Some pH measurements in the Arabian Sea along the West coast of India

Abstract

pH measurements of the waters of an oceanic environment are important both for the Physical Oceanographer and the Marine Biologist. Whereas variations in the pH values in a vertical plane give an idea of the vertical mixing produced, and thus an idea of the stratification, they also provide a clue as to the extent of the photosynthetic zone (euphotic zone) where phytoplankton can thrive and conduct photosynthesis. Again close relationship exists between the pattern of distribution of pH and that of dissolved oxygen content, and the thermal discontinuity in the vertical is also related to the pH distribution in the vertical. Hence an attempt has been made to study the variation of pH with the available data collected on board R. V. Varuna.