What Is Ocean Acidification?

It is the increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the ocean that is acidifying the oceans. As a result, since the Industrial Revolution (around 1750), the oceans have absorbed large amounts of this carbon dioxide, and it is therefore acidifying. When carbon dioxide enters the oceans, it combines with seawater to form carbonic acid, which increases the acidity of the water and lowers it to a pH of 7.0, the lowest pH in the world’s oceans. Ocean acidification is a process in which the acidity concentration in seawater increases and the pH value falls below the normal value. Although it is unlikely that the oceans will ever actually acidify (fall under pH 7), the term “acidification” refers to the process of acidification of the oceans.

The oceans also have a pH value, which is however usually rated as 1.0, the lowest pH value in the world’s oceans, and up to 3.5. To reduce the warming of the atmosphere and climate change, we have a direct chemical effect on seawater, ocean acidification. The oceans absorb the carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere by human activities. Here, too, the process of ocean acidification can explain the situation in which the carbon dioxide IV content in the water has increased dramatically.


When carbon dioxide is combined with water in the ocean, it can form carbonic acid, making the oceans more acidic and reducing the ability of calcifying organisms to form their shells and skeletons. Ocean acidification (OA) refers to the continuous decline in the pH of the oceans, caused primarily by human activities such as human emissions of greenhouse gases and the release of CO2 into the atmosphere. However, ocean acidification is well documented and is a major concern of marine science. The effects of climate change on the oceans and other parts of the planet’s atmosphere and atmosphere often receive more attention than OA.

Increased carbon dioxide levels cause changes in the chemistry of the coastal oceans. Since seawater absorbs carbon emissions from the air, it produces weaker acids and pH is pushed down. This changes the chemical composition of the water, which in turn leads to changes in ocean acidification. In pre-industrial times, the average pH at the sea surface fell by 0.1 units, which corresponds to an increase in acidity of about 30%. If we lower the pH of the oceans (measured as acidity and alkalinity) over a longer period of time, the chemistry of the oceans will change dramatically. When seawater absorbs carbon dioxide, chemical reactions occur, which lead to a higher concentration of hydrogen ions. This makes the seawater more acidic and the carbonation is relatively less frequent.

The pH of the surface water of the oceans decreased by 0.1 units, reflecting an increase in acidity of 30 percent. The absorption of CO 2 leads to a reduction in the pH value, which reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the water and thus its ability to absorb carbonate. To reduce this pH, the carbon dioxide reacts with the seawater to form carbonic acid, which releases hydrogen ions and thus lowers the pH value. The pH will fall from pre-industrial levels by 0.3 to 0.4 units and reach its pre-industrial level of 1.0 units. The pH of the oceans varies between 1 and 2 units per year, with the average decrease in recent years being 2.5 units.

Ocean acidification refers to the fact that the pH of the Earth’s oceans is gradually falling to a pH that is becoming less and less alkaline and approaching the acidic end of its scale. Acidification means that water becomes less “alkaline” and moves closer to the “acid” (or the “end”). PH scale, but it will never get more acidic than 7.0. Ocean acidification is a change in the properties of seawater that can harm plants and animals. Scientists have observed that the oceans are becoming more acidic as seawater absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This nickname means that water is more sensitive to two chemicals called hydrogen (H) and oxygen.

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere has increased, increasing the acidification of water and the pH of seawater, as well as the number of fish species and birds. When people began burning coal in large quantities, the world’s oceans became more acidic. Ocean acidification is the term given for the change in the pH value of sea water due to the increase in CO 2. Oceanographic measurements worldwide show that the pH value in seawater decreases, i.e. the oceans acidify. Before industrialization, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 280 ppm, but with the increase in fossil fuel use, the rate of growth has accelerated and is now approaching 400 ppm. Due to global warming, this phenomenon, known as ocean acidification, is due to the increased CO 2 content and its impact on the pH of the oceans.

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