Ocean acidification

Ocean chemistry

100

At what temperature is water heaviest?

4 degrees

200

What happens when CO₂ enters the ocean?

It dissociates into carbonate acid, bicarbonate, carbonate and H⁺ ions

Anatomy of the ocean layers

100

What are the three layers of the ocean?

Mixing layer, thermocline and deep ocean.

200

How long does it take for the ocean and atmosphere to exchange gases?

10-100 years

300

How long does it take for the mixing between the surface ocean and deep oceans?

The time span of around 1.000 years

In the deep

100

What organsims does biogenic sediments consist of?

Plankton, phytoplankton, clams, snails, sponges and etc.

200

Which type of sediment is of greatest concern when it comes to ocean acidification?

Carbonatious

300

For what two major reasons is ocean acidification a problem for coral reefs?

Their calciumcarbonate gets dissolved making them more vulnerable to eerosion and rough animal behavior.

Less coralline algae to help build the reefs.

SALTY

100

At what saturation state does aragonite begin to dissolve?

Under 1

Adaption and mitigation

100

Can species adapt to the current changes in the ocean?

Yes

200

In the past there have been way higher amounts of CO₂ in the atmosphere without it causing damage to the ecosystems. Why is that?

It was given millions of years to adapt to it.