Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
ocean acidification, there is no doubt that the information will be
most valuable for human society in deciding the best decisions to
make.
5.7. Acknowledgments
This chapter is a contribution to the Mediterranean Sea
Acidification in a Changing Climate (MedSeA) project, which benefits
from financial support from the European Commission, and the Ocean
Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC) funded
through the IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative. The IAEA is grateful for
the support provided to its Enviornmental Laboratories by the
government of the Principality of Monaco.
5.8. Appendix
5.8.1.
Carbonate chemistry of carbonates and biogeochemical
processes
The chemistry of seawater is relatively complex and can only be
briefly summarized here. The works of Zeebe and Wolf-Gadrow
[ZEE 01] and Millero [MIL 06] provide a very complete analysis on
the topic.
Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC or C
T
) is present in different
forms in seawater. The main forms are dissolved carbonic gas (CO
2
),
bicarbonate (
CO
−
). The pH is an indicator of
seawater acidity (pH = -log
10
[H
+
]) which can be formulated using
different scales; the total scale is used in this chapter [DIC 10]. The
concentration in carbonic acid (H
2
CO
3
) is weak, generally less
than 0.3%, and is often combined with that of dissolved CO
2
([CO
2
]). These different forms of carbon are in equilibrium
depending on their relative concentration, pH, temperature and the
concentration of other compounds (Figure 5.1). The average chemistry
HCO
−
) and carbonate (
3
3
