Oceanographic Data from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response

Oceanographic data was collected aboard the R/V Ferrel in the Gulf of Mexico from August 13-17, 2010, in direct response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset includes chemical, physical, and profile measurements such as Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), volatile organic compounds, conductivity, temperature, and salinity. It was gathered by a multi-agency Subsurface Monitoring Unit and contains both field sensor data and provisional onshore laboratory analysis.

Use Cases

• Tracking hydrocarbon contamination by analyzing columns for Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) and specific compounds like benzene and benzo(a)pyrene.
• Modeling oceanographic conditions during the spill using concurrent measurements of temperature, salinity, conductivity, and water density.
• Assessing water column stratification and dissolved oxygen levels to evaluate potential impacts on marine life.
• Calibrating spill dispersion models with in-situ CDOM fluorescence and volatile organic compound data.

Strengths

• Data collection was focused on a major environmental event, providing a direct snapshot of conditions during the Deepwater Horizon spill response.
• CTD data underwent preliminary quality assurance and control procedures at the National Coastal Data Development Center.
• Includes both real-time sensor data (e.g., from CTD, fluorometer) and laboratory analysis for specific organic compounds.

Limitations

• Analytical chemistry data are explicitly noted as provisional.
• Core metadata facts like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all platforms.
• A conflict exists in the 'last updated' date: one platform lists 2026-03 05, while another lists the collection end date of 2010-08-17.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Data gathered via shipboard instruments (CTD, fluorometer, oxygen meter) and physical sampling with subsequent onshore laboratory analysis.

Time Range

2010-08-13 to 2010-08-17

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:09:21.705851

Geography

Gulf of Mexico