Deepwater Horizon: Hydrocarbon Sensor Data from RYAN CHOUEST Cruise

NODC Accession 0084584 contains raw, provisional chemical data collected over three days in July 2010 directly in response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Measurements include Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) and fluorescence, captured by instruments like fluorometers and gas chromatographs aboard the research vessel RYAN CHOUEST. The dataset also includes ancillary products like charts, maps, and GIS files created for real-time analysis and decision support by the multi-agency Subsurface Monitoring Unit.

Use Cases

• Tracking subsurface oil plume movement based on fluorescence and TPH measurements.
• Calibrating hydrocarbon dispersion models using geospatial sensor data from the Gulf of Mexico.
• Assessing the efficacy of spill response measures with time-series chemical data.
• Conducting forensic analysis of oil composition from gas chromatograph results.

Strengths

• Data has direct, documented provenance from a defined government-led response cruise (Subsurface Monitoring Unit).
• Includes multiple data types: raw sensor readings, processed charts, graphs, maps, and GIS files for analysis.
• Covers a specific, critical event (Deepwater Horizon) with a precise collection period from 2010-07-21 to 2010-07-23.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: specific column names, row counts, file sizes, and license information are not provided in the available sources.
• Data is explicitly noted as raw and provisional, indicating it may not be quality-controlled or finalized.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2010-07-23 vs. 2026-03-05), creating uncertainty about metadata currency.

Provenance

Source

Subsurface Monitoring Unit (SMU), consisting of multiple government and corporate agencies, collected aboard the R/V RYAN CHOUEST.

Collection Method

In-situ collection using fluorometers, gas chromatographs, and other physical sampling devices.

Time Range

2010-07-21 to 2010-07-23

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:25:49.082731 (from datagov, though this may be a metadata update, not data update)

Geography

Gulf of Mexico