Three ERTS-1, MSS images of southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod Bay, Cape Cod, and Nantucket Sound, show a variety of dynamic geologic and hydrologic phenomena. Coastal features imaged include the coastline at different time in the tidal cycle, harbors, lakes and ponds, marshes (wetlands), and beach and dune areas; submarine features include tidal flats, shoals, dredged and natural channels, and bars. Comparison with conventional maps at 1:1,000,000 and 1:250,000 scales show many inaccuracies between the ERTS imagery and the two map scales. The ERTS-1 imagery can be used to increase the accuracy of these maps, portray additional environmental information, and provide the capability for frequent updating of maps at such scales. ERTS-1 imagery provides a very cost effective method for provision of certain types of environmental data for Cape Cod and environs

Williams, R. S., Jr.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

Paper i'vl 18 
COASTAL AND SUBMARINE FEATURES ON MSS IMAGERY OF SOUTHEASTERN 
MASSACHUSETTS: COMPARISON WITH CONVENTIONAL MAPS* 
Richard S. Williams, Jr., U.S. Geological Survey, EROS Program Office, Washington, D.C., 
20244 
ABSTRACT 
Three ERTS-1, MSS images (28 J u l y  1972, 1 S e p t .  
1972, and 8 O c t .  1972) of southeas tern  Massachuse t t s ,  
i n c l u d i n g  Cape Cod Bay, Cape Cod,  and Nantucket  
Sound, show a v a r i e t y  o f  dynamic geo log ic  and hydro- 
l og ic  phenomena. 
c o a s t l i n e  a t  d i f ferent  times i n  the t i d a l  cycle, 
harbors, l a k e s  and ponds ,  marshes (we t lands ) ,  and 
beach and dune areas ;  submarine f e a t u r e s  i n c l u d e  t i d a l  
f l a t s ,  s h o a l s ,  dredged and na tura l  channe l s ,  and bars. 
Comparison w i t h  COnVentiOnal maps a t  1 :1,000,000 and 
1: 250,000 s c a l e s  show many inaccurac ie s  between the 
ERTS imagery and the two map s c a l e s .  
a r e  caused b y  car tograph ic  g e n e r a l i z a t i o n  f r o m  l a r g e r  
s c a l e  maps and ,  i n  some i n s t a n c e s ,  a c t u a l  changes i n  
landforms .  The  marine geologica l  i n f o r m a t i o n  shown on 
the ERTS imagery i s  not shown on the 1:1,000,000- or 
1:250,000-scale maps, nor i s  other mappable environ- 
mental  i n f o r m a t i o n ,  necessary  t o  effective resource  
management decisions, a f f e c t i n g  the area .  The  ERTS-1 
imagery of the sou theas t e rn  Massachuset ts  area prov ides  
two-dimensional c o a s t a l  and submarine in format ion  
super ior  to convent ional  maps a t  1:250,000 or smal ler  
s c a l e s .  The ERTS-1 imagery can be used t o  i n c r e a s e  the 
accuracy of these mapsr p o r t r a y  a d d i t i o n a l  environ- 
mental i n f o r m a t i o n ,  and prov ide  the c a p a b i l i t y  for 
f r e q u e n t  updat ing  of maps a t  such s c a l e s .  ERTS-1 
imagery p r o v i d e s  a very cost-effective method f o r  
p r o v i s i o n  of  c e r t a i n  t y p e s  o f  environmental da ta  for 
Cape Cod and environs. 
Coastal  f e a t u r e s  imaged i n c l u d e  the 
T h e  d i sc repanc ie s  
*Pub l i ca t ion  au tho r i zed  by t h e  D i r e c t o r ,  U. S .  Geological  
Survey 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19730019624 2020-03-17T08:51:28+00:00Z
1, INTRODUCTION 
r e l i m i n a r y  a n a l y s i s  of ERTS- 
t e r n  M a s ~ a c h u $ e t t s ,  i n c l u d i n  
Sound, has  be 
c o a s t a l  and submarine features are 
1:1 ,000,000;  1 : 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ;  and 1 : 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 ,  and compared t o  
convent iona l  maps a t  1:1,000,000 and 1 : 2 5 0 , 0 0 0  s 
1:125,0OO=scale Ektachrome i n f r a r e d  aerial  photo 
T a b l e  1. - S e l e c t e d  ERTS-1 Imagery of South 
T i d a l  Data for Time of I ~ ~ $ ~  Acq 
28 July 1972 E-1005-15005 1001 1240 0643 3 
1 S e p t .  1972 E-1040-14552 0955 0500 1118 3 
8 O c t ,  1972 E-1077-15011 1001 1138 0541 3 
Coas ta l aa reas ,  such as Cape Cod, r e p r e s e n t  one of t h e  
most d i f f i c u l t  areas i n  which t o  do a c c u r a t e  geologic  map- 
ping and i n  which t o  main ta in  t h e  cur rency  of convent iona l  
topographic  maps (Williams and Friedman, 19701, The Cape 
Cod c o a s t l i n e  i s  c o n t i n u a l l y  changing from a combination 
of n a t u r a l  f o r c e s  (Davis,  1896) and manmade mod i f i ca t ions .  
Offshore bars and s h o a l s ;  sediment d i s t r i b u t i o n ;  t h e  water- 
l and  o o n t a c t ;  areas of  beach and dune sediments;  p o s i t i o n  
of t i d a l  and r i v e r  channels ;  v e g e t a t i o n  assemblages;  and 
even c u l t u r a l  f e a t u r e s  are i n  a cons t an t  s ta te  of  f l u x .  
Small wonder t h e n  t h a t  ou r  convent iona l  maps o f  Cape Cod 
are o u t  of d a t e ,  and as can be seen by comparison of ERTS-1 
MSS imagery a t  t h e  1 : 1 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0  and 1:250,000 scales, such 
small-scale maps are i n a c c u r a t e ,  p a r t i c u l a r l y  i n  t h e  
p o r t r a y a l  o f  t h e  c o a s t l i n e  and l a k e s ,  
a c q u i s i t i o n  of  optimum imagery (Stringham and Williams, 
1 9 7 0 )  f o r  the  s p e c i f i c  purpose t o  which it w i l l  be employed. 
Optimum imagery impl i e s  f r equen t  coverage a t  s p e c i f i c  
s p e c t r a l  bands. Aerial spectrophotography (Williams, 1 9 7 1 1 ,  
The key t o  a c c u r a t e  and t ime ly  c o a s t a l  mapping i s  t h e  
1414 
if a v a i l a b l e ,  can f u l f i l l  t h e s e  requirements.  I n  most 
cases, however, aerial  photography of an  area i s  in f r equen t ly  
scheduled, u sua l ly  acquired during one season (summer), and 
i n  only one s p e c t r a l  band. ERTS imagery provides t h e  needed 
d a t a  f o r  maps a t  1:250,000 scale or smaller. MSS band 4 or 
band 5 i s  bes t  f o r  showing shoals  and ba r s  on Cape Cod; 
band 5 i s  bes t  f o r  c u l t u r a l  features; and band 6 or 7 i s  
exce l l en t  f o r  t h e  land-water contac t  ( s h o r e l i n e ) ,  harbors ,  
i n l e t s  and marshes, and f o r  l akes  and ponds. The remainder 
of t h e  paper w i l l  be d i r e c t e d  a t  descr ib ing  var ious  c o a s t a l  
and submarine f e a t u r e s  on t h e  MSS imagery of southeas te rn  
Massachusetts under d i f f e r e n t  t i d a l  condi t ions  ( d i f f e r e n t  
water depths)  and comparison of t h e s e  f e a t u r e s  with conven- 
t i o n a l  maps of  t h e  area. 
