xvii
Preface to the Fourth Edition
This fourth edition of the book has been updated based on recent literature. It is still
based on undergraduate and graduate courses I have taught for the past 45 years at the
University of Miami. Over the past 10 years a number of new large-scale oceanographic
programs have been initiated. This includes The Climate Variability Program (CLIVAR)
and the recent initiation of the Geochemical Trace Metal Program (GEOTRACES). This
program is aimed at understanding the biogeochemical cycles of trace elements in the
oceans. The initial studies have already shown the input of Fe and Pb from hydrothermal
vents and the redox behavior of metals in low oxygen waters. These recent and future
studies will produce a wealth of information on the biogeochemistry of the world oceans.
The increasing CO 2 in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels continues to affect
the atmosphere and the oceans. The increased temperature of surface waters is causing
stratification in the oceans. This has led to areas of low oxygen regions in coastal waters.
Each year oceanographers contribute to the expanding knowledge of the oceans. I have
tried to build and update this introduction to Chemical Oceanography with new understanding and concepts. The dissolution of CO 2 in the waters is lowering the pH (called
ocean acidification). This lower pH will affect calcifiers in the oceans and biogeochemical
processes such as equilibrium and rates of reactions. New research in the field of ocean
acidification has been added as well as information on the new standards developed by
the SCOR/IAPSO working group to describe the properties of seawater for researchers to
report their measurements. Standardization of measurements in the literature leads to a
clearer understanding and less confusion in reporting the processes in the oceans. More
research will come over the next ten years and I will try to add any new and exciting
changes in the oceans in my PowerPoint Lecture that I update each year. I hope the new
edition covers some of the areas that were missing and gives a reasonable review of the
basic concepts of the field.
There are a number of graduate and undergraduate students that have contributed to the
updating of this book. This summer I was fortunate to have Sara Denka, a junior majoring
in marine science/biology at the University of Miami, assist me in editing this fourth edition of Chemical Oceanography. She took my undergraduate course and was familiar with
the content of the earlier version. From 2005-2012, my Ph.D. students Yanxin Luo, William
Hiscock, Mareva Chanson, John Michael Trapp, Hector Bustos Serrano, Jason Waters, Ryan
Woosley, Benjamin Ditrolio, and Carmen Rodriguez provided additional comments and
corrections to the text. Gay Ingram, my right hand, has also edited the various versions of
my papers and books over the years.
The continual support of the National Science Foundation and the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration provided the research funds for our
work. Without the financial backing from these two U.S. government agencies our research
would be seriously curtailed. We thank them for their interest in the common good and
advancement of scientific knowledge.
Preface to the Fourth Edition
This fourth edition of the book has been updated based on recent literature. It is still
based on undergraduate and graduate courses I have taught for the past 45 years at the
University of Miami. Over the past 10 years a number of new large-scale oceanographic
programs have been initiated. This includes The Climate Variability Program (CLIVAR)
and the recent initiation of the Geochemical Trace Metal Program (GEOTRACES). This
program is aimed at understanding the biogeochemical cycles of trace elements in the
oceans. The initial studies have already shown the input of Fe and Pb from hydrothermal
vents and the redox behavior of metals in low oxygen waters. These recent and future
studies will produce a wealth of information on the biogeochemistry of the world oceans.
The increasing CO 2 in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels continues to affect
the atmosphere and the oceans. The increased temperature of surface waters is causing
stratification in the oceans. This has led to areas of low oxygen regions in coastal waters.
Each year oceanographers contribute to the expanding knowledge of the oceans. I have
tried to build and update this introduction to Chemical Oceanography with new understanding and concepts. The dissolution of CO 2 in the waters is lowering the pH (called
ocean acidification). This lower pH will affect calcifiers in the oceans and biogeochemical
processes such as equilibrium and rates of reactions. New research in the field of ocean
acidification has been added as well as information on the new standards developed by
the SCOR/IAPSO working group to describe the properties of seawater for researchers to
report their measurements. Standardization of measurements in the literature leads to a
clearer understanding and less confusion in reporting the processes in the oceans. More
research will come over the next ten years and I will try to add any new and exciting
changes in the oceans in my PowerPoint Lecture that I update each year. I hope the new
edition covers some of the areas that were missing and gives a reasonable review of the
basic concepts of the field.
There are a number of graduate and undergraduate students that have contributed to the
updating of this book. This summer I was fortunate to have Sara Denka, a junior majoring
in marine science/biology at the University of Miami, assist me in editing this fourth edition of Chemical Oceanography. She took my undergraduate course and was familiar with
the content of the earlier version. From 2005-2012, my Ph.D. students Yanxin Luo, William
Hiscock, Mareva Chanson, John Michael Trapp, Hector Bustos Serrano, Jason Waters, Ryan
Woosley, Benjamin Ditrolio, and Carmen Rodriguez provided additional comments and
corrections to the text. Gay Ingram, my right hand, has also edited the various versions of
my papers and books over the years.
The continual support of the National Science Foundation and the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration provided the research funds for our
work. Without the financial backing from these two U.S. government agencies our research
would be seriously curtailed. We thank them for their interest in the common good and
advancement of scientific knowledge.