Influence of Pressure on Chemical Equilibria in Aqueous Systems - with Particular Reference to Seawater

Abstract

Synopsis: The influence of pressure on chemical equilibria in aqueous solutions and the parameters that influence such equilibria are reviewed in this work. Particular emphasis is given to equilibria in seawater, including mineral dissolution, weak acid dissociation and metal ion complexation. Intended perspectives include the capabilities of predictive models to describe chemical equilibria in low temperature geochemical systems and the extent to which predictive models are constrained by direct observations. In context of the importance of pressure as a key variable controlling the pathways and fate of environmental chemicals, a need for further direct observations of chemical equilibria at high pressure, under conditions which are often challenging to the experimentalist, is evident.