Modulation of Ocean Acidification

Via PNAS:
Reasearch suggests that acidification rate of the oceans is modulated by physical and biogeochemical processes which must be considered "when designing and interpreting ocean pH monitoring efforts and predictive models."

Physical and biogeochemical modulation of ocean acidification in the central North Pacific

Here we report the results of nearly 20 years of time-series measurements of seawater pH and associated parameters at Station ALOHA in the central North Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. We document a significant long-term decreasing trend of −0.0019 ± 0.0002 y−1 in surface pH, which is indistinguishable from the rate of acidification expected from equilibration with the atmosphere. Superimposed upon this trend is a strong seasonal pH cycle driven by temperature, mixing, and net photosynthetic CO2 assimilation.

Read the Open Access article at PNAS.