ABSTRACT 



In August- September 1963, a high degree of stratification for both temper- 

 ature and salinity was observed in the Laptev and East Siberian Seas. 

 Temperatures decreased with depth and with distance away from the Siberian 

 coast, and salinities decreased vertically from the bottom and toward the 

 coast. 



The five large rivers emptying into the Laptev Sea influence the temper- 

 ature-salinity characteristics to a great extent causing high temperatures 

 and low salinities near the coast and in the upper layers seaward. The 

 Lena River fluvial plume, on the basis of salinity distribution, was observed 

 to extend in a north to northeasterly direction from the river delta. The 

 combined effects of the Khatanga and Anabar River runoff extended in a 

 northeasterly direction from the Khatanga River Estuary with vertical distrib- 

 ution of the low salinity water limited to the upper 10 meters. 



Water of three temperature-salinity relationships was observed in the East 

 Siberian Sea in both 1963 and 1964. Near the coast, between the Indigirka 

 River and Chaunskaya Bay, warm low salinity water was observed. In the 

 sea's shallower western regions, cold water with slightly higher salinities 

 was noted. Both these water types can be attributed to river runoff with 

 cooling and mixing in transit accounting for the colder water and higher 

 s alinities. Water in the e astern East_Sibedan-SeaL-thp»ugh-J-'»^ Strait and 



'C and as 



it than in 

 rian Sea, 

 the sea's 