2. COASTAL FEATURES 
Figure 1 compares t h r e e  ERTS-1, MSS images from the  
same scene (1 Sept. 1972, E-1040-145521, bands 4, 5, and 
7, with a 1 : 1 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 - s c a l e  map C I M W ,  NK-19, Boston, North 
America, 1 9 6 9 ;  compiled by Army Map Serv ice  i n  1955 from 
1:250,000 maps (19471, 1:506,880 maps (19391, and USCEGS 
c h a r t s  (1947 and 194911. The images were acquired a t  0955 
h r s .  l o c a l  t i m e  about 1 1/2 h r s .  before  low t i d e  i n  Plymouth 
Bay, Wellfleet Harbor, Provincetown, and Barnstable Harbor 
(Beach Poin t )  (Anonymous, 1971). I n  an area as l a r g e  as 
Cape Cod, with d i f f e r e n t  bottom conf igura t ions ,  e t c . ,  t h e  
t i m e s  of high and low t i d e  vary from place  t o  place.  For 
in s t ance ,  low t i d e  i n  Pleasant  Bay w a s  not  reached u n t i l  
3 hrs .  l a t e r  (4 h r s .  af ter  passage of t h e  s a t e l l i t e )  than  
Plymouth Bay. 
Many inaccurac ies  are apparent when t h e  ERTS-1, MSS 
images are compared t o  t h e  1 : 1 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 - s c a l e  map, which 
shows the  shore l ine  a t  t i m e  of mean sea l e v e l .  How many 
of t h e  d iscrepancies  are due t o  a c t u a l  changes i n  the 
c o a s t l i n e  s ince t h e  of mapping and how many are due t o  
the sub jec t ive  gene ra l i za t ions  by t h e  car tographer  who 
d r a f t e d  t h e  o r i g i n a l  map i s  impossible t o  say. With t h e  
ERTS image, however, it i s  not  necessary t o  gene ra l i ze ,  
s i n c e  t h e  o r i g i n a l  scale of t h e  image npre-processesn t h e  
d a t a  for t h e  car tographer .  There should a l s o  be less 
sub jec t ive  v a r i a t i o n  between d i f f e r e n t  car tographers ,  
hence a b e t t e r  I f f i t "  between d i f f e r e n t  areas within a 
map or between d i f f e r e n t  maps becomes poss ib le .  
I t f i t "  between t h e  two 1 : 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 - s c a l e  maps i n  Plymouth 
See t h e  
1415 
Figure 1. - Comparison of 1:1,000,000-scale ERTS-1, MSS imagery 
(1 Sept. 1972, E-1040-14552, MSS bands 4, 5, and 7) with 1:1,000,000- 
scale map (IMW, NK-19, Boston, North America, 1969) of southe$stern 
Massachusetts, showing coastal and submarine features. Note the 
inaccuracies in the portrayal of the coastline and inland lakes on the 
map when compared with the MSS images. For much of Cape Cod Bay the 
tide will ebb 1 hr. 23 min. after image acquisition. 
1416 
Harbor 3km east o f  long .  7Oo45'W. f o r  a s t r i k i n g  example 
o f  s u b j e c t i v e  inaccuracy  (F igure  2 ) .  A comparison of  t h e  
c o a s t l i n e  c o n f i g u r a t i o n  o f  t h e  t i p  of Cape Cod (Province- 
town area) ,  Jeremy Po in t  on t h e  western s i d e  o f  Wellfleet, 
Po in t  Gammon sou th  o f  Hyannis, Barns tab le  Harbor, Great 
Po in t  and t h e  cuspa te  bar  on Nantucket I s l a n d ,  Monomoy Po in t  
and I s l a n d  sou th  of  Chatham (Olda le ,  Friedman, and W i l l i a m s ,  
1971) between t h e  MSS image (band 7) and t h e  map g r a p h i c a l l y  
p o r t r a y  t h e  d i f f e r e n c e s .  
