Atmospheric ocean carbon dioxide exchange and the measurement of a carbonate buffering factor

Abstract

In this thesis several of the factors which limit the transfer of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the oceans have been described. In particular, the limiting effect of the sea water carbonate buffering mechanism on this exchange has been investigated. The extent of this restriction is represented by a carbonate buffering factor, β, defined by the expression where PCO2 is the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the sea water and ΣCO2 is the total amount of carbon dioxide in the sea water. An instrumental method of measuring the buffering factor has been developed and has been used to measure the buffering factor of a coastal sea water sample. These results have been compared with the results of a theoretical derivation for the buffering factor. From a review of the experimental results, and the circumstances of the experiments, it is concluded that the instrumental method developed in the thesis is a valid method of determining the carbonate buffering factor of sea water.