Gulf of Mexico CTD Profiles During Deepwater Horizon Spill

June 26 to July 8, 2010, oceanographic data were collected aboard the NOAA Ship DELAWARE II in the Gulf of Mexico in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The dataset includes temperature profiles and other physical measurements gathered using CTD instruments and other sampling devices. Data collection and preliminary quality control were performed by the Subsurface Monitoring Unit and the National Coastal Data Development Center.

Use Cases

• Analyze temperature profiles from CTD casts to model water column stratification changes post-spill.
• Correlate physical oceanographic data with other spill monitoring datasets to assess environmental impact.
• Use the time-series of cruise-level data for reconstructing the sampling timeline and spatial coverage of the response effort.

Strengths

• Data collected during a specific, critical 13-day response cruise following a major environmental event.
• Underwent preliminary quality assurance and control procedures at the National Coastal Data Development Center.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and full data schema are not provided in the description.
• The dataset is temporally limited to a single two-week cruise, offering a snapshot rather than long-term monitoring.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), collected by the Subsurface Monitoring Unit (SMU).

Collection Method

In-situ measurements collected using CTD instruments and other physical sampling devices aboard NOAA Ship DELAWARE II.

Time Range

2010-06-26 to 2010-07-08

Freshness

Data is from 2010; it is a historical archive with no stated update frequency.

Geography

Gulf of Mexico