Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Water Chemistry and CTD Data from R/V Jack Fitz

Oceanographic data were collected aboard the R/V Jack Fitz over a six-day period in August 2010 specifically to monitor the subsurface environment after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset contains provisional laboratory analyses for volatile and semivolatile organic compounds and total petroleum hydrocarbons, alongside CTD-measured physical parameters like temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. It was produced by a multi-agency Subsurface Monitoring Unit and archived by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing concentrations of specific volatile organic compounds (e.g., 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethylene) in spill-affected waters.
• Correlating Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) levels with physical oceanographic conditions like salinity, temperature, and density from CTD profiles.
• Tracking dissolved oxygen anomalies as an indicator of microbial degradation of spilled hydrocarbons.
• Mapping the vertical distribution of CDOM fluorescence as a proxy for dissolved organic matter from the spill.

Strengths

• Data includes detailed chemical analyses for over 20 specific organic compounds, providing a granular view of contamination.
• CTD-derived physical parameters underwent preliminary quality assurance and control procedures at the National Coastal Data Development Center.
• Collection occurred during a critical, short-term response window (2010-08-18 to 2010-08-23) following a major environmental event.

Limitations

• The analytical chemistry data are explicitly noted as provisional, indicating they are not final validated results.
• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all platforms.
• A conflict exists in the 'last updated' date, with one source showing 2026-04-01 and another showing 2010-08-23, suggesting possible metadata errors.

Provenance

Source

Subsurface Monitoring Unit (SMU), consisting of multiple government and corporate agencies, archived by NOAA/NCEI (Accession 0069119).

Collection Method

Data collected via CTD, bottle samples, fluorometer, and oxygen meter from the R/V Jack Fitz, with onshore laboratory analysis for chemistry.

Time Range

2010-08-18 to 2010-08 23

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:22:26.456329

Geography

Gulf of Mexico