From profiles of conductivity, temperature and depth provided by Prince William Sound Science Center (PWSSC) to Musgrave Oceanographic Analysis (MOA), we analyzed the mixed layer depth (MLD), the potential energy of mixing, and the salinity and temperature in the upper layers of Prince William Sound (PWS) by season and region. We defined the MLD as the depth at which a change from the surface density (expressed as) of 0.125 kg m-3 has occurred. As a better measure of the potential for mixing of the upper ocean, we calculated the potential energy of mixing to a depth of 10 m, the minimum depth over which dispersed oil is expected to mix. The results of this analysis show that the MLD is shallowest in the summer and deepest in the winter.
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