Oceanographic CTD Profiles from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response

August 18-22, 2010 data collection captures chemical and physical oceanographic profiles from the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset includes CDOM fluorescence, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, hydrostatic pressure, salinity, sound velocity, temperature, and water density. Data were collected aboard the vessel Wes Bordelon by the Subsurface Monitoring Unit and underwent quality assurance by the National Coastal Data Development Center.

Use Cases

• Modeling oil plume dispersion by correlating CDOM fluorescence anomalies with salinity and temperature profiles.
• Analyzing water column stratification and mixing post-spill using density, temperature, and salinity data.
• Assessing dissolved oxygen depletion near the spill site by examining oxygen meter readings alongside pressure and temperature.
• Calibrating sound velocity models for underwater acoustics using CTD-derived temperature, salinity, and pressure measurements.

Strengths

• Data collected over a 5-day period in August 2010 provides a focused temporal snapshot post-spill.
• Includes 8 measured parameters (e.g., CDOM, dissolved oxygen, salinity) per profile for multi-variable analysis.
• Underwent documented quality assurance and control procedures by the National Coastal Data Development Center.

Limitations

• Limited temporal coverage to only 5 days, restricting long-term trend analysis.
• Geographic scope is confined to the specific cruise track of the Wes Bordelon in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Unknown sample size and row count prevent assessment of data volume and spatial resolution.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), originating from the Subsurface Monitoring Unit.

Collection Method

Data collected from CTD casts, a fluorometer, and an oxygen meter aboard the research vessel Wes Bordelon.

Time Range

2010-08-18 to 2010-08-22

Freshness

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Geography

Gulf of Mexico