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Acidification of oceans simply means a reduction in their pH outside of normal values.
The pH scale measures acidity and alkalinity of water-based solutions. It runs from 0 (highly acidic) through 7 (neutral) to 14 (highly alkaline). Any reduction in pH value, in the direction of 0, is acidification. The oceans acidify whenever they become less alkaline, regardless of whether their pH declines below 7.
A good analogy for acidification can be found with the way we talk about temperatures. If the pH of a solution shifts from 8.1 to 7.9, that is acidification, even though the solution remains slightly alkaline. In the same way, if the temperature rises from -40°C to -15°C, it has definitely warmed up, even though it's still freezing cold.
Since the Industrial Revolution, ocean pH has declined from 8.2 to 8.1 — a 30% increase in acidity.
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Sources
Smithsonian Ocean Ocean Acidification
Encyclopædia Britannica PH | Definition, Uses, & Facts
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration What is Ocean Acidification?
European Environment Agency Ocean acidification
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact — a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all of our published fact briefs here.
Posted by SkS-Team on Saturday, 8 June, 2024
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