Glider Trajectory Water Quality Profiles in the Gulf of Mexico

Physical oceanographic measurements were collected by the Stommel underwater glider across the Texas continental shelf. The National Glider Data Assembly Center aggregated and preserved the data, which includes profiles of temperature, salinity, conductivity, and density. This deployment captured conditions from January to May 2017.

Use Cases

• Analyze vertical profiles of temperature and salinity to identify water mass boundaries and stratification.
• Map the spatial distribution of conductivity and density to study freshwater influence from river outflows.
• Correlate glider trajectory data with satellite observations to validate sea surface temperature models.
• Use time-series measurements from the deployment period to track seasonal changes in Gulf of Mexico water quality.

Strengths

• Data aggregated and quality-checked by the Integrated Ocean Observing System's National Glider Data Assembly Center.
• Provides continuous, high-resolution vertical profiles along the glider's trajectory over a 4-month period.
• Long-term preservation ensured by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Limitations

• Specific row count, column list, and file size are unknown.
• Data is from a single glider deployment, limiting spatial coverage to its specific track.
• The dataset is temporally static, with the last update in May 2017.

Provenance

Source

Integrated Ocean Observing System's National Glider Data Assembly Center (IOOS NGDAC), preserved by NOAA NCEI.

Collection Method

In-situ measurements collected by a Teledyne Webb Slocum G2 glider named 'Stommel'.

Time Range

2017-01-20 to 2017-05-07

Freshness

2017-05-07

Geography

Gulf of Mexico, specifically the Texas continental shelf.