Gulf of Mexico Sediment Core Radioisotope and Composition Data from 2012

Short-lived radioisotope, sediment texture, and composition data were collected aboard R/V Weatherbird II and R/V Pelican cruises in the northern Gulf of Mexico from April to October 2012. The dataset includes core photographs and measurements of sediment texture as percent gravel, sand, silt, and clay, and composition as percent total organic matter, carbonate, and insoluble residue. Data were generated by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Use Cases

• Modeling sediment accumulation rates based on short-lived radioisotope profiles.
• Analyzing sediment provenance and terrestrial input based on texture and insoluble residue percentages.
• Classifying sediment stratigraphy and visual properties using the core photographs.
• Investigating carbon cycling and organic matter preservation based on total organic matter and carbonate content.

Strengths

• Data includes multiple measurement types (radioisotope, texture, composition, photographs) for a holistic view.
• Sampling intervals are specified (2mm for surficial unit, 5mm to base), indicating high-resolution core analysis.
• Explicit measurement methods are described (loss on ignition, acid leaching).

Limitations

• Last updated 2012-10-18 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI

Collection Method

Data collected aboard research vessel cruises WB-0812, WB-1012, and PE12-22.

Time Range

2012-04-09 to 2012-10-18

Freshness

2012-10-18

Geography

Northern Gulf of Mexico