Re:Ask HN: What other low-probability high-impact events are...
by btilly on Tuesday June 15, 2010 @06:21PM
(#1434044)
A major loss of shellfish is much more likely.
The cause is that CO2 in the atmosphere becomes carbonic acid after it dissolves in water, and if the ph of the seas changes even a little bit, then calcium carbonate shells (which is what everything from clam shells to coral is made out of) becomes unstable and starts to dissolve.
According to the best current projections this is now hard to stop given current CO2 levels, and a major die-off is likely around the middle of this century.
The effects of this on global ecosystems are hard to estimate, but will definitely be large.
The cause is that CO2 in the atmosphere becomes carbonic acid after it dissolves in water, and if the ph of the seas changes even a little bit, then calcium carbonate shells (which is what everything from clam shells to coral is made out of) becomes unstable and starts to dissolve.
According to the best current projections this is now hard to stop given current CO2 levels, and a major die-off is likely around the middle of this century.
The effects of this on global ecosystems are hard to estimate, but will definitely be large.