A photographic analysis of bubbles generated in coastal seas by breaking waves and general turbulence has allowed the number and spectrum of sizes of bubbles greater than 17 μm in radius to be counted and observed. A distribution of numbers and sizes is presented for bubbles at 1.5‐m depth arising from wave activity driven by winds of from 8 to 10 m s−1; under these conditions the number of bubbles was 2.7×104 m−3. In winds of 11–13 m s−1 the numbers of bubbles determined from photographs were 4.8×105 m−3 0.7‐m depth, 1.6×105 m−3 at 1.8‐m depth, and 1.6×104 m−3 at 4‐m depth. The data acquired by this technique enable us and others to calculate the rate of the invasion of atmospheric gas into and out of the sea and to investigate the production of nonliving organic particulate matter by the processes of adsorption and bubble dissolution. The numbers of bubbles that do not dissolve completely but rise to the sea surface and burst are also calculable and are fundamental to quantifying the production of marine aerosols. A comparison of this technique with classical acoustic methods is now imperative.
Bubbles of less than 1 micrometer and as large as 13.5 micrometers in diameter, stabilized by an apparent compression of substances sorbed onto their surfaces, were examined to determine their physical and temporal stability. Their ease of formation is related to the qualities of the water in which they are formed. Their presence in the water column must now be considered when interpreting acoustic data gathered to determine marine bubble populations.
Small bubbles when dissolved in filtered and unfiltered seawater produce minute particles that can remain dispersed or aggregate to form larger particles. The formation of each type of particle has been recorded photographically, and the relationship between initial bubble radius and particle size is presented.
The chemoautotrophic fixation of carbon dioxide by bacteria is responsible for an appreciable component of the organic carbon in a sulfide-rich marine mud. A peak of carbon dioxide fixation (at 40 centimeters subbottom) coincides with peaks in the organic carbon content, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen, and bacterial cell counts. Stimulation of fixation by thiosulfate and inhibition by anaerobic conditions implicate the chemoautotrophic sulfur bacteria as primary producers in this environment.
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