scholarly journals Investigating the effect of carbon dioxide on the acidity of the Ocean

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 212-214
Author(s):  
AA El-Meligi

There is a significant effect of carbon dioxide on the acidification of the ocean. This research focuses on the acidification of the ocean and its effect on the animal life in the ocean. Also, it focuses on the effect of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere on the ocean acidification. The data are collected from the research institutions and laboratories, such as National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), Japan, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA, Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, and other sources of research about acidification of ocean. The results show that the acidity increases with increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is because ocean absorbs nearly 50% of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Carbonate ions (CO32-) will be used in forming carbonic acid, which will increase the acidity of the water. Increasing the acidity of water will affect building of the animal Skeleton. It is recommended to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; therefore the acidity will be decreased in the ocean.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Vagenas ◽  
Theano Iliopoulou ◽  
Panayiotis Dimitriadis ◽  
Demetris Koutsoyiannis

<p>Since the pre-industrial era at the end of the 18<sup>th</sup> century, the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (CO<sub>2</sub>) has increased by 47.46% from the level of 280 ppmv (parts per million volume) to 412.89 ppmv (Mauna Loa – NOAA Station, November 2020). These increased concentrations caused by natural & anthropogenic activities, interact with the aquatic environment which acts as a safety valve. Nevertheless, the absorbed CO<sub>2 </sub>amounts undergo chemical transformations, resulting in increasing ionized concentrations that can significantly reduce the water’s pH, a process described as ocean acidification. Here, we use the HOT (Hawaii-Ocean-Time series) to perform time series analysis for temperature, carbon dioxide partial pressure and pH. More specifically, we analyze their temporal changes in month and annual time lag. Then, we proceed in comparisons with relevant studies on atmospheric data to evaluate the produced results. Finally, we make an effort to disentangle the results with simplified assumptions connected with the observed impact of ocean acidification on the aquatic ecosystems.</p>


2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 11957-11970 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Varotsos ◽  
M.-N. Assimakopoulos ◽  
M. Efstathiou

Abstract. The monthly mean values of the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration derived from in-situ air samples collected at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, during 1958–2004 (the longest continuous record available in the world) are analyzed by employing the detrended fluctuation analysis to detect scaling behavior in this time series. The main result is that the fluctuations of carbon dioxide concentrations exhibit long-range power-law correlations (long memory) with lag times ranging from four months to eleven years, which correspond to 1/f noise. This result indicates that random perturbations in the carbon dioxide concentrations give rise to noise, characterized by a frequency spectrum following a power-law with exponent that approaches to one; the latter shows that the correlation times grow strongly. This feature is pointing out that a correctly rescaled subset of the original time series of the carbon dioxide concentrations resembles the original time series. Finally, the power-law relationship derived from the real measurements of the carbon dioxide concentrations could also serve as a tool to improve the confidence of the atmospheric chemistry-transport and global climate models.


2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 1227-1229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angus R. Westgarth-Smith

Ocean acidification (OA) is caused by increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, which dissolves in seawater to produce carbonic acid. This carbonic acid reduces the availability of dissolved aragonite needed for production of some invertebrate exoskeletons with potentially severe consequences for marine calcifier populations. There is a lack of public information on OA with less than 1% of press coverage on OA compared with climate change; OA is not included in UK GCSE and A Level specifications and textbooks; environmental campaigners are much less active in campaigning about OA compared with climate change. As a result of the lack of public awareness OA is rarely discussed in the UK Parliament. Much more public education about OA is needed so that people can respond to the urgent need for technological and lifestyle changes needed to massively reduce carbon dioxide emissions.


EDIS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (2) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Joseph Henry ◽  
Joshua Patterson ◽  
Lisa Krimsky

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration leading to ocean acidification is a threat to marine ecosystems and organisms. As atmospheric CO2 rises, CO2 is driven into the ocean. When CO2 combines with seawater it makes carbonic acid. Carbonic acid then breaks down to form a hydrogen ion and a bicarbonate ion. Excess hydrogen ions building up over time result in decreased seawater pH. Furthermore, the excess hydrogen ions combine with carbonate ions in the water, resulting in fewer available carbonate ions for marine calcifiers. These carbonate ions are an essential element for marine calcifiers and their decreased availability is of increasing concern. The overall change in pH and available carbonate ions has been shown to have direct impacts on physiology, behavior, and calcification rates of marine organisms. Coastal Florida boasts an abundance and diversity of calcifying organisms that stand to be impacted by the altered carbonate chemistry resulting from increased atmospheric CO2 levels. This publication will focus on the impacts of ocean acidification on Calcification. Specifically focusing on how calcification in corals, bivalves, echinoderms and planktonic organisms are being impacte.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 15541-15565 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. J. Bellerby ◽  
A. Silyakova ◽  
G. Nondal ◽  
D. Slagstad ◽  
J. Czerny ◽  
...  

Abstract. A major, potential stressor of marine systems is the changing water chemistry following increasing seawater carbon dioxide concentration (CO2), commonly termed ocean acidification. In order to understand how an Arctic pelagic ecosystem may respond to future CO2, a deliberate ocean acidification and nutrient perturbation study was undertaken in an Arctic fjord. The initial setting and evolution of seawater carbonate chemistry were investigated. Additions of carbon dioxide resulted in a wide range of ocean acidification scenarios. This study documents the changes to the CO2 system throughout the study following net biological consumption and gas exchange with the atmosphere. In light of the common practice of extrapolating results to cover regions away from experimental conditions, a modelling study was also performed to assess the representativeness, in the context of the simulated present and future carbonate system, of the experimental study region to both the near and wider Arctic region. The mesocosm experiment represented the range of simulated marine carbonate system for the coming century and beyond (pCO2 to 1420 μatm) and thus extrapolations may be appropriate to ecosystems exhibiting similar levels of CO2 system drivers. However, as the regional ocean acidification was very heterogenous and did not follow changes in atmospheric CO2, care should be taken in extrapolating the mesocosm response to other regions based on atmospheric CO2 scenarios.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Gallo ◽  
Kai G. Schulz ◽  
Eduardo B. Azevedo ◽  
João Madruga ◽  
Joana Barcelos e Ramos

Abstract. Emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), are lead to increasing global and surface ocean temperatures. At the same time, as CO2 equilibrates between the atmosphere and the surface ocean, it decreases sea water pH. As a result, the changes in physical and chemical properties of the ocean can affect marine primary producers in various ways. A number of researches have addressed the effects of ocean acidification on marine phytoplankton. However, phytoplankton responses to combined effects are still poorly understood. Here, we chose monospecific cultures of the cosmopolitan chain forming diatom Asterionellopsis glacialis (A. glacialis), grown semi-continuously under controlled laboratory conditions, to assess the combined effect of ocean acidification (~ 420 to 2800 µatm) and turbulence. At current CO2 levels, growth rates of A. glacialis increased under enhanced turbulence. This was the result of an optimum shift towards lower CO2 concentrations and accompanied by a prevalence of longer chains (more than 6 cells). For increasing CO2 levels (up to ~ 2800 µatm) and decreased pH values, enhanced turbulence significantly decreased growth rates, chain length and organic matter production of A. glacialis. Thus, our study suggests that, even though A. glacialis benefited from enhanced turbulence, at present carbon dioxide concentration, at higher CO2 levels, turbulence magnified the stress by acidification. If in the future, the ocean surface layer will be more frequently exposed to storm and wind events, then phytoplankton communities might be more sensitive to lower pH, with potential consequences for community composition and productivity.


2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Varotsos ◽  
M.-N. Assimakopoulos ◽  
M. Efstathiou

Abstract. The monthly mean values of the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration derived from in-situ air samples collected at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, USA during 1958–2004 (the longest continuous record available in the world) are analyzed by employing the detrended fluctuation analysis to detect scaling behavior in this time series. The main result is that the fluctuations of carbon dioxide concentrations exhibit long-range power-law correlations (long memory) with lag times ranging from four months to eleven years, which correspond to 1/f noise. This result indicates that random perturbations in the carbon dioxide concentrations give rise to noise, characterized by a frequency spectrum following a power-law with exponent that approaches to one; the latter shows that the correlation times grow strongly. This feature is pointing out that a correctly rescaled subset of the original time series of the carbon dioxide concentrations resembles the original time series. Finally, the power-law relationship derived from the real measurements of the carbon dioxide concentrations could also serve as a tool to improve the confidence of the atmospheric chemistry-transport and global climate models.


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