[Coral-List] CO2-Chemistry source and sink

[James Cervino PhD.]

Dear List, I am posting this important message regarding CaCO3 Deposition..



The late Wolf Hilbertz's paper states very clearly that this process is a sink
of carbon from the ocean, not from the atmosphere, although as you know as well
as anybody, MANY people mistakenly confuse the two. The very end of the paper
quotes me as pointing out that any limestone deposition in the ocean is both an
ocean carbon sink and simultaneously an atmospheric carbon source. As you have
clearly shown, global net limestone deposition, half of which occurs in coral
reefs according to Milliman's tabulation (which was before reefs began to
massibely decline), is a natural source of atmospheric CO2 that is about one
hundred times smaller than fossil fuels, indicating how severely we have
perturbed the natural cycle. It is also incorrect to state that the net effect
is acidification, in fact the net effect is completely neutral, as one hydroxyl
ion is made for every hydrogen ion produced. This also neutralizes the
atmospheric CO2 effect.

Best wishes,
Tom

Thomas J. Goreau, PhD
President, Global Coral Reef Alliance
President, Biorock S.A.
Coordinator, United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development Partnership in
New Technologies for Small Island Developing States
37 Pleasant Street, Cambridge MA 02139
617-864-4226
goreau at bestweb.net
http://www.globalcoral.org

No one can change the past, every one can change the future



*************************************
Dr. James M. Cervino
Pace University &
Visiting Scientist
Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst.
NYC Address: 9-22 119st
College Point NY NY 11356
Cell: 917-620*5287
************************************





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