Brooks McCall: Oceanographic Data from Deepwater Horizon Spill Response

Oceanographic data were collected aboard the research vessel Brooks McCall in the Gulf of Mexico from May 30 to June 2, 2010, in direct response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset includes chemical, physical, and laboratory analysis measurements such as Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), volatile organic compounds, conductivity, temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. It also contains derived products like charts, maps, and GIS files created for real-time analysis and decision support during the incident.

Use Cases

• Tracking hydrocarbon contamination based on Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) and volatile organic compound measurements.
• Analyzing water column profiles using conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) sensor data.
• Assessing environmental water quality based on parameters like dissolved oxygen, salinity, and suspended solids.
• Supporting real-time spill response decision-making using the generated charts, maps, and GIS files.

Strengths

• Data collection was tied to a specific, major environmental event (the Deepwater Horizon spill on April 20, 2010).
• CTD data underwent preliminary quality assurance and control procedures at the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC).
• Dataset includes both raw instrument data and synthesized products (charts, maps) for analysis.

Limitations

• Analytical chemistry data are labeled as provisional, indicating they are not final validated results.
• Key metadata such as row count, specific column names, and license information are unavailable across all sources.
• There is a conflict in reported last update dates: one source lists 2026-03-05, while another lists 2010-06-02.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Data collected via shipboard instruments (CTD, LISST, transmissometer, fluorometer, oxygen meter) and onshore laboratory analysis of water and sediment samples.

Time Range

2010-05-30 to 2010-06-02

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:23:08.079717 (from datagov, though this future date may be a placeholder or error)

Geography

Gulf of Mexico