Publication Date:
2014-01-17
Description:
[1] Seawater acidification can be induced both by absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and by atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen oxides and ammonia. Their relative significance, interplay and dependency on water-column biogeochemistry are not well understood. Using a simple biogeochemical model we show that the initial conditions of coastal systems are not only relevant for CO 2 -induced acidification, but also for additional acidification due to atmospheric acid deposition. Coastal areas undersaturated with respect to CO 2 are most vulnerable to CO 2 -induced acidification, but are relatively least affected by additional atmospheric deposition-induced acidification. In contrast, the pH of CO 2 -supersaturated systems is most sensitive to atmospheric deposition. The projected increment in atmospheric CO 2 by 2100 will increase the sensitivity of coastal systems to atmospheric deposition-induced acidification by up to a factor 4, but the additional annual change in proton concentration is at most 28%.
Print ISSN:
0094-8276
Electronic ISSN:
1944-8007
Topics:
Geosciences
,
Physics
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