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.
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.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Technical note
| 
24 Feb 2021
Technical note |
| 24 Feb 2021
| 24 Feb 2021
Technical note: Interpreting pH changes
Andrea J. Fassbender
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 7700 Sandholdt Road, Moss
Landing, CA 95039, USA
James C. Orr
LSCE/IPSL, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement,
CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Andrew G. Dickson
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San
Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Cited
39 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Assessing the influence of ocean alkalinity enhancement on a coastal phytoplankton community A. Ferderer et al.
- Emergent interactive effects of climate change and contaminants in coastal and ocean ecosystems V. Hatje et al.
- Limits and CO2equilibration of near-coast alkalinity enhancement J. He & M. Tyka
- Extensive Remineralization of Peatland‐Derived Dissolved Organic Carbon and Ocean Acidification in the Sunda Shelf Sea, Southeast Asia Y. Zhou et al.
- Re-evaluation of carbonic acid dissociation constants across conditions and the implications for ocean acidification R. Woosley & J. Moon
- Southern Ocean Acidification Revealed by Biogeochemical‐Argo Floats M. Mazloff et al.
- Amplified bottom water acidification rates on the Bering Sea shelf from 1970–2022 D. Pilcher et al.
- Impact of coupling biochar and clay minerals on physicochemical properties of sandy soils and CH4/CO2 flux for agriculture A. Ads et al.
- Stabilization of Indian peat using alkali-activated ground granulated blast furnace slag S. Khanday et al.
- Field Application of Automated Spectrophotometric Analyzer for High-Resolution In Situ Monitoring of pH in Dynamic Estuarine and Coastal Waters M. Nehir et al.
- Acidification of the Nordic Seas F. Fransner et al.
- Ocean Acidification and Long‐Term Changes in the Carbonate System Properties of the South Atlantic Ocean A. Piñango et al.
- The role of seagrass in modifying dissolved oxygen and pH in coastal systems: A meta-analysis A. Mohamed et al.
- Commentary: Overstated Potential for Seagrass Meadows to Mitigate Coastal Ocean Acidification A. Ricart et al.
- A 37-year record of ocean acidification in the Southern California current W. Wolfe et al.
- Divergent trajectories of ocean warming and acidification E. Mortenson et al.
- Soil organic matter interactions along the elevation gradient of the James Ross Island (Antarctica) V. Vlček et al.
- Review—Nanopillar Structure in the Direction of Optical Biosensor On-Chip Integration A. Pradana et al.
- Long-Term Trends in Estuarine Carbonate Chemistry in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico M. McCutcheon & X. Hu
- Stabilization of organic soil using GGBS-based geopolymer and hybrid alkali-activated cement: a deep mixing model approach M. Singh et al.
- Global Surface Ocean Acidification Indicators From 1750 to 2100 L. Jiang et al.
- Dissimilar Sensitivities of Ocean Acidification Metrics to Anthropogenic Carbon Accumulation in the Central North Pacific Ocean and California Current Large Marine Ecosystem M. Arroyo et al.
- Daily variability of pH and temperature in seawater from a near-pristine oceanic atoll, Southwest Atlantic M. de Almeida et al.
- Ion Trios: Cause of Ion Specific Interactions in Aqueous Solutions and Path to a Better pH Definition P. May & E. May
- Ventilation and buffering capacity effects on ocean acidification in low oxygen environments L. Xue et al.
- High-resolution monitoring of the pH under strong La Niña conditions in Gorgona Island, Colombian Pacific, Panama Bight A. Murcia et al.
- Overstated Potential for Seagrass Meadows to Mitigate Coastal Ocean Acidification B. Van Dam et al.
- Amplified Subsurface Signals of Ocean Acidification A. Fassbender et al.
- Estuarine acidification mirrors the ocean trend and correlates with the El Niño Southern Oscillation J. Grear
- Junction potentials in electrochemical cells with transference: A review and prescription to end over 70 years of sleepwalking P. May & E. May
- S.P.L. Sørensen, the pH concept and its early history H. Kragh
- Progression of ocean interior acidification over the industrial era J. Müller & N. Gruber
- Unraveling natural carbonate variability in Narragansett Bay, RI using multiple high temporal resolution pH time series A. Baskind et al.
- Vertical distribution of pH in the top ~10 m of deep-ocean sediments: Analysis of a unique dataset C. Shao et al.
- A century of change in the California Current: upwelling system amplifies acidification M. Stoll et al.
- Marine CO2 system variability along the northeast Pacific Inside Passage determined from an Alaskan ferry W. Evans et al.
- Revisiting the ocean acidification planetary boundary H. Findlay & R. Feely
- Contrasting Controls of Acidification Metrics Across Environmental Gradients in the North Pacific and the Adjunct Arctic Ocean: Insight From a Transregional Study Y. Wu et al.
