Climate change changes the pH of the ocean, returning to what it was 14 million years ago

Plastic isn't the only factor influencing marine life, there have been studies showing that sunscreen can destroy corals, and even the excess chemicals from human drugs. can cause hormone levels in many plants and animals to change. The harm hasn't stopped there: research published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters has pointed to another serious problem.

Made by a team of experts from Cardiff University, scientific reports indicate that the current level of carbon dioxide will soon be as high as the Earth of 14 million years ago, when the average temperature of the Earth is higher than it is today. 3 degrees.

Due to the increasing global warming, the pH level in seawater will decrease significantly by 2100. Meanwhile, the acidification of seawater will take place as the ocean absorbs more CO2 from the atmosphere.

Without reducing CO2 emissions, it is likely that this scene will disappear in the next few decades.

About 30% of the CO2 emitted comes from burning fossil fuels, which has been going on continuously since the industrial revolution to date: 525 billion tons of CO2 have been absorbed by the seawater since the revolutionary time. there.

In the experiment, the scientists measured the pH of seawater as well as the level of CO2 in the air over the past 22 million years.

"Research reports on ocean acidification show that at the current rate of discharge, marine ecosystems will face unprecedented living conditions during the past 14 million years," says Sindia Sosdian, author research, comment.

Coral reefs die from strong acidification of seawater.

The pH level of seawater in 2018, at the time of the research report was published, was alarmingly low, the lowest in the past 2 million years. To understand the impact of pH on marine life, scientists must do more experiments, conduct field sampling and analysis of fossil samples and sediment layers.

Still, the results of new research do not affect the inevitable: the ocean will change dramatically over the next few decades. If emissions are still as high as they are today, ocean acidification will destroy the reefs, breaking an important link in the marine ecosystem.

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