Gulf of Mexico Glider Trajectory Profile Data from 2016

Physical trajectory profile data from glider Howdy deployed by Texas A&M University's Geochemical and Environmental Research Group. The dataset contains measurements of physical oceanographic properties collected in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Data were preserved by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) after processing by the Integrated Ocean Observing System's National Glider Data Assembly Center.

Use Cases

• Analyze temperature and salinity profiles over time to study water column stratification.
• Model density variations from conductivity and temperature measurements to investigate mixing processes.
• Map glider trajectory coordinates against physical property measurements for spatial analysis of oceanographic features.
• Correlate conductivity data with salinity to calibrate sensor readings or validate models.

Strengths

• Data covers a specific 4-day deployment from September 2 to September 5, 2016.
• Includes core physical oceanographic properties: temperature, salinity, conductivity, and density.
• Data underwent quality checks for netCDF compliance by the IOOS National Glider Data Assembly Center.

Limitations

• Dataset is from a single, short-duration deployment, limiting temporal analysis.
• Sample size and spatial extent are confined to one glider's trajectory in the Northern Gulf.
• Data is from 2016 and may not represent current oceanographic conditions.

Provenance

Source

Texas A&M University - College Station; Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, via NOAA NCEI.

Collection Method

Measurements collected by an autonomous underwater glider (Howdy) and aggregated into netCDF files.

Time Range

2016-09-02 to 2016-09-05

Freshness

Single deployment from 2016; no update frequency specified.

Geography

Coastal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Northern Gulf of Mexico.