Glider Trajectory Profile Data for Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Study

Physical oceanographic measurements from the glider 'Howdy' deployed to investigate hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Texas A&M University's Geochemical and Environmental Research Group collected the data, which includes properties like temperature, salinity, conductivity, and density along the glider's trajectory. The dataset covers a specific two-week deployment from June 30 to July 14, 2016.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of temperature and salinity to identify hypoxic water masses and stratification.
• Mapping the spatial extent of low-oxygen conditions using dissolved oxygen measurements correlated with density data.
• Studying coastal circulation patterns by tracing the glider trajectory alongside conductivity and temperature-depth (CTD) data.
• Calibrating regional ocean models with in-situ time-series measurements of physical properties from a specific summer period.

Strengths

• Data originates from a controlled glider deployment with a clear scientific objective targeting hypoxia.
• Profile data includes multiple core physical oceanographic variables (e.g., temperature, salinity, density) for a coherent analysis.
• Dataset is preserved by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) for long-term access.

Limitations

• Dataset is limited to a single, short 15-day deployment in summer 2016, restricting temporal analysis.
• Unknown sample size and vertical resolution of profiles limits assessment of data density.
• Focus on the Northern Gulf of Mexico introduces geographic bias; findings may not generalize to other regions.

Provenance

Source

Texas A&M University - College Station; Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, via IOOS National Glider Data Assembly Center (NGDAC) and NOAA NCEI.

Collection Method

Measurements collected by an underwater glider (Howdy) during a deployed mission, aggregated and quality-checked by IOOS NGDAC.

Time Range

2016-06-30 to 2016-07-14

Freshness

Single deployment from 2016; no ongoing updates.

Geography

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