GOM TRACS: Oil Slick Thickness and Coverage Data from MC20 Field Research

NOAA's Deepwater Horizon Lessons Learned Studies collected data on oil slick coverage and thickness using remote sensing platforms. The research, funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior and BSEE, involved synoptic collection of satellite and airborne imagery, surface characterization, and chemistry at the MC20 site, which has experienced a chronic oil discharge since 2004. Data shown here are part of the MC20 field research undertaken in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Use Cases

• Training models to detect oil slicks based on satellite and airborne imagery mentioned in the description
• Analyzing relationships between oil thickness and emulsion mixtures using surface characterization data
• Developing remote sensing algorithms for environmental monitoring based on synoptic collection methods
• Studying chronic oil discharge impacts using data from the ongoing MC20 site

Strengths

• Data is part of a multi-year field research program (2016-2018) funded by authoritative U.S. agencies
• Research employed multiple synoptic collection methods including satellite, airborne, and surface characterization
• Focuses on a specific, ongoing chronic oil discharge site (MC20) providing a real-world case study

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data is delivered in PDF and HTML formats, which may require extraction for analysis

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 22:21:18.689044; freshness should be verified

Geography

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