Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 04/25/2011 - 09:21

Hi my name is Kyla and i am from Mr. Wood's first period class. do you think that the thinning of ice could be from the ocean water becoming more acidic.

Paula Dell

Hi Kyla,That's a great question. Poppy from your class had a similar question. So I'll tell you what I told him. There is evidence that the oceans are becoming more acidic. That would not have an impact on melting the ice. The increasing acidity has more of an impact on the animals that live in these waters. If you think about global warming and the increasing levels of CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) some of that goes in the water too. More CO2 lowers the pH (Have you learned about acids and base?) If an animal is not adapted to that it can cause many problems including death. I hope to cover this more in a future journal so stay tuned!
Ms. Dell