USCGC GLACIER, and final control was con- 

 ducted at the Coast Guard Oceanographic Unit. 

 All of the oceanographic data were submitted to 

 the U.S. National Oceanographic Data Center 

 (NODC) for archiving and further processing. 

 NODC listings of the processed data have been 

 included in this report (Appendix A). 



DISTRIBUTION OF 

 MEASURED PROPERTIES 



Ice conditions encountered between Point Bar- 

 row and Barter Island during WEBSEC-71 and 72 

 (figs. 5 and 6) were the same as the average 

 conditions suggested in the literature (U.S. Navy 

 Hydrographic Office, 1968) and this allowed for 

 relatively easy penetration into the desired 

 operating area. During WEBSEC-71, the average 

 ice conditions between the main pack edge (gen- 

 erally north of 7rN) and the 10 fathom (18 m) 

 isobath were 2-3 oktas. During WEBSEC-72 

 much more open (ice free) water was encountered 

 in the eastern and western sections of the survey 

 (fig. 6). Off Prudhoe Bay (middle of survey area) 

 ice concentrations of 6-8 oktas were present near 

 the coast during the entire length of the cruise. 

 Ice concentration, of course, influenced the loca- 

 tion of individual stations (figs. 2 and 3), and in 

 most cases the vessel was maneuvered onto a 

 station that offered minimal ice concentrations for 

 that area. Winter freezing began near the end of 

 the observation period with noticable amounts of 

 new ice forming on the sea surface, especially 

 near the pack. 



The distribution of water properties (figs. 7-26 

 and 32-97) in the western Beaufort Sea during 

 August-September, 1971 and 1972, was gener- 

 ally similar to conditions observed or suggested in 

 the past: three major water masses (Arctic Surface 

 Water, Atlantic Water, and Arctic Bottom Water, 

 (figs. 7 and 8) fitting the classical description of 

 Nansen (1902) but with some modification due to 

 local climatological fluctuations, advection, and 

 mixing. 



Arctic Surface Water (0 to 200 Meters) 



During the summer, the surface waters in the 

 western Beaufort Sea are affected by ice and 



icemelt, river runoff, surface winds and solar 

 heating, and currents from the Bering Sea. As an 

 example, these factors are reflected in the broad 

 range of temperatures (1971: —1.2 to 3.2°C, 

 1972: -0.7 to 4.7°C) and salinities (1971: 3.92 

 to 30.007oo, 1972: 4.04 to 30.007oo) observed in 

 the near surface waters during WEBSEC 71 and 

 72 (figs. 9-20, 44-45, 50-51, 62-63, 74-75, 

 86-87, and 92-93). Generally the very low sur- 

 face temperatures (<0°C) were found offshore 

 near the ice pack. Except for one value (STA. 15, 

 1971) all the low temperatures were at least 0.2°C 

 above their freezing point (fig. 31). Sea surface 

 temperatures in open water areas were more de- 

 pendent on direct heating from the sun (i.e. time 

 of day, cloud cover) and advection. Low surface 

 salinities (<28°/oo) were generally associated 

 with low surface temperatures and salinity was 

 influenced significantly by the proximity and 

 concentration of ice and icemelt. Salinity values 

 between 4-20°/ oo were found in areas of heavy ice 

 (6-8 oktas) while ice concentrations of less than 3 

 oktas usually reduced surface salinity to only 

 20-26°/oo. With the spotty ice cover during 

 WEBSEC-71 (fig. 5), low temperatures and 

 salinities could be found scattered throughout the 

 survey area. It was found best to treat any given 

 surface temperature and salinity as representa- 

 tive only of its sampled spot. 



The dissolved oxygen concentrations in the 

 surface water were significantly higher (>8.5 

 ml/1) in the vicinity of and under the ice pack 

 (figs. 21-26, 46, 52,' 64. 76, 88 and 94) probably 

 reflecting the greater solubility of dissolved ox- 

 ygen in colder waters. The ice pack may also act 

 as a barrier of air-sea interaction. In 1971, dis- 

 solved oxygen concentrations in the surface wa- 

 ters were generally higher (8.2 to 9.9 ml/1) than 

 in 1972 (7.3 to 9.9 ml/1) with supersaturation 

 common. This seems to be due in part to the 

 presence of more open water in 1972 than in 1971 

 and to the presence of a warm water mass at the 

 surface in the western area of the survey during 

 1972. 



Surface nutrient (PO4, NO3, SiOa) values 

 seemed to be affected by the presence of ice (figs. 

 38-43, 47-49, 53-55, 65-67, 77-79, 89-91 and 

 95-97). Many of the low nutrient concentrations 

 occurred in the melt water (salinity <20°/oo) near 



