Measurement of pH: comparing methods across the Kuroshio Extension

Senior thesis written for Oceanography 445

[author abstract] Accurate pH measurements are the foundation for assessing the extent of ocean acidification, and provide the motivation for this study. We present pH values along a cruise track that crosses the Kuroshio Extension region, and show that pH levels decrease as we go from south to north. We compare two different methods of acquiring pH values: measured pH with a spectrophotometer, and calculated pH from other carbonate measurements. We found that measured pH gives results with better reproducibility than calculated pH, but the question of which method is more accurate remains unanswered.

University of Washington School of Oceanography