Ocean Veritas: Water Chemistry and Physics from Deepwater Horizon Spill

Oceanographic data were collected aboard the R/V Ocean Veritas in the Gulf of Mexico from July 7-11, 2010, in direct response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Measurements include volatile and semivolatile organic compounds, total petroleum hydrocarbons, conductivity, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and suspended solids. The dataset also contains derived products like charts and maps created for real-time analysis and decision support during the incident.

Use Cases

• Tracking hydrocarbon contamination dispersion based on Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) and Volatile Organic Compounds measurements.
• Assessing water column structure and mixing using conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) profile data.
• Evaluating impacts on marine life through dissolved oxygen and suspended solids analysis.
• Calibrating spill fate models with field measurements of specific organic compounds like dichloroethane and trichloroethane.

Strengths

• Data collection was targeted for a major environmental event, the Deepwater Horizon spill on April 20, 2010.
• Includes both raw instrument data (CTD, LISST) and provisional onshore laboratory analysis results.
• CTD data underwent preliminary quality assurance procedures at the National Coastal Data Development Center.

Limitations

• Analytical chemistry data are labeled as provisional, indicating they may not be final or fully validated.
• Key metadata such as row count, specific column names, and license information is missing from all sources.
• A conflict exists in the 'last updated' date between Data.gov (2026) and NASA Earthdata (2010), casting doubt on data maintenance.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Collected via shipboard instruments (CTD, LISST, transmissometer, fluorometer, oxygen meter) and physical sampling devices, with subsequent onshore laboratory analysis.

Time Range

2010-07-07 to 2010-07-11

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:04:08.197270

Geography

Gulf of Mexico