SCIENCE EXAM
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An increase in CO2 will LOWER the pH, making the ocean MORE acidic.
Ocean acidification is the name given to the ongoing decrease in the pH and increase in acidity of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. About a quarter of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere goes into the oceans, where it forms carbonic acid.
As the amount of carbon has risen in the atmosphere there has been a corresponding rise of carbon going into the ocean. Between 1751 and 1994 surface ocean pH is estimated to have decreased from approximately 8.25 to 8.14, representing an increase of approaching 30% in "acidity" (H+ ion concentration) in the world's oceans.
This ongoing acidification of the oceans poses a threat to the oceans' food chain.
Ocean acidification is the name given to the ongoing decrease in the pH and increase in acidity of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. About a quarter of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere goes into the oceans, where it forms carbonic acid.
As the amount of carbon has risen in the atmosphere there has been a corresponding rise of carbon going into the ocean. Between 1751 and 1994 surface ocean pH is estimated to have decreased from approximately 8.25 to 8.14, representing an increase of approaching 30% in "acidity" (H+ ion concentration) in the world's oceans.
This ongoing acidification of the oceans poses a threat to the oceans' food chain.
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makes the water more acidic with carbonic acid (lower pH)
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more acidic