b. Southern Laptev Water . The relatively high temperatures 

 and low salinities observed in what has been termed "Southern Laptev 

 Water" may be directly attributed to the large amounts of river 

 runoff received by the southern Laptev Sea. According to river 

 drainage figures given by L'vovich (see table I), the Lena, Yana, 

 and Olenek Rivers contribute an average of 554 cubic kilometers 

 of fresh xr?ater to the Laptev Sea yearly. In addition, the Khatanga 

 and Anabar Rivers contributed sufficient fresh water to show a discernable 

 plume in the upper 10 meters during the NORTHWIND survey although 

 no annual runoff figures are cited in table I. 



Table I. River drainage figures for the Siber 

 Seas according fo L'vovich (1953). 



I rivers draining into the Laptev and East Siberian 



RIVER 



LENGTH 

 (KM) 



DRAINAGE _ 

 AREA (KM"^) 



ANNUAL J 

 DISCHG(KM) 



LENA 



4270 



2.425,000 



488 



YANA 



879 



244.700 



31 



INDIGIRKA 



1790 



360.400 



57 



KOLYMA 



2400 



644.100 



120 



OLENEK 



2415 



246,500 



35 



ANABAR 



924 



81.600 



— 



KHATANGA 



779 



346.100 



— 



Characteristic temperatures and salinities observed in Southern 

 Laptev Water cover a broader range than those in Arctic Basin Surface 

 Water. Temperatures encountered were from CC to over S'C near 

 some river mouths. Salinities observed ranged from 28*^0^ , the 

 lower defined salinity limit for undiluted Arctic Basin Surface 

 Water, to slightly over 2'fnn . 



2. Oceanographic Features . Three features of interest are 

 evident in the southern Laptev Sea on the basis of observed temperature 

 and salinity distribution. These are the Lena River fluvial plume, 

 the combined Khatanga- Anabar fluvial plume, and the region of low 

 temperatures and high salinities observed about 20 miles north of 

 the Lena River Delta. 



12 



