Beach topography and nearshore bathymetry of northern Monterey Bay, California, March 2015

This USGS data release presents data collected during surveys of nearshore bathymetry and beach topography from northern Monterey Bay, California. Survey operations were conducted between March 16 and March 20, 2015 (USGS Field Activity Number 2015-625-FA). Nearshore bathymetry data were collected using two personal watercraft (PWCs), each equipped with single-beam echosounders and survey-grade global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers. Topography data were collected using an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) equipped with a GNSS receiver and on foot with GNSS receivers mounted on backpacks. A terrestrial lidar scanner was used to obtain high-resolution topography data along portions of the survey area inaccessible to the ATV. Positions of the survey platforms were referenced to a GNSS base station with known horizontal and vertical coordinates. Depths from the echosounders were computed using sound velocity profiles measured with a conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) sensor during the survey. A total of 242 km of nearshore bathymetric survey lines and 290 km of topographic survey lines were surveyed, with terrestrial lidar data collected from 8 scan positions during the survey (fig. 1). Digital elevation models (DEMs) were produced from all available bathymetry and topography data using linear interpolation and a grid-spacing of 2 m. 

Digital files containing the nearshore bathymetry data, beach topography data, terrestrial lidar data, and derived DEMs from this survey are available for download from the child item pages listed below.



Figure 1. Maps showing the locations of bathymetric- and topographic-survey lines, and terrestrial lidar scan positions from the March 2015 survey of northern Monterey Bay, California.