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: 6,472 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
4,239 2,125 108 6,472 513 109 142
  • HTML: 4,239
  • PDF: 2,125
  • XML: 108
  • Total: 6,472
  • Supplement: 513
  • BibTeX: 109
  • EndNote: 142
Views and downloads (calculated since 12 Oct 2020)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 12 Oct 2020)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 6,472 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 5,983 with geography defined and 489 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 17 Jan 2026
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