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Glossary of Chemical Oceanography Terms
Bjerrum Diagram: Plots of the speciation of a substance as a function of pH.
Buffer: A solution that minimizes changes in pH on the addition of acids or bases (e.g., a
weak acid and sodium salt of the acid).
Buffer Capacity: The ability of a buffer solution to resist changes in pH on addition of an
acid or base.
CaCO 3 Compensation Depth: The depth at which the solid CaCO 3 is above 5% of the
sediment composition.
CaCO 3 Saturation Depth: The depth at which solid CaCO 3 is in equilibrium with the
solution.
Calcite: A hexagonal- rhombohedral form of calcium carbonate.
Carbonate Alkalinity, CA: The amount of carbonate bases in a solution that can titrate
the carbonic acid end point with an acid, CA = [HCO 3
– ] + 2[CO 3
2– ].
Coccolithifera: A type of marine phytoflagellates (i.e., protozoans) composed of calcite.
Coulometry: A determination of the amount of an electrolyte released during electrolysis
by measuring the number of coulombs used.
Dehydration: The removal of water molecules from a hydrated solute.
Dibasic Acid: An acid that has two hydrogen atoms (H 2 A).
Foraminifera: Marine protozoans that have a secreted shell enclosing the ameboid body
made of calcite.
Fossil Fuel: Any hydrocarbon deposit that may be used for fuel (e.g., petroleum, coal, and
natural gas).
Free pH Scale (pH F ): The pH scale defined as pH F = –log[H + ] F where [H + ] F is the free proton concentration.
Gas Chromatography: A separation technique involving the passage of a gaseous moving phase through a column containing a fixed adsorbent phase and subsequent
detection after passage through the column. Used principally to determine the
concentration of volatile compounds.
Greenhouse Effect: The maintenance of temperatures on earth by the passage through of
UV radiation but the absorbance of outgoing IR radiation by H 2 O, CO 2 , and other
greenhouse gases.
Hydration: The strong attraction of water molecules in a region around a solute.
Infrared Energy: Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths from 0.75 to 0.8 μm.
Infrared Spectroscopy: The study of the properties of material by means of their interactions with infrared radiation; radiation is dispersed into a spectrum after passing
through the material.
Lysocline: The depth at which the rate of dissolution of solid CaCO 3 is dramatically increased.
Monobasic Acid: An acid that has only one hydrogen atom (HA).
National Bureau of Standards Buffers: Buffers developed in the determination of the
pH NBS that had fixed values of pH at a given temperature. Name changed to
NIST (National Institute of Science and Technology).
NBS pH Scale (pH NBS ): The practical pH scale developed by Bates at the National Bureau
of Standards (now the National Institute of Science and Technology) based on conventional definitions of activity coefficients and dilute solution buffers.
Nernst Equation: The relationship between the electromotive force, the temperature, and
the standard free energy change for an electrode reaction.
Normalized Alkalinity: The total alkalinity normalized to a salinity of 35 (Normalized
total alkalinity [NTA] = Total alkalinity [TA] × 35/S).
Glossary of Chemical Oceanography Terms
Bjerrum Diagram: Plots of the speciation of a substance as a function of pH.
Buffer: A solution that minimizes changes in pH on the addition of acids or bases (e.g., a
weak acid and sodium salt of the acid).
Buffer Capacity: The ability of a buffer solution to resist changes in pH on addition of an
acid or base.
CaCO 3 Compensation Depth: The depth at which the solid CaCO 3 is above 5% of the
sediment composition.
CaCO 3 Saturation Depth: The depth at which solid CaCO 3 is in equilibrium with the
solution.
Calcite: A hexagonal- rhombohedral form of calcium carbonate.
Carbonate Alkalinity, CA: The amount of carbonate bases in a solution that can titrate
the carbonic acid end point with an acid, CA = [HCO 3
– ] + 2[CO 3
2– ].
Coccolithifera: A type of marine phytoflagellates (i.e., protozoans) composed of calcite.
Coulometry: A determination of the amount of an electrolyte released during electrolysis
by measuring the number of coulombs used.
Dehydration: The removal of water molecules from a hydrated solute.
Dibasic Acid: An acid that has two hydrogen atoms (H 2 A).
Foraminifera: Marine protozoans that have a secreted shell enclosing the ameboid body
made of calcite.
Fossil Fuel: Any hydrocarbon deposit that may be used for fuel (e.g., petroleum, coal, and
natural gas).
Free pH Scale (pH F ): The pH scale defined as pH F = –log[H + ] F where [H + ] F is the free proton concentration.
Gas Chromatography: A separation technique involving the passage of a gaseous moving phase through a column containing a fixed adsorbent phase and subsequent
detection after passage through the column. Used principally to determine the
concentration of volatile compounds.
Greenhouse Effect: The maintenance of temperatures on earth by the passage through of
UV radiation but the absorbance of outgoing IR radiation by H 2 O, CO 2 , and other
greenhouse gases.
Hydration: The strong attraction of water molecules in a region around a solute.
Infrared Energy: Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths from 0.75 to 0.8 μm.
Infrared Spectroscopy: The study of the properties of material by means of their interactions with infrared radiation; radiation is dispersed into a spectrum after passing
through the material.
Lysocline: The depth at which the rate of dissolution of solid CaCO 3 is dramatically increased.
Monobasic Acid: An acid that has only one hydrogen atom (HA).
National Bureau of Standards Buffers: Buffers developed in the determination of the
pH NBS that had fixed values of pH at a given temperature. Name changed to
NIST (National Institute of Science and Technology).
NBS pH Scale (pH NBS ): The practical pH scale developed by Bates at the National Bureau
of Standards (now the National Institute of Science and Technology) based on conventional definitions of activity coefficients and dilute solution buffers.
Nernst Equation: The relationship between the electromotive force, the temperature, and
the standard free energy change for an electrode reaction.
Normalized Alkalinity: The total alkalinity normalized to a salinity of 35 (Normalized
total alkalinity [NTA] = Total alkalinity [TA] × 35/S).