Environmental Science 1021F/G Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: 30Th Parallel South, 30Th Parallel North, Ocean Acidification
19 Dec 2013
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Document Summary
Ocean and atmosphere come into direct contact over 75% of earth"s surface and they are constantly exchanging gases over that interface; anything emitted into one ends up in the other. Winds, waves, and currents quickly mix co2 into the top one hundred metres or so of water as years pass, currents pull it even deeper and deeper. 30% of all the co2 released by humans in the last two centuries has been absorbed by the oceans. Normal sea water has a ph level of around 8. 2 meaning it is slightly basic (alkaline) Co2 emissions have reduced the ocean"s ph by about 0. 1 this corresponds to a 30% increase in ocean water acidity. If present trends continue, by 2100, the ocean"s surface waters will be about 150% more acidic than they were in 1800. Acidification: the lowering of the ph of a solution. As ph shifts, the availability of key nutrients such as nitrogen and iron will change.
