Deepwater Horizon CTD Data from R/V Brooks McCall Cruise 11

Conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) measurements were collected aboard the R/V Brooks McCall during Cruise 11 to assess water column parameters following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset includes processed and quality-checked casts for temperature, salinity, depth, dissolved oxygen, and fluorometry. It was produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and is available as a series of NetCDF files.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of sea water temperature and salinity (conductivity) to understand water column stratification.
• Mapping the spatial distribution of dissolved oxygen and fluorometry to assess potential biological impacts from the spill.
• Correlating CTD cast data with other sample collections to guide spill response and natural resource damage assessment.
• Studying oceanographic conditions in the Mississippi Canyon area during a specific post-spill timeframe.

Strengths

• Data has been processed and quality checked, as stated across all sources.
• Provides multi-parameter measurements including temperature, conductivity, depth, dissolved oxygen, and fluorometry.
• Dataset is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (Data.gov and NASA Earthdata), indicating recognized importance.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and a complete column list are unavailable from all sources.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date (2010-07-06 vs. 2026-04-01), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• License information is not provided.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Measurements collected via shipboard CTD casts aboard the R/V Brooks McCall.

Time Range

2010-07-05 to 2010-07 06

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:04:53.707199

Geography

Gulf of Mexico, specifically the Mississippi Canyon area.