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How do you neutralize ocean acidification?
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
- Eat less meat.
- Use less energy at home.
- Conserve water.
- Reduce your plastic addiction.
- Drive and fly less, carpool, ride bikes and take public transit.
- Buy less stuff.
- Reduce, reuse, recycle and refuse!
- Assess your life, career and lifestyle choices.
How does an increase of carbon dioxide in ocean water result in a decrease in pH?
The term ocean acidification refers to the process of moving toward the acid end of the scale, because dissolved carbon dioxide results in increased [H+] lowering the pH of seawater. Carbon dioxide reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid, which releases hydrogen ions, reducing pH.
Would a decrease in pH mean an increase or decrease in CO32 concentration?
Acidification is defined as an increase in the concentration of H + in a solution or a lowering of a solution’s pH. The overall effect of CO2 dissolving into water is that the concentrations of H+, H2CO3 and HCO3- increase and the concentration of CO32- decreases and the solution is more acidic (i.e. a decrease in pH.
How does increased CO2 affect the ocean?
As the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rises, the oceans absorb a lot of it. In the ocean, carbon dioxide reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid. This causes the acidity of seawater to increase.
How does carbon dioxide acidify the ocean?
Ocean acidification is occurring because excess carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is being absorbed at the surface of the ocean at an increasing rate. This excess CO2 results in more hydrogen ions, which increases the acidity of the ocean.
What does co32 have to do with ocean acidification?
Because of human-driven increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, there is more CO2 dissolving into the ocean. The ocean’s average pH is now around 8.1 , which is basic (or alkaline), but as the ocean continues to absorb more CO2, the pH decreases and the ocean becomes more acidic.