Processed CTD Data from Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response Cruise

July 16-22, 2010 measurements capture physical oceanographic parameters from the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset contains processed and quality-checked Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) casts, including dissolved oxygen and fluorometry data, collected aboard the R/V Seward Johnson. It was produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA).

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of temperature, conductivity/salinity, and depth to understand water column structure.
• Correlating dissolved oxygen and fluorometry measurements with potential oil spill impacts on marine biota.
• Mapping the spatial distribution of oceanographic parameters in the Mississippi Canyon and Gulf Coast region.
• Using the data as a reference for guiding sample collection strategies in pollution event response.

Strengths

• Data has been processed and undergone quality checks, as stated in all source descriptions.
• Provides a focused temporal snapshot (one week) from a critical period during the oil spill response.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates recognized importance and curation.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and a complete column list are unavailable from all sources.
• The last update date conflicts between sources (2010-07 22 on NASA EarthData vs. 2026-04-01 on Data.gov).
• License information is not provided, which may restrict certain uses.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Measurements collected via shipboard CTD casts aboard the R/V Seward Johnson, Cruise 1, Leg 2.

Time Range

2010-07-16 to 2010-07-22

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:27:05.435806

Geography

Gulf of Mexico, specifically the Mississippi Canyon and Gulf Coast region.