spatial_Domain:
      Bounding_Coordinates:
        West_Bounding_Coordinate: -78.541634
        East_Bounding_Coordinate: -75.460637
        North_Bounding_Coordinate: 36.546124
        South_Bounding_Coordinate: 33.844975
    Keywords:
      Theme:
        Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: USGS Metadata Identifier
        Theme_Keyword: USGS:dc333550-0566-40e9-bb86-cdef7f663fe4
      Theme:
        Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
        Theme_Keyword: geoscientificInformation
        Theme_Keyword: oceans
        Theme_Keyword: environment
        Theme_Keyword: structure
      Theme:
        Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: USGS Thesaurus
        Theme_Keyword: hazards
        Theme_Keyword: marine geology
        Theme_Keyword: ocean sciences
        Theme_Keyword: coastal processes
        Theme_Keyword: erosion
        Theme_Keyword: floods
        Theme_Keyword: geospatial datasets
        Theme_Keyword: time series datasets
      Theme:
        Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
        Theme_Keyword: U.S. Geological Survey
        Theme_Keyword: USGS
        Theme_Keyword: St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
        Theme_Keyword: SPCMSC
        Theme_Keyword: Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
        Theme_Keyword: CMHRP
      Place:
        Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
        Place_Keyword: North Carolina
        Place_Keyword: Atlantic Ocean
    Access_Constraints: None
    Use_Constraints: Public domain data from the U.S. Government are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. The U.S. Geological Survey requests to be acknowledged as originators of the data in future products or derivative research.
    Point_of_Contact:
      Contact_Information:
        Contact_Organization_Primary:
          Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
          Contact_Person: Kara S. Doran
        Contact_Address:
          Address_Type: mailing and physical
          Address: 600 4th Street South
          City: Saint Petersburg
          State_or_Province: FL
          Postal_Code: 33701
          Country: United States
        Contact_Voice_Telephone: 727-502-8117
        Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 727-502-8001
        Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: kdoran@usgs.gov
    Native_Data_Set_Environment: Windows 10 Enterprise 21H2 (Build 19044.1826); Esri ArcGIS Pro 2.7.1
    Cross_Reference:
      Citation_Information:
        Originator: Alexander C. Seymour
        Originator: Daniel J. Ciarletta 
        Originator: Kara S. Doran
        Originator: Kai Parker
        Originator: Margaret L. Palmsten
        Publication_Date: 20260305
        Title: Decadal-scale characteristics of natural and anthropogenic dune morphology along North Carolina barrier islands (SE Atlantic coast)
        Series_Information:
          Series_Name: Journal of Coastal Research
          Issue_Identification: Unknown
        Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-25-00053.1
  Data_Quality_Information:
    Logical_Consistency_Report: No formal accuracy assessment was conducted.
    Completeness_Report: This dataset is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract section. Users are advised to read the rest of the metadata record carefully for additional details.
    Positional_Accuracy:
      Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
        Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report: No formal accuracy assessment is included. Horizontal positions were projected to the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS 84) Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 18 North (UTM 18N) coordinate system.
      Vertical_Positional_Accuracy: 
        Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report: No formal accuracy assessment is included. Vertical positions were referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88).
    Lineage:
      Process_Step:
        Process_Description: Methods for deriving this data are described in Seymour and others (2026). Additionally, after time series features were generated, an analyst manually removed select points that occurred in inlets where the elevation of shoals was contributing datapoints to the time series. This sometimes occurred after the erosive loss of the subaerial beach and resulted in inaccurate dune elevation and migration change trends. Additional points were removed that were calculated from transects that diverged from shore-normal orientations. Specifically, this could occur most often directly on cape headlands or on spits adjoined to cape headlands.
        Process_Date: 20221013
        Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: NC_Time_Series_Features_GDB
        Process_Contact: 
          Contact_Information:
            Contact_Person_Primary:
                Contact_Person: Alexander C. Seymour
                Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
            Contact_Position: Physical Scientist
            Contact_Address:
              Address_Type: mailing and physical
              Address: 600 4th Street South
              City: Saint Petersburg
              State_or_Province: FL
              Postal_Code: 33701
              Country: United States
            Contact_Voice_Telephone: 727-502-8122
            Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 727-502-8001
            Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: aseymour@usgs.gov
      Process_Step:
        Process_Description: The data included in this release is a point feature class of time series features stored in a file geodatabase (.gdb), along with a comma-delimited ASCII table (.csv) for users that do not have the ability to open and view Geographic Information Systems (GIS) file formats. The time series ASCII table was generated by inputting the geodatabase feature classes into the ‘Feature Class to ASCII’ ArcGIS Pro geoprocessing tool.  
        Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: NC_Time_Series_Features_GDB
        Process_Date: 20221013
        Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: NC_Time_Series_Features_ASCII
        Process_Contact: 
          Contact_Information:
            Contact_Person_Primary:
                Contact_Person: Alexander C. Seymour
                Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
            Contact_Position: Physical Scientist
            Contact_Address:
              Address_Type: mailing and physical
              Address: 600 4th Street South
              City: Saint Petersburg
              State_or_Province: FL
              Postal_Code: 33701
              Country: United States
            Contact_Voice_Telephone: 727-502-8122
            Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 727-502-8001
            Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: aseymour@usgs.gov
      Process_Step:
        Process_Description: To include additional visualizations of the feature class data, an ArcGIS Pro Map Package (.mpkx) was generated, which contains specific symbolization of the feature classes and charts that aid the user in interpreting and visualizing some of the most important attributes in the data. The geodatabase feature classes, both the time series feature described in this metadata record (NC_Time_Series_Features_GDB), and the dune condition code (NC_Dune_Condition_Codes_GDB, described in NC_Dune_Condition_Code_Metadata) were added to a new ArcGIS Pro map. interactively symbolizing the features appropriately, and creating scatterplot and bar plot graph schema for the feature classes. The Hybrid Reference Layer and World Imagery basemaps were also added to the map layout. For more information about these basemaps, refer to: Hybrid Reference Layer (https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=30d6b8271e1849cd9c3042060001f425) and World Imagery (https://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Imagery/MapServer). The map and its associated schema were then exported to a Map Package by clicking the ‘New Map Package’ command in the ‘Share’ tab in ArcGIS Pro.
        Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: NC_Dune_Condition_Codes_Time_Series.gdb
        Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: NC_Time_Series_Features_GDB
        Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: NC_Dune_Condition_Codes_GDB
        Process_Date: 20221013
        Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: NC_Dune_Condition_Codes_Time_Series_Map_Pack.mpkx
        Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: NC_Dune_Condition_Codes_Time_Series.zip
        Process_Contact: 
          Contact_Information:
            Contact_Person_Primary:
                Contact_Person: Alexander C. Seymour
                Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
            Contact_Position: Physical Scientist
            Contact_Address:
              Address_Type: mailing and physical
              Address: 600 4th Street South
              City: Saint Petersburg
              State_or_Province: FL
              Postal_Code: 33701
              Country: United States
            Contact_Voice_Telephone: 727-502-8122
            Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 727-502-8001
            Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: aseymour@usgs.gov
  Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
    Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Point
    Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
      SDTS_Terms_Description:
        SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Point
        Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 10172
  Spatial_Reference_Information:
    Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
      Planar:
        Grid_Coordinate_System:
          Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
          Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
            UTM_Zone_Number: 18N
            Transverse_Mercator:
              Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.9996
              Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -75.0
              Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.0
              False_Easting: 500000.0
              False_Northing: 0.0
        Planar_Coordinate_Information:
          Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair
          Coordinate_Representation:
            Abscissa_Resolution: 0.001
            Ordinate_Resolution: 0.001
          Planar_Distance_Units: meters
      Geodetic_Model:
        Horizontal_Datum_Name: WGS 1984
        Ellipsoid_Name: WGS 1984
        Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.0
        Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257223563
    Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition: 
      Altitude_System_Definition: 
        Altitude_Datum_Name: North American Vertical Datum 1988
        Altitude_Resolution: 0.01
        Altitude_Distance_Units: meters
        Altitude_Encoding_Method: Attribute values
  Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
    Detailed_Description:
      Entity_Type:
        Entity_Type_Label: NC_Time_Series_Features_GDB, NC_Time_Series_Features_ASCII.csv
        Entity_Type_Definition: File geodatabase feature class (.gdb) and comma-separated values file (.csv) of the time series features for North Carolina.
        Entity_Type_Definition_Source: USGS
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: OBJECTID
        Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Unrepresentable_Domain: Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: Shape
        Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry. This attribute is only present in the feature class dataset.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Unrepresentable_Domain: Vector type (Point M).
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: AlongshoreID
        Attribute_Definition: Unique ID for the alongshore bin.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 1
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 1033
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: MeanDuneElevation
        Attribute_Definition: Average dune crest elevation within each alongshore bin, in meters NAVD88. Null values indicate an individual survey where there were too few dune crest elevation samples found within the 500 m bin to estimate a mean.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 0.594267
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 10.441828
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: DuneElevationSTD
        Attribute_Definition: Dune crest elevation standard deviation within each alongshore bin, in meters. Null values indicate an individual survey where there were too few dune crest elevation samples within a 500 m bin to estimate a standard deviation.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 0
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 3.500049
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: MeanDunePosition
        Attribute_Definition: The mean cross-shore position of the dune crest within each bin relative to the earliest dune crest position mean in the time series, in meters. Negative numbers indicate positions landward of the earliest dune crest. Null values indicate an individual survey where there were too few dune cross shore position samples within a 500 m bin to estimate a mean.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: -674.594666
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 434.85025
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: DunePositionSTD
        Attribute_Definition: Dune crest cross-shore position standard deviation within each alongshore bin, in meters. Null values indicate an individual survey where there were too few dune cross shore position samples within a 500 m bin to estimate a standard deviation.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 0
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 367.658533
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: MeanShorelinePosition
        Attribute_Definition: Mean high water shoreline position within each alongshore bin relative to the earliest shoreline position mean in the time series, in meters. Negative numbers indicate positions landward of the earliest shoreline. Null values indicate an individual survey where there were too few shoreline position samples within a 500 m bin to estimate a mean.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: -708.433594
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 671.80412231
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: MeanBeachWidth
        Attribute_Definition: Average beach width within each alongshore bin, in meters. Null values indicate an individual survey where there were too few beach width samples within a 500 m bin to estimate a mean.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 6.960783
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 752.538513
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: MeanBeachSlope
        Attribute_Definition: Average beach slope within each alongshore bin, in angular degrees. Null values indicate an individual survey where there were too few beach slope samples within a 500 m bin to estimate a mean.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 0.155839
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 14.707931
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: DuneCrestSampleSize
        Attribute_Definition: The number of transects in an alongshore bin with valid dune elevation measurements.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 0
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 68
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: ShorelineSampleSize
        Attribute_Definition: The number of transects in an alongshore bin with valid shoreline position measurements.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 0
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 70
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: SurveyYear
        Attribute_Definition: The year of the survey from which dune and shoreline features were derived.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 1997
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 2018
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: SurveyDate
        Attribute_Definition: String recording the date (MM/DD/YYYY) of the survey from which dune and shoreline features were derived.
