from the Khatanga and Anabar Rivers may be seen in figure 10 which 

 shows surface salinity distribution for the southern Laptev Sea, 



The Khatanga-Anabar fluvial plume, as defined by the 

 15 and 20%n isohalines for depths of 5 and 10 meters, is illustrated 

 in figure 12. Surface indications of river effluent distribution 

 are evident in salinities less than 15 •^'no but are not shown in this 

 diagram. 



c. High Salinity, Low Temperature Water Near The Lena River 

 Delta . Water with higher salinities and lower temperatures than 

 those of ambient water was observed near the surface, approximately 

 20 miles north of the Lena River Delta, during September 1963. The 

 highest surface salinity noted was 26. 38 "/nn at station 144. Salinity 

 there at 5 meters increased to 32.28'^f,o • At 15 meters in the same 

 localized region, salinities in excess of 32 "^o were observed at 

 stations 174, 176, and 177. Other stations nearby showed consistently 

 lower salinities to a depth of 20 meters. Water with salinities 

 in excess of 33'%n was predominant below 20 meters at all stations 

 occupied in the Laptev Sea. 



The lowest surface temperature observed in this region was 

 0.66''C. At a depth of 5 meters, temperatures of -1.66", -0.03°, 

 and -0.32''C were observed on stations 144, 176, and 177, respectively. 

 Temperatures colder than -l^C were observed below 15 meters on all 

 stations occupied in the Laptev Sea. 



The presence of Arctic Basin Surface Water near the surface 

 in the vicinity of the Lena River Delta is somewhat anomalous since 

 temperatures and salinities in the upper 10 to 15 meters of surrounding 

 water are essentially those of Southern Laptev Water. This suggests 

 the possibility of a relatively localized circulation acting to 

 bring underlying water southward toward the surface. 



Coachman and Barnes (1962) point out that estuarine dynamics 

 are developed over the continental slope and in some of the submarine 

 canyons around the Arctic Basin. While the features they discuss 

 involve significantly greater vertical relief, estuarine circulation 

 provides a possible explanation for the temperature and salinity 

 distribution observed north of the Lena River Delta. The existence 

 there of a shallow submarine feature, such as a flooded river channel, 

 could give rise to a circulation which would approach estuarine. 

 A net northerly or northeasterly surface flow over a submarine channel 

 provided by Lena River effluent would tend to advect lower-temperature, 

 higher-salinity water up the channel toward the river delta. In 

 the absence of adequate bathymetric control, it can only be noted 

 that a feature approximately 10 meters deeper than the surrounding 

 bottom was observed in the region discussed. 



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