Gomezan , W. (2023, August 6). Quality of pH Measurements in the NODC Data Archives. Quality of ph measurements in the NODC Data Archives. https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Quality+of+pH+Measurements+in+the+NODC+Data+Archives
The article emphasizes the challenges in measuring ocean acidification due to small pH changes in global oceans. Anthropogenic CO2 has caused a 0.1 pH decrease over the past century, impacting hydrogen ion concentration. Historical pH data, particularly pre-1989, lacks documentation and metadata, leading to uncertain quality. Early measurement methods faced calibration issues, contributing to uncertainties. Post-1990 improvements, driven by international efforts, include rigorous procedures, reference materials, and standardized reporting. High-quality data since the 1990s, supported by advanced spectrophotometric methods, enable more accurate tracking of ocean pH changes, crucial for scientific assessments like the IPCC AR5 Working Group 1 Report Chapter 3.
The measurement of PH in our ocean is very important and essential to counteracting ocean acidification because if we do not find a way to accurately measure the PH we would not know how to effectively counter it. This displays the relevance of the article to ocean acidification and also the new issue it addresses. Personally, I found this article almost surprising because it had never occurred to me the difficulty of measuring the worldwide oceans’ PH level and the importance of it.
I found this article enlightening as it helps show crucial aspects of ocean science that are often overlooked. I agree with how there is difficulty in accurately measuring something as fundamental as the pH of the oceans underscores the challenges we face in combating ocean acidification. How might these difficulties impact our ability to protect marine life and the challenges of ocean acidification Sebastion?
I fully agree with your thinking. I think that without the proper knowledge and information, we are not able to fully know and understand how to combat the issue directly and efficiently. And if this data is not able to be collected it could negatively impact things like marine life and coral reefs. What do you think could possibly be the best way to measure it so that it is both accurate and efficient?