Posted on 03/31/2006 8:54:47 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SEATTLE, March 31 (UPI) -- Testing by U.S. scientists finds that the Pacific Ocean is getting warmer and more acidic, while the amount of oxygen is decreasing.
Scientists with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and the University of Washington say the ocean is becoming increasingly acidic because of its absorption of carbon dioxide, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported Friday.
"You don't have to believe in climate change to believe that this is happening," said Joanie Kleypas, an oceanographer with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a non-profit organization based in Boulder, Colo. "Acidification is more frightening than a lot of the climate change issues."
Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels and in the past 200 years, the ocean has absorbed about half of what's been released into the atmosphere, the scientists say.
The pH of the saltwater has dropped 0.025 units since the early 1990s, the pH scale is exponential, so a one-unit drop is a 10-fold decrease, therefore the new measurement puts the ocean on track for a dramatic decline by the end of the century, the scientists say.
And a collective group of assclowns are forcing me to change the time on all my clocks tonight.
"A thing is, what it is." - Aristotle
Aside from that, love this global warming stuff. ;-)
I have to wonder if being as this is also the Pacific Rim region , that there isn't some seepage from undersea volcanic and / or vent activity that may be contributing as well. somehow, trying to make this a global warming item seems a bit of a stretch, imo , but ..
as for your tummy, over the counter stuff antacids may help. ;-)
Good post. Do you want some supporting references for this? (Undersea volcanic activity would not be a significant cause, by the way. It's a surface phenomenon.)
That 50 millions gallons of sewage from Hawaii didn't help any either.
I have heard we know more about outer space then we do about our own oceans. I'm in sea sponge mode here at FR, fill me in on other data and such. Thanks! :)
When I see shots of undersea vents blowing hot chemical&mineral enriched streams of water and also current submerged volcanos likely to break surface someday churning away, 24x7, it may not be 'significant' per se, but it sure is fun to watch. how many lie undetected? have we so thoroughly mapped all the depths of the oceans?
The Acid Ocean – the Other Problem with CO2 Emission
Ocean acidification due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (there is a link on this page to a 68 page PDF document, the full report)
The Dangers of Ocean Acidification (Color PDF of very good Scientific American article)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.