Climate Changes due to Ocean Acidification
Ocean Acidification In the 200-plus years since the industrial revolution began, the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the atmosphere has increased due to humans burning fossil fuels (such as car emissions) and changing the way land is used (such as deforestation). During this time, the pH of surface ocean waters has fallen by 0.1 pH units. The pH scale, like the Richter scale, is logarithmic, so this change represents approximately a 30 percent increase in acidity. figure:1. Ocean Acidification The ocean absorbs about 30% of the CO 2 that is released in the atmosphere, and as levels of atmospheric CO 2 increase, so do the levels in the ocean. When CO 2 is absorbed by seawater, a series of chemical reactions occur resulting in the increased concentration of hydrogen ions. This increase causes the seawater to become more acidic and causes carbonate ions to be relatively less abundant. figure:2. Climate Changes Process Marine scientists a