Biogeosciences
Biogeosciences
BG
Articles | Volume 18, issue 4
Articles | Volume 18, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1407-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1407-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 18, issue 4
Technical note
 | 
24 Feb 2021
Technical note |  | 24 Feb 2021

Technical note: Interpreting pH changes

Andrea J. Fassbender, James C. Orr, and Andrew G. Dickson

Viewed

Total article views: 6,191 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
4,061 2,041 89 6,191 471 92 121
  • HTML: 4,061
  • PDF: 2,041
  • XML: 89
  • Total: 6,191
  • Supplement: 471
  • BibTeX: 92
  • EndNote: 121
Views and downloads (calculated since 12 Oct 2020)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 12 Oct 2020)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 6,191 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 5,695 with geography defined and 496 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 08 Nov 2025
Download
Short summary
A decline in upper-ocean pH with time is typically ascribed to ocean acidification. A more quantitative interpretation is often confused by failing to recognize the implications of pH being a logarithmic transform of hydrogen ion concentration rather than an absolute measure. This can lead to an unwitting misinterpretation of pH data. We provide three real-world examples illustrating this and recommend the reporting of both hydrogen ion concentration and pH in studies of ocean chemical change.
Read more
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint