Delta-X LISST-200X Water Optics and Particle Size Measurements, 2021

Southern Louisiana's Atchafalaya and Terrebonne Basins provide the location for this dataset of in situ surface water measurements. It contains beam attenuation coefficients, particle size distributions, and water temperature data collected in Spring and Fall 2021 using a LISST-200X instrument for the NASA Delta-X mission. The dataset is structured in CSV format and covers multiple channels, open bays, lakes, and nearshore Gulf of Mexico sites.

Use Cases

• Calibrating remote sensing models for suspended sediment concentration using in situ beam attenuation coefficient at 670 nm.
• Analyzing seasonal changes in particle size distribution and average suspended particle size between Spring and Fall 2021.
• Studying the relationship between water temperature and optical properties in surface waters of coastal basins.
• Validating hydrodynamic and sediment transport models for the Atchafalaya and Terrebonne Basins with field-measured data.

Strengths

• Data collection uses the standardized Sequoia Scientific LISST-200X instrument, ensuring consistent measurement methodology.
• Covers two distinct seasonal campaigns in 2021 (March 25 - April 22 and August 14 - September 24), allowing for temporal comparison.
• Spatial coverage includes varied environments from narrow channels to open bays and the nearshore Gulf of Mexico.

Limitations

• Exact row count, dataset size, and complete column names are not provided by any source, limiting preliminary analysis.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2026-03-13 and 2021-09-24), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

NASA Delta-X mission, with data organization attributed to ORNL_CLOUD.

Collection Method

In situ measurements made using the Sequoia Scientific Laser In-Situ Scattering and Transmissometer (LISST-200X) in surface waters (~0.5 m depth).

Time Range

2021-03 to 2021-09

Freshness

2026-03-13 03:17:25.065854

Geography

Atchafalaya and Terrebonne Basins, southern coast of Louisiana, USA, including nearshore Gulf of Mexico locations.