Oceanographic Data from Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Response Cruise

NOAA NCEI Accession 0069065 contains chemical, physical, profile, and laboratory analysis data collected aboard the Ferrel vessel in the Gulf of Mexico from August 18-23, 2010. The Subsurface Monitoring Unit gathered measurements including CDOM fluorescence, petroleum hydrocarbons, conductivity, and temperature using CTDs, fluorometers, and oxygen meters. This dataset was created in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill event.

Use Cases

• Model Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) concentration from conductivity, temperature, and salinity measurements.
• Analyze correlations between CDOM fluorescence and Semivolatile Organic Compounds to track oil plume dispersion.
• Map spatial distributions of dissolved oxygen and water density from CTD profile data for environmental impact assessment.
• Use provisional laboratory analysis data for Volatile Organic Compounds to validate real-time sensor readings.
• Integrate hydrostatic pressure and sound velocity data with geospatial products for subsurface plume modeling.

Strengths

• Data collection focused on a specific, high-impact environmental event over a 6-day cruise period.
• Includes multiple data types: sensor profiles (CTD), laboratory chemistry, and derived products like charts and maps.
• CTD data underwent preliminary quality assurance and control procedures at the National Coastal Data Development Center.

Limitations

• Analytical chemistry data are labeled as provisional, indicating potential unverified or preliminary results.
• Sample size and row count are unknown, limiting statistical confidence.
• Temporal coverage is very brief (6 days), capturing only a snapshot of the ongoing spill event.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Data gathered using CTD, bottle, fluorometer, oxygen meter, and other physical sampling devices aboard the Ferrel vessel.

Time Range

2010-08-18 to 2010-08-23

Freshness

null

Geography

Gulf of Mexico