Q&A: What is Causing the Difference between Internal and External pH?
The figure above originates from a single Shallow SeaFET V2 pH sensor, which produces two pH values (Internal pH and External pH) from two separate reference sensors. The black X’s indicate pH validation samples.
While environmental conditions affect each the internal/external readings differently, they should ultimately be close to one another.
Can you identify why External pH is less accurate than Internal pH?
The External pH value from the SeaFET/SeapHOx V2 is dependent on salinity (while the internal pH is only dependent on temperature). Using the incorrect salinity value when calculating External pH will result in an incorrect value. The first dataset was processed at 32 psu, which turned out to be inaccurate for the deployment site. Reprocessing the data at 35 psu brings significantly improved agreement between the SeaFET’s Internal and External pH values.
The SeaFET V2 assumes a static salinity when calculating External pH data, applying a single salinity value to all pH measurements. Naturally, in a changing environment, this assumption can lead to potentially large inaccuracies. When deploying a SeaFET V2 in areas with rapidly changing salinity, consider upgrading to the SeapHOx V2 pH sensor: the integrated SBE 37-SMP-ODO CTD provides dynamic salinity with every sample for the most accurate pH calculation.
Related Posts
Featured Posts
What is the UN Ocean Decade?
Did you get a chance to read about the HyperNAV program that we support in partnership with NASA? Sea-Bird Scientific is proud to be part of the NASA PACE Mission, which contributes to the UN Ocean Decade's 7 Outcomes. On December 5, 2017, the United Nations declared...
World Oceans Week at Sea-Bird Scientific: The HyperNAV Program
A New Paradigm for Ocean Color Satellite Calibration The HyperNAV program is part of the NASA PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem) Mission, set to launch in 2024. The NASA PACE Mission is an initiative aimed at helping scientists understand how carbon...
Pride Month 2022
Celebrating and honoring our LGBTQIA+ communities At Sea-Bird Scientific, we are proud to stand with members of the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month 2022. This year, you may have noticed we changed our logo on social media to feature a rainbow throughout the...