Distribution of Carbon Monoxide and C1-C4 Hydrocarbons in the Northeastern Portion of the Bering Sea during the Summer of 1977.

Abstract : A JOINT US-USSR cruise with the intent of comparing sampling methods and instrumentation and obtaining baseline values of various chemical properties was held in the Bering Sea in July and August 1977. This report deals only with the C1-C4 hydrocarbons and CO found in the water column. The stations can be divided into open-ocean, near-shore, and transition stations. The open-ocean stations exhibit the same type of trends found in other open-ocean areas, but concentrations are higher. The near-shore or shallow-water stations exhibited very high concentrations, as would be expected due to the high biological activity and proximity of the sediment to the water surface. The Bering Sea area overall exhibited higher hydrocarbon concentrations but the same type of trends found elsewhere in the world oceans. (Author)