The p o r t r a y a l  of l a k e s  and ponds on t h e  1:1,000,000 
map shows a decided l a c k  of  c a r t o g r a p h i c  p r e c i s i o n .  Almost 
no l a k e s  or ponds are por t rayed  on t h e  map wi th  t h e i r  
a c c u r a t e  shape when t h e  map i s  compared wi th  t h e  MSS image 
(band 7). Although some o f  t h e  l a k e s  may have changed i n  
s i z e  or shape t h e  r e p r e s e n t a t i o n  of most of t h e s e  i s  
g r o s s l y  i n a c c u r a t e ,  There i s  no q u e s t i o n  t h a t  ERTS imagery 
w i l l  permit  a fa r  s u p e r i o r  1:1,000,000 map of sou theas t e rn  
Massachusetts.  
F igure  3 and 4 show enlargements of  ERTS-1 MSS imagery 
of  t h e  Plymouth and Duxbury Bay areas. Discrepancies  and 
i n a c c u r a c i e s  are  p r e s e n t  on t h e  1 : 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 - s c a l e  maps 
(NK 1904, Boston, 1956, r e v i s e d  1970; and NK 19-7, 
Providence, 1947, r e v i s e d  1969), a l though n o t  t o  t h e  degree  
of  t h e  1:1,000,000 map. Note the s h o r e l i n e  around Saquish 
Head and t h e  c o n f i g u r a t i o n  of  i n l and  l a k e s  and ponds. The 
1 : 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 - s c a l e  MSS images (bands 4, 5 ,  and 7) of  Figure 3 
and t h e  1 : 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 - s c a l e  MSS images of F igure  4 (bands 5 
and 7 )  were acqu i red  on 28 J u l y  1972 (E-1005-15005)  a t  
1000 h r s .  l o c a l  t i m e  or about  2 h rs .  40 min. be fo re  h igh  
t i d e  . 
Also of p a r t i c u l a r  i n t e r e s t  on band 5 of  MSS imagery 
i s  the  d i s t i n c t i o n  o f  dune areas, p a r t i c u l a r l y  i n  t h e  
Province Lands area n o r t h e a s t  of Provincetown and a long  
Sandy Neck n o r t h  of  Barns tab le  Harbor. Areas of marshes 
(wet lands)  can  be d e l i n e a t e d ,  p a r t i c u l a r l y  i n  western 
Wellfleet and around Barns tab le  Harbor. 
3. SUBMARINE FEATURES 
Figure  1 shows cons ide rab le  d e t a i l  of  submarine 
f e a t u r e s  a long  t h e  c o a s t a l  and bay areas of  s o u t h e a s t e r n  
Massachuset ts .  MSS band 4 shows t h e  g r e a t e s t  submarine 
d e t a i l ,  bu t  t h e  wavelengths needed f o r  water p e n e t r a t i o n  
1417 
Figure 2. - 1:250,000-scale map (NK 19-4, 1956, rev. 1970; NK 19-7, 
1947, rev. 1969) of the  Plymouth and Duxbury Bay areas ,  Massachusetts. 
Compare with Figure 3. Datum reference is mean sea leve l .  
Figure 3, - Enlargement of ERTS-1, MSS imagery (28 Ju ly  1972, E-1005- 
15005, bands 4, 5, and 7) t o  1:250,000 scale. Compare with Figure 2. 
Image w a s  acquired 2 hrs.  40 min. before high t i d e .  
