Editing Alkalinity (section)

===Global temporal and spatial variability===
The ocean's alkalinity varies over time, most significantly over geologic timescales (millennia). Changes in the balance between terrestrial [[weathering]] and sedimentation of carbonate minerals (for example, as a function of ocean acidification) are the primary long-term drivers of alkalinity in the ocean.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Zeebe |first1=Richard E. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/246683387 |title=CO2 in seawater : equilibrium, kinetics, isotopes |last2=Wolf-Gladrow |first2=Dieter A. |date=2001 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-08-052922-6 |location=Amsterdam |oclc=246683387}}</ref> Over human timescales, mean ocean alkalinity is relatively stable.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Doney |first1=Scott C. |last2=Fabry |first2=Victoria J. |last3=Feely |first3=Richard A. |last4=Kleypas |first4=Joan A. |date=2009-01-01 |title=Ocean Acidification: The Other CO 2 Problem |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.marine.010908.163834 |journal=Annual Review of Marine Science |language=en |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=169–192 |doi=10.1146/annurev.marine.010908.163834 |pmid=21141034 |bibcode=2009ARMS....1..169D |issn=1941-1405|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Seasonal and annual variability of mean ocean alkalinity is very low.<ref name="autogenerated1">Thomas, H.; Schiettecatte, L.-S.; et al. Enhanced Ocean Carbon Storage from Anaerobic Alkalinity Generation in Coastal Sediments. Biogeosciences Discussions. 2008, 5, 3575–3591</ref>

Alkalinity varies by location depending on evaporation/precipitation, advection of water, biological processes, and geochemical processes.<ref name=":5" />

River dominated mixing also occurs close to the shore; it is strongest close to the mouth of a large river. Here, the rivers can act as either a source or a sink of alkalinity.  A<sub>T</sub> follows the outflow of the river and has a linear relationship with salinity.<ref name="autogenerated1" />

Oceanic alkalinity also follows general trends based on latitude and depth. It has been shown that A<sub>T</sub> is often inversely proportional to [[sea surface temperature]] (SST). Therefore, it generally increases with high latitudes and depths. As a result, upwelling areas (where water from the deep ocean is pushed to the surface) also have higher alkalinity values.<ref>Millero, F. J.; Lee, K.; Roche, M. Distribution of alkalinity in the surface waters of the major oceans. Marine Chemistry. 1998, 60, 111-130.</ref>

There are many programs to measure, record, and study oceanic alkalinity, together with many of the other characteristics of seawater, like temperature and salinity. These include: [[Geochemical Ocean Sections Study|GEOSECS]] (Geochemical Ocean Sections Study),<ref>{{Cite web |title=dataset: GEOSECS |url=http://iridl.ldeo.columbia.edu/SOURCES/.GEOSECS/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=iridl.ldeo.columbia.edu}}</ref> TTO/NAS (Transient Tracers in the Ocean/North Atlantic Study), JGOFS (Joint Global Ocean Flux Study),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-03-14 |title=Home : Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution |url=http://www.whoi.edu/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314062803/http://www.whoi.edu/ |archive-date=2012-03-14 }}</ref> [[World Ocean Circulation Experiment|WOCE]] (World Ocean Circulation Experiment),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-10-16 |title=WOCE Global Data Resource |url=http://woce.nodc.noaa.gov/wdiu/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016125338/http://woce.nodc.noaa.gov/wdiu/ |archive-date=2011-10-16 }}</ref> CARINA (Carbon dioxide in the Atlantic Ocean).<ref>{{Cite web |title=CARINA |url=https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/CARINA |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=www.pmel.noaa.gov}}</ref>