GOM Oil On Water Sampling Track: Gulf of Mexico Oil Slick Field Data 2016-2018

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

Use Cases

• Calibrating remote sensing algorithms for oil thickness estimation based on synoptic satellite and airborne imagery.
• Analyzing chronic oil discharge patterns and emulsion mixtures based on surface oil characterization data.
• Modeling subsurface oil slick behavior based on field-collected chemistry and characterization data.

Strengths

• Data collection was part of a multi-year NOAA study funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior and BSEE.
• Research integrates multiple data sources including satellite imagery, airborne imagery, and surface/subsource characterization.
• Field research was undertaken across three years (2016, 2017, 2018) at a known chronic discharge site (MC20).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic/temporal bias inherent to the specific MC20 site and study period.

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 22:31:00.177363; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Mississippi Canyon lease block #20 (MC20) in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Ohmsett test tank.