A new experimental technique for validating exchange models of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and sea-water.
The mechanism of CO(2)-exchange between the atmosphere and sea-water was re-examined by simultaneously measuring pH and pO(2) in artificial sea-water exposed to CO(2) and air atmospheres. The data were fitted to an exchange model by using both the differential and integral forms of the diffusion equation. It was found that the pH and pO(2) data support the assumption that the exchange for these gases is driven by the gradient of the partial pressure of the gas across the imaginary solution-gas boundary layer (the z layer) and is not affected by chemical reaction or hydration rate under the experimental conditions used, viz. 1-100 meq l ., alkalinity, pH 4.5-8.3 and z-layer thickness 2-500 mum. It is concluded that the rate of hydration of CO(2) plays an insignificant role in the exchange mechanisms between the atmosphere and the oceans.
Ben-Yaakov
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Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Guterman
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