Ocean Glider Trajectory Profile Data from Gulf of Mexico Deployment

Physical trajectory profile data from glider RU31 deployed by Rutgers University's Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RU COOL). The dataset contains measurements of temperature, conductivity, salinity, and density collected in the Gulf of Mexico from March 22 to April 7, 2016. Data was archived by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) after processing by the Integrated Ocean Observing System's National Glider Data Assembly Center.

Use Cases

• Modeling 3D oil spill dispersion pathways in coastal ecosystems using temperature and salinity profiles.
• Analyzing density stratification and water mass structure in the Gulf of Mexico from conductivity and density measurements.
• Characterizing physical oceanographic fields influenced by pulsed river discharge using the glider's trajectory and time-series data.
• Calibrating numerical ocean models with in-situ observations of temperature and salinity from the 2016 deployment period.

Strengths

• Data collected during a focused 17-day research deployment in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Includes core physical oceanographic properties: temperature, conductivity, salinity, and density.
• Processed and aggregated by the authoritative IOOS National Glider Data Assembly Center (NGDAC).

Limitations

• Dataset is limited to four physical parameters, excluding other available glider measurements like oxygen, chlorophyll, and currents.
• Temporal coverage is brief, spanning only a single 17-day period in early 2016.
• Sample size and spatial resolution are unknown from the provided metadata.

Provenance

Source

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RU COOL), via IOOS National Glider Data Assembly Center and NOAA NCEI.

Collection Method

In-situ measurements collected by an autonomous underwater glider (RU31) equipped with oceanographic sensors.

Time Range

2016-03-22 to 2016-04-07

Freshness

Data is from a specific 2016 deployment; no update frequency indicated.

Geography

Gulf of Mexico (specific trajectory coordinates not provided).