1418 
ent of ERTS-1, MSS imagery (28 July 1972, E-1005- 
) to 1:125,000 scale. Image was acquired 2 hrs, 
are a l s o  a f f e c t e d  by atmospheric  mois ture .  
d i f f e r e n c e  i n  t h i n  cloud p e n e t r a t i o n  between bands 4 ,  5 ,  
and 7 ;  p a r t i c u l a r l y  t h e  d i f f e r e n c e  between 4 and 7.) An 
o f f s h o r e  bar can be seen  extending t h e  l e n g t h  o f  t h e  o u t e r  
Cape, a l l  a long  Nauset Beach from Chatham t o  North Truro 
and Provincetown. It  becomes two o f f s h o r e  b a r s  northwest  
of  North Truro.  Shoals  can be seen i n  Cape Cod Bay between 
Provincetown and Jeremy Poin t  (Wellfleet). Note t h e  
ex tens ive  shoa l ing  west of Jeremy Po in t  and t h e  low t i d e  
expanse of  B i l l i n g s g a t e  I s l a n d ,  n e a r l y  covered a t  h igh  t i d e  
and once t h e  ' s i t e  o f  a t h r i v i n g  f i s h i n g  community. The. 
shoa l  areas i n  Cape Cod Bay o f f  Eastham, Orleans, and 
Brewster are well d e l i n e a t e d ,  The channel  en t r ances  t o  
Barns tab le  Harbor, Plymouth Bay, and Wellfleet Harbor, and 
t h e  c o n f i g u r a t i o n  of t i d a l  f l a t s  i n  Barns tab le  Harbor and 
Plymouth and Duxbury Bays are a l s o  v i s i b l e ,  
T ida l  f l a t s  and channels  can be seen  i n  Plymouth and 
Duxbury Bays on t h r e e  d i f f e r e n t  ERTS-1, MSS frames. On 
Figure  1 t h e  time of image a c q u i s i t i o n  was 1 h r .  23 m i n .  
be fo re  low t i d e .  On Figures  3 ,  4 and SA-SC, t h e  image was 
recorded a t  2 h r s .  4 0  min. before  h igh  t i d e .  On Figure 
4D-4E t h e  image shows t h e  harbor  a t  1 h r .  39  min. before  
h igh  t i d e .  
F igure  3 shows t h e  c o n f i g u r a t i o n  of t i d a l  f l a t s ,  
channels ,  bars, and s h o a l s  i n  Plymouth and Duxbury Bays a t  
an  enlargement scale of 1 : 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 .  F igure  4 shows t h e  same 
f e a t u r e s  a t  1:125,000. These submarine f e a t u r e s  are no t  
shown on' t h e  convent iona l  1 : 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 - s c a l e  map even though 
these f e a t u r e s  can be por t rayed .  Comparison o f  t h e  
1 : 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 - s c a l e  enlargement of the ERTS-1, MSS image (band 
5 )  w i th  a 1 : 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 - s c a l e  Ektachrome i n f r a r e d  aer ia l  
photograph (NASA, RB-57F photograph acqui red  on 1 3  Sept .  
1 9 6 9  a t  1 0 2 0  h r s . ,  f i l m  type  S0117; Photo No. 62931, taken  
1 h r .  4 0  min. be fo re  h igh  t i d e ,  showed s i m i l a r  f e a t u r e s  i n  
Plymouth and Duxbury Bays. 
i n  harbor  and c o a s t a l  areas g i v e s  only  t h e  two-dimensional 
view, w i t h  p r e c i s e  dep th  informat ion  s t i l l  t o  be measured 
by convent iona l  means, p e r i o d i c  a n a l y s i s  of  such imagery 
can be employed t o  determine when changes i n  p o s i t i o n  of 
t i d a l  f l a t s ,  bars, and shoa l s  occur .  This  in format ion  could 
then  be used i n  t h e  schedul ing  of bathymetr ic  surveys of  
s p e c i f i c  areas when new surveys are needed. 
