Brooks McCall: Post-Spill Water Chemistry in the Gulf of Mexico
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Description
Data from the Brooks McCall research cruise collected oceanographic measurements in the Gulf of Mexico from August 21-25, 2010, directly in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset includes laboratory analysis results for volatile and semivolatile organic compounds, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and in-situ measurements of conductivity, temperature, depth, dissolved oxygen, and suspended solids. It provides a detailed snapshot of subsurface water conditions and hydrocarbon contamination during the immediate post-spill monitoring period.
Use Cases
Tracking hydrocarbon contamination dispersion based on Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) and Volatile Organic Compounds measurements.
Assessing water column stratification and mixing using conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) profile data.
Analyzing suspended particulate matter dynamics from Laser In-Situ Scattering and Transmissometer (LISST) data.
Evaluating dissolved oxygen levels to gauge potential hypoxic conditions resulting from the spill.
Strengths
Data collection was part of a coordinated multi-agency government response (Subsurface Monitoring Unit) to a major environmental event.
CTD data underwent preliminary quality assurance and control procedures at the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC).
Includes both in-situ sensor measurements and onshore laboratory analysis of physical samples.
Limitations
Analytical chemistry data are described as provisional, indicating they may not be final or fully validated.
Column names and specific data structure are not provided in the available metadata.
Exact row counts and dataset size are unknown, limiting immediate assessment of scope.
Provenance
Source
Subsurface Monitoring Unit (SMU), consisting of multiple government and corporate agencies, collected aboard the R/V Brooks McCall.
Collection Method
Data gathered using CTD, LISST, transmissometer, bottle samples, fluorometer, and oxygen meter.
Time Range
2010-08-21 to 2010-08-25
Freshness
2026-04-01 14:54:44.135325 (metadata last updated on Data.gov)
Geography
Gulf of Mexico
Data is associated with NCEI (formerly NODC) Accession 0069090. More specific information is located in individual metadata records for constituent datasets.