A 1-point reduction in pH means hydrogen ion activity (i.e. acidity) is multiplied by 10.

A 14-point reduction would mean hydrogen ion activity is multiplied by 100000000000000.

A 0.1 point reduction in pH means hydrogen ion activity is multiplied by 10^(0.1) [here, ^ means "to the power of"], which is about 1.25 - i.e. 25% more active hydrogen ions.

The figures I have seen for the average oceanic pH reduction are somewhere in the 0.11 to 0.12 range, which gives you about 30% more active hydrogen ions.

A 0.4 point reduction in pH (not sure why you chose that figure) would multiply the number of active hydrogen ions by about 2.51 [10^(0.4)] - i.e. a 151% increase.

This is the case wherever you are on the pH scale.

m



On 2013:07:05 00:37, Ronald Hongsermeier wrote:
Mark,

on a logarithmic scale how many times can you make a 30% change?

i.e., is there only hydrogen ion activity over <0.4points of the pH scale or are you saying something different?

regards,
Ronald von pHneutralOberbayern


On 05.07.2013 07:41, Paul Olivier wrote:
Mark,

Thanks so much for your contribution here.
We are in full agreement on this point.

Paul Olivier


On Fri, Jul 5, 2013 at 12:21 PM, Mark Bigland-Pritchard / Low Energy Design Ltd <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:

    I wouldn't normally want to post off-topic, but I think it is
    necessary that an error be corrected before this thread is put to
    sleep.

    It is scientifically accurate to say that the acidity of the
    oceans has increased.

    It is well documented that the average pH of the oceans has
    decreased by about 0.1.  Because pH is a logarithmic scale, this
    actually means a 30% increase in the hydrogen ion activity.  In
    other words, the acidity has increased by 30%.  This is basic
    chemistry, not "nonsense".  (The fact that carbon dioxide, when
    dissolved in water, forms carbonic acid, is also basic chemistry.)

    But yes the oceans are alkaline.  The shift in pH is from about
    8.2 to about 8.1.  (Less alkaline = more acidic, wherever you are
    on the pH scale.)  People who have dedicated their lives to
    studying oceanic ecosystems are saying that even this ostensibly
    small drop in pH is impacting on crustacea, corals, calcifying
    microorganisms and other highly-calcium-dependent species - and
    therefore also on the whole ecosystems which depend on them for
    food or shelter.  (And remember, humans are at the top of the
    food chain in many of those ecosystems.)  That is why this is a
    serious matter.

    mark




    On 2013:07:04 21:14, Crispin Pemberton-Pigott wrote:

    Paul O

    The point Andrew was making when asking that the conversation
    about climate be moved to another site was to prevent that sort
    of nonsense cluttering up this site which is a domestic stoves
    discussion list.

    When someone repeats a claims that the 'oceans have increased in
    acidity by one third' and implying it is because of man-made CO2
    emissions from fossil fuels it deserves to be labelled exactly
    that o nonsense. The oceans are alkaline, not acidic and cannot
    'increase in acidity by one third' -- whatever that means.

    I wrote to you privately because the discussion does not belong
    here.

    Please accept the moderator's view.

    Thanks

    Crispin

    *From:*Stoves [mailto:[email protected]]
    *On Behalf Of *Paul Olivier
    *Sent:* Thursday, July 04, 2013 8:09 PM
    *To:* Discussion of biomass cooking stoves
    *Subject:* [Stoves] on ocean acidification

    In a previous email I had cited an article by Mark Bittman
    concerning ocean acidification. Crispin responded to me off-list
    and said:


    /That was the most outrageous set of nonsense on oceans and CO2
    I have seem. What rubbish. /

    / The oceans are not acidic./

    /CO2 absorbed by water turns about 1% into carbonic acid, a
    fragile composition with a short lifespan./

    /If the oceans were to absorb many many gigatons of CO2 it would
    become slightly less alkaline./

    /It seems that Bittman does not even know the most basic facts
    about oceans and just attributes everything he sees to 'AGW'.
    His writings are not helping the reputation of science. His view
    are not informing the discussion. His conclusions are worthy of
    ridicule./

    /Fish and mollusk populations rise and fall with the food
    supply. When the PDO changed in 1976 there were also large
    population shifts. It has shifted again. The shift is 100%
    natural and has nothing to do with human fuel use./

    I replied to his email as follows:

    /Please do not label everything that you disagree with as
    rubbish, nonsense, or as worthy of ridicule. It is hard to
    conduct a debate when you use such language.

    I would like to draw your attention to the following:
    http://www.sightline.org/research/northwest-ocean-acidification/
    http://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/02/OA-primer1.pdf
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_acidification/

    /http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Ocean+Acidification
    http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What+is+Ocean+Acidification%3F/

    /I would like to ask the members of this stove list: why do we
    go about designing stoves? Are we only concerned about poor
    people in developing countries who sit around dirty campfires?
    Or do we want to design stoves that at the same time address
    important issues such as climate change, global warming and
    ocean acidification?
    /
    Thanks.

    Paul

    ---
    Paul A. Olivier PhD
    26/5 Phu Dong Thien Vuong
    Dalat
    Vietnam

    Louisiana telephone: 1-337-447-4124 (rings Vietnam)
    Mobile: 090-694-1573 (in Vietnam)
    Skype address: Xpolivier
    http://www.esrla.com/



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--
Paul A. Olivier PhD
26/5 Phu Dong Thien Vuong
Dalat
Vietnam

Louisiana telephone: 1-337-447-4124 (rings Vietnam)
Mobile: 090-694-1573 (in Vietnam)
Skype address: Xpolivier
http://www.esrla.com/


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