Monitoring Ocean Chemistry
Changes in climate can alter many properties of the oceans; increasing levels of dissolved carbon are changing the chemistry of seawater and making it more acidic.
| Measurement | Importance |
|---|---|
| pH | More pollution = more CO2 = greater acidity (lower pH). Seawater pH is typically between 7.5 and 8.4, with the North Pacific gernally in the 7.9 to 8.0. range. pH changes in the water drastically affect trophic-level organisms (i.e., the bottom of the food chain). (More) |
| Temperature | The most important inidcator of climate warming is the ocean water temperature. We can't affect the temperature of the ocean, but we can monitor it so we're alerted to temperature increases. (More) |
| Salinity | On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5%. Along with temperature, salt levels directly affect seawater density (salty water is denser than freshwater) and therefore the circulation of ocean currents from the tropics to the poles. (More) |
| EC | The Electrical Conductivity reading is an indication of the quantity of conductive particles in the water sample. Dissolved salts and other inorganic chemicals conduct electrical current, so conductivity increases as salinity increases. (More) |
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