A short history of ocean acidification science in the 20th century: a chemist's view

P G Brewer

doi:10.5194/bg-10-7411-2013

Abstract

Abstract. This review covers the development of ocean acidification science, with an emphasis on the creation of ocean chemical knowledge, through the course of the 20th century. This begins with the creation of the pH scale by Sørensen in 1909 and ends with the widespread knowledge of the impact of the "High CO2 Ocean" by then well underway as the trajectory along the IPCC scenario pathways continues. By mid-century the massive role of the ocean in absorbing fossil fuel CO2 was known to specialists, but not appreciated by the greater scientific community. By the end of the century the trade-offs between the beneficial role of the ocean in absorbing some 90% of all heat created, and the accumulation of some 50% of all fossil fuel CO2 emitted, and the impacts on marine life were becoming more clear. This paper documents the evolution of knowledge throughout this period.

Highlights

“An important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely happens that Saul becomes Paul
The quotation from Max Planck above is illuminating, for as we work through the growth of ideas, perceptions, positions taken, etc., in this field, it is clear that the sense of ocean acidification as an environmental threat has taken many decades to form
Throughout much of the 20th century, the dominant focus has been the beneficial process of oceanic CO2 uptake, which has enormously ameliorated climate change

Summary

Introduction

“An important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely happens that Saul becomes Paul. The concept of “too much of a good thing” has been late in developing and was triggered only by some key events, and the oceanic sink for heat and CO2 is still critical as the primary buffer against climate change. There was no useful metric for this and so he sought a way forward He used as a point of reference the electrode potential generated by contact of the two purest substances he could find: that created by the interface between hydrogen gas and platinum metal. This takes the form of the hydrogen–Pt electrode, which when the partial pressure of hydrogen gas is 1, atmosphere leads to the simple notation given by Jensen (2004) as

The initial IPCC reports

The direct ocean CO2 disposal debate

The phytoplankton connection

Findings

Conclusions