Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, August 1978

Basic data on the physical and chemical properties measured over the period 21 August through 31 August 1978 on the tidally influenced Potomac River and estuary are presented herein. Forty-two vertical profiles, and approximately 170 surface observations were made of the distributions of salinity, temperature, light transmission, chlorophyll-a fluorescence, dissolved oxygen, partial pressure of CO2, orthophosphate, nitrate+nitrite, nitrite, ammonia, and silicate. Additional analyses were performed on discrete samples collected for particulate organic carbon, alkalinity, pH, suspended particulate matter, total phosphate, total nitrogen, total dissolved phosphate, and total dissolved nitrogen.