Ferrel Cruise: Oceanographic Data from Deepwater Horizon Spill Response

Gulf of Mexico data were collected aboard the RV Ferrel from July 25-30, 2010, in direct response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset includes chemical, physical, and profile measurements like CDOM fluorescence, volatile organic compounds, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature. It also contains derived products like charts and maps used for real-time analysis, alongside provisional laboratory results from water and sediment samples.

Use Cases

• Tracking subsurface oil plume dispersion based on CDOM fluorescence and volatile organic compound measurements.
• Assessing water column stratification and mixing using conductivity, temperature, and density (CTD) profiles.
• Evaluating potential impacts on marine life through dissolved oxygen and salinity data.
• Creating spatial visualizations for decision support using the included GIS-formatted data files and maps.

Strengths

• Data collection was specifically triggered by a 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).
• Includes multiple data types from direct sensor measurements (CTD, fluorometer) to laboratory analysis of samples.

Limitations

• Analytical chemistry data are labeled as provisional, indicating they may not be final or fully validated.
• Key metadata such as specific column names, row counts, and file formats are not provided in the available sources.
• There is a conflict in reported last updated dates between platforms (2010-07-30 vs. 2026-03-05), casting doubt on metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Data collected aboard the RV Ferrel using instruments including CTD, bottle samplers, fluorometers, and oxygen meters.

Time Range

2010-07-25 to 2010-07-30

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:25:05.402540

Geography

Gulf of Mexico