Which statement best describes the concept that ocean chemistry is altered by CO2 absorption causing the formation of carbonic acid?

Which statement best describes the concept that ocean chemistry is altered by CO2 absorption causing the formation of carbonic acid?

• A. Biomagnification
• B. Ocean acidification
• C. Resonance
• D. Uniformitarianism

Answer: (B)

The main concept here is ocean acidification—the idea that carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in seawater and changes its chemical balance by forming carbonic acid. When CO2 dissolves, it reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which then dissociates into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate. The extra hydrogen ions raise the acidity of the ocean (lower pH). This shift also uses up carbonate ions, which are needed by many marine organisms to build calcium carbonate shells and skeletons. With fewer carbonate ions available, calcification becomes harder for corals, mollusks, and some plankton, affecting marine ecosystems overall. Other terms mentioned don’t describe this process. Biomagnification refers to toxins concentrating as they move up a food chain, resonance to a property of molecular structure and vibrations, and uniformitarianism to geological processes shaping Earth's history.

The main concept here is ocean acidification—the idea that carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in seawater and changes its chemical balance by forming carbonic acid. When CO2 dissolves, it reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which then dissociates into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate. The extra hydrogen ions raise the acidity of the ocean (lower pH). This shift also uses up carbonate ions, which are needed by many marine organisms to build calcium carbonate shells and skeletons. With fewer carbonate ions available, calcification becomes harder for corals, mollusks, and some plankton, affecting marine ecosystems overall.

Other terms mentioned don’t describe this process. Biomagnification refers to toxins concentrating as they move up a food chain, resonance to a property of molecular structure and vibrations, and uniformitarianism to geological processes shaping Earth's history.