Deepwater Horizon Ocean Glider Profiles from Gulf of Mexico

May to August 2010 data collection of near-realtime oceanographic profiles from gliders, captured in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset includes temperature and salinity measurements transmitted via the Global Telecommunication System and processed by the Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Programme. It is managed and updated weekly by NOAA's National Oceanographic Data Center.

Use Cases

• Model vertical temperature and salinity profiles from glider depth data to assess water column stratification.
• Analyze spatial-temporal patterns of ocean properties from geospatial coordinates to track spill dispersion.
• Correlate profile measurements with the 2010-04-20 spill event timeline for impact assessment studies.
• Validate satellite-derived sea surface data with in-situ glider profile measurements.

Strengths

• Near-realtime data collection during a major environmental event.
• Data available in multiple formats (CSV, NetCDF, ASCII) for flexibility.
• Weekly automated updates ensure version control.

Limitations

• Dataset scope is limited to a 3-month period from May to August 2010.
• Specific row counts, column details, and sample sizes are unknown.
• Data recency is limited, with last update recorded in 2010.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Collection Method

In-situ data collected by ocean gliders and transmitted as TESAC messages via the Global Telecommunication System (GTS).

Time Range

2010-05 2010-08

Freshness

Weekly automated updates at time of collection; last known update was 2010-10-22.

Geography

Gulf of Mexico.