A detailed survey of radon 222 and temperature profiles of the benthic boundary layer in the Hatteras Abyssal Plain shows a strong correlation between the structure of both. The apparent vertical diffusivities estimated from radon 222 are of the order of 50 cm2s−1in the mixed layer, and of the order of 1 cm−2s−1above it. One profile appears to have been taken in a frontal zone where isotherms dip sharply into the sediments. This is the only profile where there is significant penetration of radon above the mixed layer. Several other profiles suggest that the temperature may take longer than several radon half‐lives to adjust to new mixing and advection regimes. In such cases, one often sees considerable structure in the radon profile within the region where the potential temperature is wel