Arctic Ocean Becomes More Acidic Due to Melting Ice [Study]

An international team of scientists has discovered that the western Arctic Ocean's acidity levels are rising three to four times quicker than other ocean waters, leading to fresh worries about the ocean's changing chemistry.

According to a SciTechDaily report, The study team found a key link between the pace of ocean acidification and the accelerated rate of ice melting in the region, which included Wei-Jun Cai of the University of Delaware.

This dangerous mix threatens the survival of plants, marine life, and several biological processes across the planet's ecology.

(Photo: Pixabay)
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Researchers Found Ocean Acidification in Arctic Sea Due to Melting Ice

The new analysis, published in the journal Science with the title "Climate change drives rapid decadal acidification in the Arctic Ocean from 1994 to 2020," is the first to evaluate Arctic acidification data covering more than two decades, from 1994 to 2020.

The Arctic sea ice in this region may vanish by 2050 or early due to the region's increasingly scorching summers. Suppose there isn't a permanent ice cover to halt or reverse the acidification. In that case, the ocean's chemistry will alter due to this sea-ice retreat every summer.

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Zhangxian Ouyang, a postdoctoral researcher at UD, collected the data in the Chukchi Sea and Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean.

The initial author of the article was Di Qi, who works with Chinese research organizations in Xiamen and Qingdao. The study also included contributions from researchers in Seattle, Sweden, Russia, and six other Chinese research institutions.

During a briefing in Shanghai, Cai and Qi claimed they were both confused when they first looked at the Arctic data together.

The research found that the acidity of the Arctic was increasing three to four times more quickly than other ocean waters. Cai found the primary cause is the increasing Arctic sea ice melt throughout the summer.

Checking Historical Data

In the past, shallow marginal regions of the Arctic sea ice have been melting throughout the summer. Even though Cai pointed out that it varied over time, it started to change in the 1980s. Over the last 15 years, the ice melt has increased and has advanced further into the northern deep basin.

When data from 1994 to 2020 were examined, it became possible to take such a long-term perspective for the first time. Cai, Qi, and their colleagues found a startling rise in acidity and a strong correlation with the rate of ice melt.

According to Cai, the results thus far show the wide-ranging consequences of climate change again, but further study is required to enhance their data and better foresee future changes.

"If all of the multiple-year ice is replaced by first-year ice, then there will be lower alkalinity and lower buffer capacity and acidification continues," Cai said per Maritime Executive.

The researchers believe the ice will be gone by the summer of 2050. Cai, citing other studies, mentioned that it may also occur by 2030. And suppose the researchers continue on their current path for another 20 years. In that case, the acidity in the summer will be pretty severe.