GOM Oil On Water Sampling Photos from MC20 Field Research 2016-2018

NOAA's Deepwater Horizon Lessons Learned Studies collected synoptic satellite and airborne imagery, surface oil characterization, and subsurface oil slick data at the Mississippi Canyon lease block #20 (MC20). This research, funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior and BSEE, aimed to develop methods for estimating oil slick coverage and thickness. The data shown here are part of the MC20 field research undertaken in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Use Cases

• Training computer vision models for oil slick detection based on the described satellite and airborne imagery.
• Analyzing oil emulsion mixtures and thickness based on the described surface oil characterization data.
• Developing synoptic data collection methods for environmental monitoring based on the described multi-platform approach.

Strengths

• Data collection was part of a multi-year (2016-2018) NOAA study funded by U.S. Department of the Interior and BSEE.
• Research involved synoptic collection from multiple platforms: satellite, airborne, and surface characterization.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Field research involving synoptic collection of satellite imagery, airborne imagery, surface oil characterization, oil and water chemistry, and subsurface oil slick data.

Time Range

Field research undertaken in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:23:07.798615; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Mississippi Canyon lease block #20 (MC20), Gulf of Mexico.