In the ocean we are measuring pH, and I have not found a term for pH in the standard names. We therefore propose for our particular measurement

   sea_water_pH_total_scale

Two notes: First, about the scale. The total_scale refers to one of the 3 scales with which pH is measured in sea water: total scale, sea water scale, and free scale (these all represent chemical activity, with units in moles/kg). Although many of these have the same units (moles/kg), the actual value will be different (in non-trivial ways) in the different scales. As the value in total_scale will not be immediately convertible to a value in free scale they are measurements with different meanings and can be easily confused. It was not obvious to me how this should be indicated other than by the standard name.

Second, pH has the H capitalized, reflecting common usage. I couldn't see any rule against this but I wanted to point it out, just in case.

John

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John Graybeal -- 831-775-1956 -- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute


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