Gulf of Mexico Oceanographic Measurements from LATEX A Experiment

Over 6 months in 1993, Texas A&M University collected a multifaceted oceanographic dataset in the Gulf of Mexico for the LATEX A project. Measurements include CTD profiles of temperature and salinity, current meter velocities, and bottle samples for chemical concentrations. Data were gathered from the R/V ALPHA HELIX and other platforms between March and September 1993.

Use Cases

• Analyze relationships between physical parameters like temperature, salinity (sigmat-t) and chemical concentrations like nitrate and phosphate from bottle data.
• Model coastal currents by correlating E/W velocity (U) and N/S velocity measurements with meteorological buoy data.
• Study phytoplankton biomass by examining chlorophyll-A concentrations alongside nutrient levels (silicate, ammonium) and physical water column structure from CTD casts.
• Calibrate satellite-derived sea surface temperature data using in-situ CTD temperature measurements from the 1993 time period.
• Investigate water mass mixing using concurrent measurements of conductivity from current meters and salinity from CTD instruments.

Strengths

• Multivariate dataset integrating physical (CTD, currents), chemical (bottle), and meteorological measurements.
• Temporally focused collection over a 6-month period from March to September 1993, capturing seasonal conditions.

Limitations

• Dataset is over 30 years old, limiting its utility for studying current oceanographic conditions.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and spatial resolution of sampling stations are unknown.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), originally collected by Texas A&M University.

Collection Method

In-situ measurements from ship-based CTD casts, moored current meters, meteorological buoys, and water sample bottles.

Time Range

1993-03-18 to 1993-09-23

Freshness

Data collection ended on 1993-09-23; no updates expected.

Geography

Gulf of Mexico