(Note t h e  
Although t h e  ERTS-1, MSS imagery of submarine f e a t u r e s  
1420 
4. CONCLUSIONS 
The ERTS-1, MSS imagery of southeas te rn  Massachusetts 
provides important geologic  and hydrologic information 
necessary f o r  theBfrequent and accurate updating of conven- 
t i o n a l  1:1,000,000 and 1 :250 ,000  maps of t h e  area, and 
perhaps even f o r  map scales of 1:125,000. Because var ious  
types  of maps provide an important source of environmental 
information f o r  resource  management dec i s ions ,  it i s  
important t h a t  such maps ‘ b e  cur ren t  and accu ra t e .  Based 
on a prel iminary a n a l y s i s  of MSS images of Cape Cod, t h e  
ERTS imagery provides environmental information not  a v a i l -  
a b l e  from conventional sources  ( c h i e f l y  aerial photography), 
except a t  very high cos t .  ERTS-1 imagery provides t h e  
fol lowing advantages both from type of d a t a  acquired and 
low r e l a t i v e  c o s t :  
1. Synoptic, nea r ly  instantaneous coverage of a l a r g e  
area a t  d i f f e r e n t  t i m e s  i n  t h e  t i d a l  cyc le  of a c o a s t a l  
area (over s e v e r a l  o r b i t a l  c y c l e s ) .  
r e l a t i v e l y  low c o s t .  
2 .  Repe t i t i ve ,  c y c l i c ,  and frequent  coverage a t  
3 .  P e r m i t s  t h e  r eg iona l  mapping of marshes (wet lands) ,  
t i d a l  f l a t s ,  shoa l s ,  bars, and harbor channels,  no t  normally 
shown on 1 :250 ,000  and smaller scale maps. 
4 .  Avoids t h e  sub jec t ive  d i f f e rences  i n  car tographic  
r ep resen ta t ion  by t h e  same car tographer  on one map or 
between d i f f e r e n t  car tographers  on sepa ra t e  maps caused by 
gene ra l i za t ion  of features by por t ray ing  the  environmental 
d a t a  a t  t h e  c o r r e c t  scale i n i t i a l l y .  
5.  By p e r i o d i c a l l y  recording s p e c i f i c  types  of 
environmental information, and i f  converted t o  a map o r  
o the r  form of p re sen ta t ion  i n  a t imely manner, ERTS 
imagery provides r e l e v a n t  and cu r ren t  data t o  resource  
managers necessary t o  accu ra t e  dec is ions .  
1421 
5. REFERENCES 
Anonymous, 1971, Tide tables - high and l o w  water predic- 
tions, 1972, East Coast of North and South America: 
Natl. Ocean Survey, Natl. Oceanic and Atmos. Admin., 
U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 290 p. 
and Sci. Proc., v. 31, p. 303-332; also pub. in 
Davis, W. M., 1896, The outline of Cape Cod: Am. Acad. Arts 
Geographical Essays, New York, Dover Pub,, p. 690-724, 
1954. 
Oldale, R. N., Friedman, J. D., and Williams, R. S., Jr., 
1971, Changes in coastal morphology of Monomoy Island, 
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in Geological Survey Research 
1971: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 750-B, p. B101- 
B107. 
Stringham, J, A., and Williams, R. S., Jr., 1970, Applica- 
tions of reconnaissance concepts to mapping problems: 
Proc. of the Geodetic and Research and Development 
Symposium, Seventh DOD Geodetic-Cartographic-Target 
Materials Conf., Cameron Station, Va., p. 37-105. 
mapping applications of coastal aerial photography, 
Cape Cod, Massachusetts (abs.): Photogrammetric Eng;., 
v. 36, no. 6, p. 597. 
Williams, R. S., Jr., and Friedman, J. D., 1970, Geologic 
Williams, R. S., Jr., 1971, Geological applications of 
aerial spectrophotography: Preliminary findings from 
Cay0 Icacos, Puerto Rico (abs.): Trans., Fifth 
Caribbean Geol. Conf. (19681, Geol. Bull. No. 5, 
Queens College Press, p. 252. 
1422 


Coastal and submarine features on MSS imagery of Southeastern Massachusetts: Comparison with conventional maps

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