Estimation of the CO2 fluxes through the ocean-atmosphere boundary by hydrochemical parameters in the western part of the Bering Sea

In the western part of the Bering Sea, in the summer period of 1993, the ve rtical distribution of the total inorganic carbon and carbon dioxide was st udied. The vertical variability of the total inorganic carbon in the surfac e waters mass of summer modification (SWMSM) and cold intermediate layer (C IL) was shown to correlate to the vertical variability of phosphorus and in organic nitrogen but to differ from that of the silicates. At the time of t he survey, the mean CO2 pressure in the surface layer in the area studied a ccounted for similar to 230 mu atm, which allowed us to estimate the flux o f CO2 at similar to2 x 10(-2) mol/(m(2) per day). The loss of total inorgan ic carbon in the surface layer for the time of the survey was estimated to account for similar to4.6 mol/m(2), which, within the range of the uncertai nty of estimates, is in agreement with that of the bioassimilation of inorg anic carbon, obtained from the losses of phosphates.