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 09/15/1997
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 10/2/2018    Overview_Description:
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: XCoord
        Attribute_Definition: Easting (x) coordinate (WGS 84 UTM 18N). 
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 172289.1866
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 458262.4674
      Attribute:
        Attribute_Label: YCoord
        Attribute_Definition: Northing (y) coordinate (WGS 84 UTM 18N). 
        Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS
        Attribute_Domain_Values:
          Range_Domain:
            Range_Domain_Minimum: 3748925.4136
            Range_Domain_Maximum: 4044873.0271
    Overview_Description:
      Entity_and_Attribute_Overview: NC_Dune_Condition_Codes_Time_Series_Map_Pack.mpkx: ArcGIS Pro Map Package containing the dune condition codes (NC_Dune_Condition_Codes) and time series features (NC_Time_Series_Features) feature classes, stored inside a file geodatabase (NC_Dune_Condition_Codes_Time_Series.gdb). The Map Package also contains the Hybrid Reference Layer and World Imagery basemaps published by Esri in the Living Atlas. These basemaps are accessible via ArcGIS Online: Hybrid Reference Layer (https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=30d6b8271e1849cd9c3042060001f425) and World Imagery (https://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Imagery/MapServer). Scatterplots in the map pack are designed to only display plots from singular condition code points selected by the user. The user must bandbox select a desired condition code point with the Select interactive tool for a scatterplot to display data.
      Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: The entity and attribute information were generated by the individual and/or agency identified originator of the dataset. Please review the metadata records associated with this data release for additional details and information.
  Distribution_Information:
    Distributor:
      Contact_Information:
        Contact_Organization_Primary:
          Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
          Contact_Person: USGS SPCMSC Data Management
        Contact_Address:
          Address_Type: mailing and physical
          Address: 600 4th Street South
          City: Saint Petersburg
          State_or_Province: FL
          Postal_Code: 33701
          Country: United States
        Contact_Voice_Telephone: 727-502-8000
        Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-g-spcmsc_data_inquiries@usgs.gov
    Resource_Description: NC_Dune_Time_Series_GDB.gdb, NC_Dune_Time_Series_ASCII.csv, NC_Dune_Condition_Codes_Time_Series_Map_Pack.mpkx
    Distribution_Liability: This digital publication was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution imply any such warranty. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and (or) contained herein. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof.
    Standard_Order_Process:
      Digital_Form:
        Digital_Transfer_Information:
          Format_Name: comma-delimited text, file geodatabase (Esri), ArcGIS Pro Map Package
          Format_Version_Number: ArcGIS Pro 3.0.3
        Digital_Transfer_Option:
          Online_Option:
            Computer_Contact_Information:
              Network_Address:
                Network_Resource_Name: https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-P9WYA19U/data/NC_Dune_Condition_Codes_Time Series.zip
      Fees: None
    Technical_Prerequisites: The geodatabase feature class and ArcGIS Map Package were created for the use within Esri ArcGIS Pro software (3.0.3 or newer). The ASCII table data were created for the use within Microsoft Excel, or similar text viewers, such as Notepad.
  Metadata_Reference_Information:
    Metadata_Date: 20260310
    Metadata_Contact:
      Contact_Information:
        Contact_Organization_Primary:
          Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
          Contact_Person: USGS SPCMSC Data Management
        Contact_Address:
          Address_Type: mailing and physical
          Address: 600 4th Street South
          City: Saint Petersburg
          State_or_Province: FL
          Postal_Code: 33701
          Country: United States
        Contact_Voice_Telephone: 727-502-8000
        Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-g-spcmsc_data_inquiries@usgs.gov
    Metadata_Standard_Name: Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
    Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
    Metadata_Time_Convention: local time