Metadata for Montana Tagged Vector Contour data

Identification Information
Data Quality Information
Spatial Data Organization Information
Spatial Reference Information
Entity and Attribute Information
Distribution Information
Metadata Reference Information

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Identification Information:

Citation:

Originator: Montana State Library
Publication date: 02/14/2008
Title: Montana Tagged Vector Contour data
Online linkage: ftp://ftp.geoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/NonMSDI/Elevation/Tagged_Vector_Contours/

Browse graphic file name: ftp://ftp.geoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/NonMSDI/Elevation/Tagged_Vector_Contours/Data_Index.jpg

Abstract:

Tagged Vector Contours (TVC) are a by-product of the USGS development process for Digital Elevation Models and Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles. They consist of contour lines tagged with the elevations they represent, and additional lines representing streams and quadrangle boundaries. The lines were scanned from USGS 7.5-minute quadrangles, then converted to vector format and tagged with their elevations by the USGS in a semi-automated process.

These data are a very rough product, and they may be inadequate for many cartographic purposes. There is no edgematching between the quadrangles, lines from adjacent quadrangles sometimes overlap each other by a significant amount, and there are many small spurious lines in the data.

The TVC files for about 1000 quadrangles in Montana (about 1/3 of the state) were provided in DLG-Optional format by the USGS. The State Library converted the data to shapefile format and combined the data into 8 files. A map showing the area covered by each file is available at ftp://ftp.geoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/NonMSDI/Elevation/Tagged_Vector_Contours/Data_Index.jpg.

Contour lines have a value in their MINOR1 field equal to their elevation in feet or in meters. Lines which are not contours have a MINOR1 value of less than 0. The contour intervals are the same as the 7.5-minute quadrangles they were derived from. Those are usually in feet and the contour interval varies from 20 feet to 80 feet.

Purpose:

The files were created by USGS for the purpose of improving the quality of their Digital Elevation Model and Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle data.

Time period of content:

Calendar date: 2008
Currentness reference: publication date

Status:

Progress: Complete

Access constraints: None

Use constraints:

TVC's are an interim product of the USGS DEM production system. In providing these TVCs, the USGS expresses no warranty or guarantee that they meet any standard for accuracy or completeness.

The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.

Point of contact:

Montana State Library
PO Box 201800
Helena, Montana 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: 406-444-4799
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov

Data Quality Information:

Completeness report:

The data are available for about one-third of Montana, as shown at ftp://ftp.geoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/NonMSDI/Elevation/Tagged_Vector_Contours/Data_Index.jpg

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report:

Many of the contours in this data appear to be up to 10 meters from the contours they represent, as seen in USGS Digital Raster Graphics images of the topographic maps they were scanned from.

Lineage:

Source information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication date: 2005
Title: USGS 1:24,000 scale Topographic Maps
Source scale denominator: 24000
Source contribution: The data were scanned and vectorized from this source.
Beginning date: 1940
Ending date: 2005

Source information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication date: 2005
Title: Tagged Vector Contour Files
Source scale denominator: 24000
Source contribution:: Data from these files were converted to shapefile format and combined into 8 regional files.
Beginning date: 1992
Ending date: 2005

Process step:

Contour and stream data were scanned from 1:24,000 scale maps and converted to USGS DLG format

Process date: 09/2005

Process contact:

Mike Kling
U.S. Geological Survey
Telephone: 573-308-3732
E-Mail: mkling@usgs.gov

Process step:

The DLG files from USGS were converted to ArcInfo Coverage format using the DLGARC command in workstation ArcInfo. Many of the DLG files were in a format from which the DLGARC command could not recognize the elevation values. An AML macro was written to read all of the DLG files and convert them to a format DLGARC could process correctly. Some of the DLG files still contained errors or conditions, such as spurious characters or line features with more than 3000 vertices, that caused DLGARC to fail. These files were edited by hand and submitted to DLGARC again.

The macros used and a list of the errors encountered are included in the files the State Library distributes. The distribution files also contain a ESRI shapefile showing the quadrangle boundaries and the first two lines of the header from the TVC file corresponding to each quadrangle.

The 1000 individual contour quadrangle coverages were merged to form 8 large coverages. This was done incrementally by copying each quadrangle coverage into a large coverage with Arcedit after each quadrangle was created. The edit tolerance in Arcedit was set at 0.1 meters for this process. The edit tolerance caused Arcedit to drop any features that were less than 0.1 meter long from the data. The 8 large coverages were then exported to shapefile format.

Process date: 02/12/2008

Process contact:

Gerry Daumiller
Montana State Library
Telephone: 406-444-5358
E-Mail: gdaumiller@mt.gov

Spatial Data Organization Information:

Point and vector object information:

SDTS object type: String

SDTS object count: 3456056

Spatial Reference Information:

Horizontal coordinate system definition:

Grid coordinate system name: State Plane Coordinate System

SPCS zone identifier: 2500

Lambert conformal conic:

Standard parallel: 45.000000
Standard parallel: 49.000000
Longitude of central meridian: -109.500000
Latitude of projection origin: 44.250000
False easting: 600000.000000
False northing: 0.000000

Planar distance units: meters

Geodetic model:

Horizontal datum name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major axis: 6378137.000000
Denominator of flattening ratio: 298.257222

Entity and Attribute Information:

Entity type label: Tagged vector contours

Attribute label: FID

Attribute definition: Internal feature number.

Attribute label: Shape

Attribute definition: Feature geometry.

Attribute label: LENGTH

Attribute definition: Length of feature in meters

Attribute label: TVC1_ID

Attribute definition: ID number from TVC file

Attribute label: MINOR1

Attribute definition:: Contour elevation, meters or feet.
Values less than zero indicate lines which are not contours. In Montana, values between 500 and 2000 usually indicate meters rather than feet.

Attribute label: FILENAME

Attribute definition: TVC source file name

Distribution Information:

Distributor:

Montana State Library
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: 406-444-4799
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov

Resource description: Downloadable Data

Distribution liability:

The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.

Standard order process:

Digital form:

Format name: ESRI Shapefile
Online option:

Metadata Reference Information:

Metadata date: 01/17/2014

Metadata review date: 04/17/2013

Metadata review date: 02/19/2008

Metadata contact:

Montana State Library
PO Box 201800
Helena, Montana 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: 406-444-4799
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov