Impact of surface ocean acidification on the CO2 absorption rate

The rising level of atmospheric CO2 and consequently the acidification of the surface ocean affect the CO2 absorption rate. However, there are no mathematical models to describe the impacts of acidification on the rate of CO2 absorption. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop simple mathematical models to describe the dependence of the CO2 absorption rate on the pH of the surface ocean. The developed models predict that the CO2 absorption rate is enhanced with acidification directly proportional to the increase in the abundance of H2CO3 in the surface ocean. In addition, the models predict that the increasing rate of CO2 absorption reflects the increasing rate of increase of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Arctic Frontiers keynote science talks now available on WebTV

The recorded presentations of the 10 keynote speakers from Wednesday 26 January 2011 are now available via the WebTV links below. There is one by Jean-Pierre Gattuso on “Ocean acidification in the Arctic Ocean and Nordic seas: chemical threshold and biological response”.