SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF SUSPENDED PARTICLES IN THE SURFACE WATER OF THE CENTRAL NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN.

The particle concentration was very high in the northern region and decreased rapidly toward the southern region but was accompanied by several peaks. The cumulative distribution of particles was approximately hyperbolic in shape but the distribution below 4. 8 mu m diameter, obtained in the northern region, could be fitted to both hyperbolic and exponential distributions. In the southern region, however, fit to the hyperbolic distribution was better than that to the exponential one. The difference of the shape in size distribution rather clearly existed between the northern and southern regions. Relative fraction of the volume occupied by particles in various size grades in the total volume was calculated. The results showed that particles of size between 3. 8 mu m and 9. 6 mu m occupy a larger volume fraction in the northern region than in the southern region.