On the absorption of carbonic acid by saline solutions

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 1874
• Subjects: Freed; Carbonic acid
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspl.1873.0092; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspl.1873.0092

In the examination of sea-water, whether it be regarded from a chemical or from a zoological point of view, the determination of and the variations in the amount of carbonic acid in different parts of ocean must always be an object of importance. This is more especially so when a parallel series of observations on the quantity of oxygen present is carried out. At the surface we should expect to find the quantities of these gases following the law of partial pressures; at greater depths, however, where the water for long periods only comes in contact with water, we should expect to find the quantity of oxygen decreasing and that of carbonic acid increasing with the amount of animal life. The investigation from this point of view of the bottom-water, at greater and smaller depths, presents perhaps a more interesting field of observation than that of intermediate depths. Down to nearly 2000 fathoms life is still abundant; below this depth, however, the amount rapidly decreases till, at about 2800 fathoms, it is, for carbonic acid producing purposes, practically extinct. "We have, then, to settle the variation of the carbonic acid with latitude and longitude, with depth, with nature of bottom, and with nature of atmosphere. In order to solve these problems, it is before all necessary to have a reliable method for the determination of the carbonic acid. For the discovery of a cause of error in the old method, and for the invention of a new one, we are indebted to Dr. Jacobsen, of Kiel. Dr. Jacobsen found that sea-water could not, as had been till then assumed, be thoroughly freed from its dissolved carbonic acid by merely boiling in vacuo . He found that it was necessary to boil down almost to dryness before the last traces of carbonic acid could be expelled. Being particularly interested in the matter, I immediately commenced a series of experiments to determine, if possible, the salt or salts to which sea-water owes this peculiar property. A short résumé of the results of these experiments have been published as an ...