Abstract:

The data set lists the carbon content of the standardized sediment-oil-agglomerates (sSOAs) measured during the sSOA experiment. In this experiment, 100 sSOAs produced from agglomerates washed-up at Pensacola Beach/Florida were buried in the upper 50 cm of the sandy beach at Pensacola Beach/Florida. Five pairs of sSOAs contained in stainless steel teaballs were attached to a 50 cm long vertical PVC pipe, such that pairs of sSOAs were positioned a 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 cm sediment depth. sSOA degradation was followed over 3 years. The sSOA arrays were deployed on October 22nd, 2010, and then retrieved with surrounding sediment at seven monthly to bimonthly intervals for approximately one year and thereafter at three larger intervals until the final sampling on 16 December 2013 (2 Dec10, 19 Jan 11, 2 Mar 11, 21 Apr 11, 16 Jun 11, 28 Jul 11, 14 Sep 11, 10 Jan 12, 26 Oct 12, 16 Dec 13). One parameter monitored was the carbon content of the sSOAs. The carbon contents measured are reported in this data set.

Suggested Citation:

Markus Huettel, Ioana Bociu. 2019. Carbon contents measured during the standardized sediment-oil-agglomerate (sSOA) experiment from 2010-10-22 to 2013-12-16. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/n7-r0ca-f740

Publications:

Bociu, I., Shin, B., Wells, W. B., Kostka, J. E., Konstantinidis, K. T., & Huettel, M. (2019). Decomposition of sediment-oil-agglomerates in a Gulf of Mexico sandy beach. Scientific Reports, 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-46301-w

Purpose:

After Deepwater Horizon oil contaminated Gulf sandy beaches, quantitative information on the degradation rates of sediment-oil-agglomerates (SOAs) embedded in Gulf of Mexico beach sands was not available, partly because the continuous washing up of SOAs onto the beach (e.g. as released from natural and anthropogenic sources and submerged oil mats) makes the determination of the exact time point when SOAs became buried in the beach difficult. To address this question, a three-year in-situ experiment was initiated that quantified the degradation of standardized MC525-SOAs (sSOAs) buried in a Pensacola sandy beach. The use of sSOAs allowed following the degradation of a known source material that was buried at a known time point, and direct comparison of sSOA composition at the times of burial and after excavation.

Data Parameters and Units:

Carbon content is reported in % of sediment dry weight.

Methods:

2.0 mg aliquots from each sSOA were placed in tin cups and analyzed for total carbon content in a Carlo Erba Elemental Analyzer (EA).

Instruments:

Carlo Erba Elemental Analyzer.

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