NOAA Nancy Foster: Oceanographic Data from Deepwater Horizon Spill Response
Updated 3mo ago
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Description
NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER collected chemical, physical, and biological oceanographic data from June 30 to July 18, 2010, in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset includes measurements of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds, total petroleum hydrocarbons, water currents, salinity, temperature, and plankton, collected using instruments like ADCPs, CTDs, and MOCNESS nets. These provisional data were gathered by a multi-agency Subsurface Monitoring Unit to assess subsurface oil distribution and environmental impacts.
Use Cases
Mapping subsurface oil plume dispersion based on volatile organic compound and TPH measurements.
Modeling ocean current transport of contaminants using ADCP-derived U and V velocity components.
Assessing baseline water column conditions via CTD profiles of temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen.
Studying biological impacts through plankton net (MOCNESS) sampling data.
Tracking specific hydrocarbon compounds like benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene from laboratory analysis.
Strengths
Data covers a critical 19-day period immediately following a major environmental disaster.
Includes direct measurements of over 20 specific chemical compounds, such as 1,2-dichloroethane and pyrene.
Combines multiple instrument types (ADCP, CTD, MOCNESS) for a multi-faceted view of the water column.
Collected by a coordinated multi-agency unit (Subsurface Monitoring Unit), suggesting standardized protocols.
Limitations
Metadata conflicts on update date: one source lists 2010-07 18, another lists a future date of 2026-03-05.
Data is described as provisional, raw, and unprocessed, with some datasets noted as incomplete.
Column names and exact row counts are unknown, limiting immediate analytical utility.
Provenance
Source
Subsurface Monitoring Unit (SMU) aboard NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER
Collection Method
In-situ collection via ADCP, CTD, MOCNESS, XBT, fluorometer, oxygen meter, thermosalinographs, and physical sampling bottles.
Time Range
2010-06-30 to 2010-07-18
Freshness
2026-03-05 23:40:25.333574
Geography
Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic Ocean
Analytical chemistry data are provisional. Some ADCP data is raw and unprocessed, with associated datasets potentially incomplete. License information is not provided.