Abstract : Spatial variations in small scale vertical shear in the upper ocean are described, relationships between small scale vertical shear and density stratification are investigated, and the potential for predicting mean vertical shear from measurements of the density field is assessed. Fifteen vertical profiles of density and horizontal velocity are used. These were obtained in several dynamically different ocean areas with a sensor package known as YVETTE. It is concluded that a reasonable first approximation to a climatology of small scale shear (at least, in the North Atlantic) might be derived from a characterization of the large scale density stratification. Contributions by factors other than density stratification to the observed levels of small scale vertical shear in the upper ocean are also considered. We recommend that additional measurements be made with an YVETTE-type profiler in a wide variety of ocean areas. This work was supported through contract N00014-79-C-0652 from the Naval Oceanographic Research and Development Activity. (Author)