Ocean Acidification - Category 1: Climatological Mean Distribution of pH in Surface Waters in the Unified pH Scale and Mean Rate of Changes in Selected Areas
- Lead PI: Dr. Taro Takahashi
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Unit Affiliation: Geochemistry, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO)
- January 2011 - December 2013
- Inactive
- Global ; Research Vessels ; RVIB N. Palmer
- Project Type: Research
DESCRIPTION: The project objective is to create a single unified distribution of surface ocean pH based on observations of pCO2, total alkalinity, and total CO2 concentration to serve as a world ocean baseline distribution for the characterization of future ocean acidification.
OUTCOMES: Created a climatological database for pCO2, TCO2, alkalinity, and nutrient concentrations. Found that average ocean surface waters had pH ranges from 7.9 to 8.2. Found that oceans have been increasing in CO2 concentration at the same rate as the atmosphere (1.9ppm/yr) which results in about -0.002 pH/yr.