Everything about The Claw Hypothesis totally explained
The
CLAW hypothesis proposes a
feedback loop that operates between
ocean ecosystems and the
Earth's
climate. The
hypothesis specifically proposes that particular
phytoplankton that produce
dimethyl sulfide are responsive to variations in
climate forcing, and that these responses lead to a
negative feedback loop that acts to stabilise the
temperature of the
Earth's atmosphere. The CLAW hypothesis was originally proposed by
Robert Charlson,
James Lovelock,
Meinrat Andreae and
Stephen Warren, and takes its
acronym from the first letter of their
surnames.
The CLAW hypothesis
[[Image:CLAW_hypothesis_graphic_1_AYool.png|thumb|200px|right|Schematic diagram of the CLAW hypothesis (Charlson
et al., 1987).
Some subsequent studies of the CLAW hypothesis have uncovered some evidence to support its mechanism, although this isn't unequivocal. Other researchers have suggested that a CLAW-like mechanism may operate in the Earth's
sulfur cycle without the requirement of an active biological component.
The Anti-CLAW hypothesis
[[Image:CLAW_hypothesis_graphic_2_AYool.png|thumb|200px|right|Schematic diagram of the anti-CLAW hypothesis (Lovelock, 2006).
Under future
global warming, increasing temperature may
stratify the
world ocean, decreasing the supply of
nutrients from the deep ocean to its
productive euphotic zone. Consequently, phytoplankton activity will decline with a concommitant fall in the production of DMS. In a reverse of the CLAW hypothesis, this decline in DMS production will lead to a decrease in cloud condensation nuclei and a fall in cloud albedo. The consequence of this will be further climate warming which may lead to even less DMS production (and further climate warming ...). The figure to the right shows a summarising schematic diagram.
Evidence for the anti-CLAW hypothesis is constrained by similar uncertainties as those of the sulfur cycle feedback loop of the CLAW hypothesis. However, researchers
simulating future
oceanic primary production have found evidence of declining production with increasing ocean stratification.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Claw Hypothesis'.
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