Redox Reactions And Weak Buffering Capacity Lead To Acidification In The Chesapeake Bay

Cai, Wei-Jun; Huang, Wei-Jen; Luther, George W.; Pierrot, Denis; Li, Ming; Testa, Jeremy; Xue, Ming; Joesoef, Andrew; Mann, Roger; Brodeur, Jean; Xu, Yuan-Yuan; Chen, Baoshan; Hussain, Najid; Waldbusser, George G.; Cornwell, Jeffrey; Kemp, W. Michael

doi:10.1038/s41467-017-00417-7

i

Redox Reactions And Weak Buffering Capacity Lead To Acidification In The Chesapeake Bay

2017
By Cai, Wei-Jun ; Huang, Wei-Jen ; Luther, George W. ; ...

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Journal Title:

Nature Communications
Personal Author:

Cai, Wei-Jun ; Huang, Wei-Jen ; Luther, George W. ; Pierrot, Denis ; Li, Ming ; Testa, Jeremy ; Xue, Ming ; Joesoef, Andrew ; Mann, Roger ; Brodeur, Jean ; Xu, Yuan-Yuan ; Chen, Baoshan ; Hussain, Najid ; Waldbusser, George G. ; Cornwell, Jeffrey ; Kemp, W. Michael
NOAA Program & Office:

OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; Sea Grant
Sea Grant Program:

NSGO/NSGLC (National Sea Grant)
Description:

The combined effects of anthropogenic and biological CO2 inputs may lead to more rapid acidification in coastal waters compared to the open ocean. It is less clear, however, how redox reactions would contribute to acidification. Here we report estuarine acidification dynamics based on oxygen, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), pH, dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity data from the Chesapeake Bay, where anthropogenic nutrient inputs have led to eutrophication, hypoxia and anoxia, and low pH. We show that a pH minimum occurs in mid-depths where acids are generated as a result of H2S oxidation in waters mixed upward from the anoxic depths. Our analyses also suggest a large synergistic effect from river-ocean mixing, global and local atmospheric CO2 uptake, and CO2 and acid production from respiration and other redox reactions. Together they lead to a poor acid buffering capacity, severe acidification and increased carbonate mineral dissolution in the USA's largest estuary.
Keywords:

Acidification Carbon Cycle (Biogeochemistry) Estuaries Carbon Cycle (Biogeochemistry)
Source:

Nature Communications, 8 (369)
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00417-7
Pubmed Central ID:

PMC5573729
Document Type:

Journal Article
Funding:

Grant no. NA14OAR4170087
Place as Subject:

Chesapeake Bay (Md. and Va.)
Rights Information:

CC BY
Compliance:

Submitted
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha256:0e3813fa8b03c5acb1611d97ca6ad0e5ab0686f2c750ca59a9c668146926b68d
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https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/17976/noaa_17976_DS1.pdf
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[PDF - 1.39 MB ]

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