- Dynamically downscaled projections of ocean acidification for the Bering Sea D. Pilcher et al.
39 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Assessing the influence of ocean alkalinity enhancement on a coastal phytoplankton community A. Ferderer et al.
- Emergent interactive effects of climate change and contaminants in coastal and ocean ecosystems V. Hatje et al.
- Limits and CO2equilibration of near-coast alkalinity enhancement J. He & M. Tyka
- Extensive Remineralization of Peatland‐Derived Dissolved Organic Carbon and Ocean Acidification in the Sunda Shelf Sea, Southeast Asia Y. Zhou et al.
- Re-evaluation of carbonic acid dissociation constants across conditions and the implications for ocean acidification R. Woosley & J. Moon
- Southern Ocean Acidification Revealed by Biogeochemical‐Argo Floats M. Mazloff et al.
- Amplified bottom water acidification rates on the Bering Sea shelf from 1970–2022 D. Pilcher et al.
- Impact of coupling biochar and clay minerals on physicochemical properties of sandy soils and CH4/CO2 flux for agriculture A. Ads et al.
- Stabilization of Indian peat using alkali-activated ground granulated blast furnace slag S. Khanday et al.
- Field Application of Automated Spectrophotometric Analyzer for High-Resolution In Situ Monitoring of pH in Dynamic Estuarine and Coastal Waters M. Nehir et al.
- Acidification of the Nordic Seas F. Fransner et al.
- Ocean Acidification and Long‐Term Changes in the Carbonate System Properties of the South Atlantic Ocean A. Piñango et al.
- The role of seagrass in modifying dissolved oxygen and pH in coastal systems: A meta-analysis A. Mohamed et al.
- Commentary: Overstated Potential for Seagrass Meadows to Mitigate Coastal Ocean Acidification A. Ricart et al.
- A 37-year record of ocean acidification in the Southern California current W. Wolfe et al.
- Divergent trajectories of ocean warming and acidification E. Mortenson et al.
- Soil organic matter interactions along the elevation gradient of the James Ross Island (Antarctica) V. Vlček et al.
- Review—Nanopillar Structure in the Direction of Optical Biosensor On-Chip Integration A. Pradana et al.
- Long-Term Trends in Estuarine Carbonate Chemistry in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico M. McCutcheon & X. Hu
- Stabilization of organic soil using GGBS-based geopolymer and hybrid alkali-activated cement: a deep mixing model approach M. Singh et al.
- Global Surface Ocean Acidification Indicators From 1750 to 2100 L. Jiang et al.
- Dissimilar Sensitivities of Ocean Acidification Metrics to Anthropogenic Carbon Accumulation in the Central North Pacific Ocean and California Current Large Marine Ecosystem M. Arroyo et al.
- Daily variability of pH and temperature in seawater from a near-pristine oceanic atoll, Southwest Atlantic M. de Almeida et al.
- Ion Trios: Cause of Ion Specific Interactions in Aqueous Solutions and Path to a Better pH Definition P. May & E. May
- Ventilation and buffering capacity effects on ocean acidification in low oxygen environments L. Xue et al.
- High-resolution monitoring of the pH under strong La Niña conditions in Gorgona Island, Colombian Pacific, Panama Bight A. Murcia et al.
- Overstated Potential for Seagrass Meadows to Mitigate Coastal Ocean Acidification B. Van Dam et al.
- Amplified Subsurface Signals of Ocean Acidification A. Fassbender et al.
- Estuarine acidification mirrors the ocean trend and correlates with the El Niño Southern Oscillation J. Grear
- Junction potentials in electrochemical cells with transference: A review and prescription to end over 70 years of sleepwalking P. May & E. May
- S.P.L. Sørensen, the pH concept and its early history H. Kragh
- Progression of ocean interior acidification over the industrial era J. Müller & N. Gruber
- Unraveling natural carbonate variability in Narragansett Bay, RI using multiple high temporal resolution pH time series A. Baskind et al.
- Vertical distribution of pH in the top ~10 m of deep-ocean sediments: Analysis of a unique dataset C. Shao et al.
- A century of change in the California Current: upwelling system amplifies acidification M. Stoll et al.
- Marine CO2 system variability along the northeast Pacific Inside Passage determined from an Alaskan ferry W. Evans et al.
- Revisiting the ocean acidification planetary boundary H. Findlay & R. Feely
- Contrasting Controls of Acidification Metrics Across Environmental Gradients in the North Pacific and the Adjunct Arctic Ocean: Insight From a Transregional Study Y. Wu et al.
- Dynamically downscaled projections of ocean acidification for the Bering Sea D. Pilcher et al.
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 06 May 2026
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.
A decline in upper-ocean pH with time is typically ascribed to ocean acidification. A more...
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