Deepwater Horizon Water Chemistry and CTD Data from JACK FITZ

June 12-20, 2010 data from the Gulf of Mexico aboard the JACK FITZ, collected in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset contains laboratory analyses for volatile and semivolatile organic compounds, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and in-situ CTD measurements like temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. It was gathered by the multi-agency Subsurface Monitoring Unit (SMU) and includes provisional chemistry results and quality-controlled CTD profiles.

Use Cases

• Analyzing concentrations of specific volatile organic compounds (e.g., 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethene) in spill-affected waters.
• Correlating Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) levels with physical oceanographic conditions like temperature and salinity.
• Modeling pollutant dispersion using concurrent measurements of fluorescence, dissolved oxygen, and water density.
• Assessing subsurface water column structure from CTD profiles of conductivity, hydrostatic pressure, and sound velocity.

Strengths

• CTD data underwent preliminary quality assurance and control procedures at the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC).
• Provides a focused 9-day time series immediately following a major environmental event.
• Includes detailed laboratory analysis for a wide range of specific organic compounds (e.g., 2-butoxyethanol, benzo(a)pyrene).

Limitations

• Analytical chemistry data are explicitly noted as provisional.
• Exact row count, column names, and dataset size are unknown across all platforms.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date (2026-04-01 on Data.gov vs. 2010-06-20 on NASA Earthdata).

Provenance

Source

Subsurface Monitoring Unit (SMU), consisting of multiple government and corporate agencies.

Collection Method

Data collected aboard the JACK FITZ using CTD, bottle, fluorometer, oxygen meter, and other physical sampling devices, with onshore laboratory analysis.

Time Range

2010-06 12 to 2010-06-20

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:02:26.079343

Geography

Gulf of Mexico