01-04-2010, 01:56 PM
Quote:Are you concerned about the CO2/H2CO3 equilibrium? It only takes a few seconds for carbonic acid to turn back into CO2, you know. Nothing to worry about. The notation will be clearer if you replace the single arrows by an equal sign. The human body uses this equilibrium to buffer changes in blood acidity, btw. If too much acid is formed, it will be absorbed by the creation of CO2 and H2O. If things get too 'caustic', the opposite will happen.
The acidification of the seas because of the enormous quantities of extra CO2 that dissolves in them (because of burning fuels that have been formed in millions of years in one century) is a huge problem.....maybe bigger than just rise in temperature......who knows.
Too much acid in the sea is not countered by CO2 release....it reacts with the CaCO3 of shells, corals etc.
Only positive thing is that regarding the oceans we don't even know 90% of the life that will be extinct because of this.