9.6 & 9.7 Ocean Warming and Acidification

Front

What is causing ocean warming?

Back

Warming of the atmosphere due to increases in greenhouse gases

Front

What percent of sea level rise is due to ocean warming and thermal expansion of the water? What is causing the rest of sea level rise? Does land ice or sea ice contribute to sea level rise?

Back

30% of sea level rise is due to ocean warming and thermal expansion of the water. The remaining 70% is caused by melting of land ice.

Front

What effect is ocean warming having on coral and is it deadly?

Back

Ocean warming causes coral bleaching. It is deadly if the water temperatures stay elevated for too long.

Front

Which of these explanations of acidic, neutral, and basic solutions is accurate?

Back

Acidic solutions have more Hydronium H3O+ ions and less Hydroxide OH- ions. Neutral solutions have equal amounts of Hydronium H3O+ ions and Hydroxide OH- ions. Basic solutions have less Hydronium H3O+ ions and more Hydroxide OH- ions.

Front

What is causing ocean acidification? Is the ocean acidic?

Back

Ocean acidification is caused by the increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The ocean is still basic at a pH of about 8.08, but the pH is decreasing as more carbonic acid forms.

Front

What happens when carbon dioxide dissolves in water?

Back

Carbon dioxide reacts with water to form carbonic acid.

Front

What are calcifiers? What effect does increasing acidity have on calcifiers?

Back

Calcifiers are organisms that build their shells or structures out of calcium carbonate. Increasing acidity leads to lower levels of carbonate in the ocean, making it harder for calcifiers to build their shells.

Front

What will happen if calcifiers decrease in size and number?

Back

If calcifiers decrease in size and number, it will disrupt the oceanic food web and lead to the extinction of 25% of marine species.

Front

If a solution is acidic, it will have a pH...

Back

Less than 7