Direct Observations of Basin-wide Acidification of the North Pacific Ocean
Global ocean acidification is a prominent, inexorable change associated with rising levels of atmospheric CO2. Here we present the first basin-wide direct observations of recently declining pH, along with estimates of anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic contributions to that signal. Along 152°W in t...
Published in: | Geophysical Research Letters |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
Digital Commons @ University of South Florida
2010
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/1590 https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040999 https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/context/msc_facpub/article/2642/viewcontent/2009GL040999.pdf |
id |
ftusouthflorida:oai:digitalcommons.usf.edu:msc_facpub-2642 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftusouthflorida:oai:digitalcommons.usf.edu:msc_facpub-2642 2023-07-30T04:06:01+02:00 Direct Observations of Basin-wide Acidification of the North Pacific Ocean Byrne, Robert H. Mecking, Sabine Feely, Richard A. Liu, Xuewu 2010-01-01T08:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/1590 https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040999 https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/context/msc_facpub/article/2642/viewcontent/2009GL040999.pdf unknown Digital Commons @ University of South Florida https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/1590 doi:10.1029/2009GL040999 https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/context/msc_facpub/article/2642/viewcontent/2009GL040999.pdf default Marine Science Faculty Publications seawater pH ocean acidification rates pH variability Life Sciences article 2010 ftusouthflorida https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040999 2023-07-13T21:01:59Z Global ocean acidification is a prominent, inexorable change associated with rising levels of atmospheric CO2. Here we present the first basin-wide direct observations of recently declining pH, along with estimates of anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic contributions to that signal. Along 152°W in the North Pacific Ocean (22–56°N), pH changes between 1991 and 2006 were essentially zero below about 800 m depth. However, in the upper 500 m, significant pH changes, as large as −0.06, were observed. Anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic contributions over the upper 800 m are estimated to be of similar magnitude. In the surface mixed layer (depths to ∼100 m), the extent of pH change is consistent with that expected under conditions of seawater/atmosphere equilibration, with an average rate of change of −0.0017/yr. Future mixed layer changes can be expected to closely mirror changes in atmospheric CO2, with surface seawater pH continuing to fall as atmospheric CO2 rises. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ocean acidification University of South Florida St. Petersburg: Digital USFSP Pacific Geophysical Research Letters 37 2 n/a n/a |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of South Florida St. Petersburg: Digital USFSP |
op_collection_id |
ftusouthflorida |
language |
unknown |
topic |
seawater pH ocean acidification rates pH variability Life Sciences |
spellingShingle |
seawater pH ocean acidification rates pH variability Life Sciences Byrne, Robert H. Mecking, Sabine Feely, Richard A. Liu, Xuewu Direct Observations of Basin-wide Acidification of the North Pacific Ocean |
topic_facet |
seawater pH ocean acidification rates pH variability Life Sciences |
description |
Global ocean acidification is a prominent, inexorable change associated with rising levels of atmospheric CO2. Here we present the first basin-wide direct observations of recently declining pH, along with estimates of anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic contributions to that signal. Along 152°W in the North Pacific Ocean (22–56°N), pH changes between 1991 and 2006 were essentially zero below about 800 m depth. However, in the upper 500 m, significant pH changes, as large as −0.06, were observed. Anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic contributions over the upper 800 m are estimated to be of similar magnitude. In the surface mixed layer (depths to ∼100 m), the extent of pH change is consistent with that expected under conditions of seawater/atmosphere equilibration, with an average rate of change of −0.0017/yr. Future mixed layer changes can be expected to closely mirror changes in atmospheric CO2, with surface seawater pH continuing to fall as atmospheric CO2 rises. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Byrne, Robert H. Mecking, Sabine Feely, Richard A. Liu, Xuewu |
author_facet |
Byrne, Robert H. Mecking, Sabine Feely, Richard A. Liu, Xuewu |
author_sort |
Byrne, Robert H. |
title |
Direct Observations of Basin-wide Acidification of the North Pacific Ocean |
title_short |
Direct Observations of Basin-wide Acidification of the North Pacific Ocean |
title_full |
Direct Observations of Basin-wide Acidification of the North Pacific Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Direct Observations of Basin-wide Acidification of the North Pacific Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Direct Observations of Basin-wide Acidification of the North Pacific Ocean |
title_sort |
direct observations of basin-wide acidification of the north pacific ocean |
publisher |
Digital Commons @ University of South Florida |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/1590 https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040999 https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/context/msc_facpub/article/2642/viewcontent/2009GL040999.pdf |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
Ocean acidification |
genre_facet |
Ocean acidification |
op_source |
Marine Science Faculty Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/1590 doi:10.1029/2009GL040999 https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/context/msc_facpub/article/2642/viewcontent/2009GL040999.pdf |
op_rights |
default |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040999 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
37 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
n/a |
op_container_end_page |
n/a |
_version_ |
1772818374635552768 |