Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Oceanographic Profiles from NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson
Updated 2mo ago
24files
Available on 2 platforms
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Description
Oceanographic profiles were collected in the Gulf of Mexico from June 15-28, 2010, specifically in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset includes measurements of CDOM fluorescence, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, and water density, gathered by a multi-agency Subsurface Monitoring Unit aboard the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. Data underwent preliminary quality assurance by the National Coastal Data Development Center.
Use Cases
Analyzing subsurface oil plume dispersion by correlating CDOM fluorescence with salinity and temperature profiles.
Modeling water column stratification and its effect on contaminant transport using density, temperature, and salinity data.
Assessing dissolved oxygen levels to evaluate potential hypoxic conditions resulting from the spill event.
Calibrating hydrodynamic models of the Gulf of Mexico with in-situ conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) measurements.
Strengths
Data collection was focused on a critical two-week period immediately following a major environmental disaster, providing a temporal snapshot.
Measurements come from a coordinated, multi-agency government response team (Subsurface Monitoring Unit), suggesting standardized protocols.
Dataset includes multiple key oceanographic parameters (e.g., CDOM, DO, salinity, temperature) relevant for spill impact studies.
Data underwent preliminary quality assurance and control procedures at the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC).
Limitations
Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are not provided by any source, limiting usability assessment.
Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date, with one listing 2010-06-28 and another listing 2026-04-01, creating uncertainty about data currency.
Provenance
Source
Subsurface Monitoring Unit (SMU) aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, archived by NOAA NCEI (Accession 0069083).
Collection Method
Collected using CTD, fluorometer, and oxygen meter instruments during a dedicated research cruise.
Time Range
2010-06-15 to 2010-06-28
Freshness
2026-04-01 15:10:22.127346
Geography
Gulf of Mexico
License information is not specified in any provided source. The dataset's availability on multiple platforms (nasa_earthdata, data.gov) indicates public access but users should verify terms of use.