Coastal Hazards Databases for the U.S. East, Gulf, and West Coasts

This metadata report describes three numeric data packages (NDPs) containing U.S. coastal hazards data that were prepared by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC). They are: NDP-043A for the U.S. East Coast; NDP-043B for the U.S. Gulf Coast; and NDP-043C for the U.S. West Coast. These digital databases may be used to predict the response of U.S. coastlines and coastal zones to local or global sea-level rise. The databases integrate point, line, and polygon data for the coastal areas into 0.25 x 0.25 degree latitude/longitude grid cells and into 1:2,000,000 digitized line segments that can be used by raster or vector geographic information systems (GIS) as well as by non-GIS databases. Each coastal grid cell and line segment contains data variables from the following seven data sets: elevation, geology, geomorphology, sea-level trends, shoreline displacement (erosion/accretion), tidal ranges, and wave heights. One variable from each data set was classified according to its susceptibility to sea-level rise and/or erosion to form 7 relative risk variables. These risk variables range in value from 1 to 5 and may be used to calculate a Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI). Algorithms used to calculate several CVIs are described in the documentation accompanying these databases.

The NDPs are available through the Internet using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) from CDIAC's anonymous FTP area or through the World Wide Web (WWW) at http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/. These files are also available as machine-readable files available on 8-mm tapes, quarter inch tape cartridges, IBM-formatted high-density floppy diskettes, and CD-ROM.

The NDP documentation files provide sample listings of the data and detailed descriptions of the file formats; offer FORTRAN and SAS retrieval program listings; describe the methods used in calculating each variable; discuss the sources, restrictions, and limitations of the data; provide ARC/INFO export coverages and flat ASCII data files containing these data; and list pertinent literature.