As part of the Barrier Island Evolution Research Project, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey's St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted nearshore geophysical surveys off the northern Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, in June of 2012. The overall objective of the study is to better understand barrier-island geomorphic evolution, particularly storm-related depositional and erosional processes that shape the islands over annual to interannual timescales (1-5 years). The collection of geophysical data will allow us to identify relationships between the geologic history of the island and its present day morphology and sediment distribution. This mapping effort was the first in a series of three planned surveys in this area. High resolution geophysical data collected in each of 3 consecutive years along this rapidly changing barrier-island system will provide a unique time-series dataset that will significantly further the analyses and geomorphological interpretations of this and other coastal systems, improving our understanding of coastal response and evolution over short time scales (1-5 years). This report serves as an archive of processed interferometric swath and single-beam bathymetry data that were collected during two cruises (USGS Field Activity Numbers 12BIM03 and 12BIM04) along the northern portion of the Chandeleur Islands, Breton National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana in July of 2012. Geographic information system data products include a 50 m-cell-size interpolated bathymetry grid surface, trackline maps, and point data files. Additional files include error analysis maps, Field Activity Collection System logs, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata.
1-Meter Sample Resolution Interferometric Swath Backscatter Data Collected in 2012 from the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity Number 12BIM03)