Chemical, physical, and profile oceanographic data were collected aboard NOAA Ship Pisces in the Gulf of Mexico from August 18 to September 2, 2010, in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Subsurface Monitoring Unit, a consortium of government and corporate agencies, gathered measurements including CDOM fluorescence, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature using CTD, fluorometer, and oxygen meter instruments. Preliminary quality assurance was performed by the National Coastal Data Development Center.
Use Cases
- Modeling relationships between salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen to assess water column stratification post-spill.
- Analyzing CDOM fluorescence and fluorescence data to track dissolved organic matter and potential hydrocarbon plumes.
- Correlating hydrostatic pressure and sound velocity profiles with water density measurements for physical oceanography studies.
- Using conductivity and temperature data to calculate derived salinity and monitor changes in water mass properties.
Strengths
- Data collection occurred over a 16-day period during a critical environmental response event.
- Includes multiple core oceanographic parameters: CDOM fluorescence, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, and water density.
- Preliminary quality assurance and control procedures were applied to the CTD data by the National Coastal Data Development Center.
Limitations
- The dataset is limited to a single 16-day cruise, providing a snapshot rather than long-term monitoring.
- Sample size and row count are unknown, limiting statistical power assessments.
- Data is from 2010 and may not reflect current baseline conditions in the Gulf of Mexico.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), collected by the Subsurface Monitoring Unit.
- Collection Method
- In-situ measurements collected via CTD, fluorometer, and oxygen meter aboard NOAA Ship Pisces.
- Time Range
- 2010-08-18 to 2010-09-02
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Gulf of Mexico