Processed CTD Data from Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon Response

Gulf of Mexico oceanographic data was collected aboard the R/V Brooks McCall during Cruise 07, Leg 1 from June 11-13, 2010. The dataset contains processed and quality-checked Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) casts, including measurements for dissolved oxygen and fluorometry, to support the Deepwater Horizon oil spill sampling effort. It is provided as a series of NetCDF files by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of seawater temperature and salinity to model oceanographic conditions during the spill.
• Correlating fluorometry readings with biological activity or hydrocarbon presence in the water column.
• Using dissolved oxygen and conductivity data to assess water quality and potential environmental stress.
• Mapping the spatial distribution of collected CTD casts within the Gulf of Mexico, specifically the Mississippi Canyon area.

Strengths

• Data has been processed and undergone quality checking, as stated across all sources.
• Contains multiple related oceanographic parameters (temperature, conductivity/salinity, depth, dissolved oxygen, fluorometry) for integrated analysis.
• Covers a specific, critical time period (June 11-13, 2010) during the immediate Deepwater Horizon response.

Limitations

• Key quantitative details like row count, file size, and specific column names are unknown across all platforms.
• A conflict exists in the 'last updated' metadata: Data.gov lists 2026-03-05, while NASA Earthdata lists 2010-06-13, suggesting potential platform synchronization issues.
• License information is not provided, which may restrict certain uses.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Conductivity Temperature and Depth (CTD) measurements collected onboard the R/V Brooks McCall.

Time Range

2010-06-11 to 2010-06-13

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:53:41.691527

Geography

Gulf of Mexico, specifically the Mississippi Canyon area associated with the Deepwater Horizon event.