NRDA CTD Data: Water Column Profiles from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response
Updated 3mo ago
19files
Available on 2 platforms
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Description
NRDA-processed Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) data were collected aboard the R/V Brooks McCall, Cruise 06, in the Gulf of Mexico from June 5-7, 2010. The dataset includes measurements of temperature, conductivity/salinity, depth, dissolved oxygen, and fluorometry to determine physical oceanographic parameters. It was used to guide sample collection as part of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and is provided as quality-checked NetCDF files for each CTD cast.
Use Cases
Modeling oil plume dispersion based on water column density and current profiles derived from CTD data.
Assessing potential impacts on marine biota by correlating fluorometry (a proxy for chlorophyll) with spill location.
Calibrating remote sensing data with in-situ measurements of sea water conductivity and temperature.
Studying water mass properties in the Mississippi Canyon area during a specific pollution event.
Strengths
Data is processed and quality-checked, as stated in the descriptions.
Covers a specific, critical event (Deepwater Horizon spill) with a precise time range (2010-06-05 to 2010-06-07).
Hosted by authoritative organizations (NOAA, NASA) and appears on multiple government platforms, indicating vetting.
Limitations
Column names and precise row/size counts are not provided in any source, limiting understanding of data structure.
Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2010 vs. 2026) between NASA and Data.gov sources create uncertainty about data currency.
Documentation appears minimal beyond a repeated description; license and author information are not specified.
Provenance
Source
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce
Collection Method
Collected via shipboard CTD casts from the R/V Brooks McCall during Cruise 06, Leg 1.
Time Range
2010-06-05 to 2010-06-07
Freshness
2026-03-05 23:57:33.206013
Geography
Gulf of Mexico, specifically the Mississippi Canyon area.
Data format is NetCDF, which requires specific software or libraries for access and analysis. The dataset is associated with a specific Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process.