A [?Wrong?] Opinion: Surface Pacific water pH trend at Station ALOHA, Hawaii Ocean Time Series

Below is a set of figures that Mr. S compiled from the Hawaii Ocean Time Series data portal . After looking at his plots Mr. S concluded ……..(see below).

A seasonal plot of oxygen saturation clearly showing a seasonal trend but never rising above atmospheric levels (100%)

A seasonal plot of pH showing the cycle of pH over a year.

A seasonal plot of temperature showing temperature increasing in the summer months and decreasing in the winter months

A plot of temperature and pH (insitu and corrected to 25 deg C) showing the “clear” correlation with temperature.

A plot of pH between 1988 and 2008 showing the decrease of pH in the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Mr S. “It is clear to me,from the above data, that temperature obviously controls pH in the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean. pH is going down as atmospheric temperatures are increasing (see wolfram alpha “weather honolulu”). The idea that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are impacting our largest environment are unfounded.”

Your assignment: Create a presentation using the data that you have been given to argue for or against Mr. S’s conclusion.

Presentations: