Algorithms in Ocean Chemistry

Description

Breathe in, breathe out...like a giant lung, oceans absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, and release it once again as cold water currents reach warmer areas of the globe. Indeed, CO2 solubility varies with temperature, together with other factors such as salinity and pressure. Chemically speaking, why does seawater so readily absorb carbon dioxide, thereby buffering the anthropogenic emission of this gas ? Oceans cover about 71% of the earth’s surface and the gaseous exchange occurs through the ocean’s surface, but the answer to this question lies deeper, in what is a widely underestimated fact: the pH (acidity level) of seawater is substantially alkaline, ranging from 8.0 to 8.7. This means that the balance of positive and negative ions is reached through a higher concentration of hydroxide ions (OH -) compared to hydrogen ions (H+). Foreward Preface Chapter 1. Introduction and Methods Chapter 2. Kinetic Systems Chapter 3. Reversible Equilibrium Reactions Chapter 4. From Pure Water to Concentrated Salt Solutions Chapter 5. Effect of Temperature and Salinity on Equilibrium Constants Chapter 6. The Practical Repercussions Chapter 7. Pressure Effect on Equilibrium Reactions Chapter 8. Examples and Applications Appendix References