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To: kidd
Please review "buffers" and "weak acids"

What do you think is incorrect about what was stated?

Overview of CO2-induced changes in seawater chemistry (PDF)

Review the diagram on page 2 and see if you think it's right.

53 posted on 12/14/2007 12:18:35 PM PST by cogitator
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To: cogitator
lower concentration of the carbonate ion CO3^2.

An ion has one extra neutron in it's atom. So CO3^2 is rather rare and unusual.

Did you pay attention to the actual article? They were not talking about normal CO2, but a very rare and unusual ion.

56 posted on 12/14/2007 12:28:34 PM PST by Hunble
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To: cogitator
Actually, what the heck is CO3^2?

I have no idea what O3 is!

60 posted on 12/14/2007 12:40:34 PM PST by Hunble
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To: cogitator

The cartoon that you made me look at makes no mention of equilibria.

But Wikipedia present a reasonably simple demonstration of the effect of buffering (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonic_acid)

For example, an atmosphere with 350 ppm CO2 over water will produce a pH of 5.65. If that is tripled to 1000 ppm CO2, the water will indeed increase in acidity...to a pH of 5.42 (negligable change). Likewise if we engage in Algore’s wet dream and decrease atmospheric CO2 to 100 ppm, the pH rises to 5.92.

But over this whole range (100 ppm to 1000 ppm CO2) the carbonate ion concentration changes by 0.7%. Your cartoon is incorrect in that it suggests that more CO2 will result in less carbonate ion...the opposite is true, but the reality is that more CO2 will have only a negligable effect.

The biological effects of algae or pollution would be far more significant. Local temperature variations (El Nino, etc) would also play a larger role. But blaming coral death on a carbonate ion shortage, from MORE CO2, is laughable.


66 posted on 12/14/2007 1:02:55 PM PST by kidd
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