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El caso en contra de la regulación del clima a través de las emisiones de azufre del fitoplancton oceánico
1NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, Washington 98115, USA. patricia.k.quinn@noaa.gov
Nature
|December 2, 2011
Resumen
La hipótesis CLAW propuso que el dimetilsulfuro (DMS) emitido por el fitoplancton regulaba el clima mediante la formación de núcleos de condensación de nubes. Décadas de investigación muestran que esta regulación biológica del clima probablemente no existe, lo que sugiere la necesidad de retirar la hipótesis CLAW.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Química de la atmósfera química de la atmósfera
- Ciencias del clima Ciencias del clima Ciencias del clima Ciencias del clima
- Oceanografía La oceanografía es la oceanografía.
Sus antecedentes:
- La hipótesis CLAW propuso que el fitoplancton oceánico emitiera sulfuro de dimetilo (DMS), influyendo en la formación de nubes y regulando el clima.
- Este ciclo de retroalimentación propuesto involucró a DMS formando núcleos de condensación de nubes (CCN), alterando el albedo de la nube y posteriormente las emisiones de DMS.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para evaluar la evidencia de la hipótesis CLAW en las últimas dos décadas.
- Para determinar si existe una regulación biológica del clima a través de DMS y CCN en la capa límite marina.
Principales métodos:
- Revisión de las observaciones de la capa límite marina.
- Análisis de los estudios de laboratorio.
- Evaluación de los esfuerzos de modelado climático y de aerosoles.
Principales resultados:
- La evidencia sugiere que probablemente no existe un control biológico de los núcleos de condensación de nubes por el sulfuro de dimetilo.
- Las fuentes de los núcleos de la capa límite marina y las respuestas de las nubes a los aerosoles son más complejas de lo que se propuso inicialmente.
- La hipótesis CLAW no está respaldada por el conocimiento científico actual.
Conclusiones:
- La hipótesis CLAW, un mecanismo propuesto de regulación biológica del clima, no está respaldada por una investigación extensa.
- Los hallazgos actuales indican que el papel del sulfuro de dimetilo en la formación de nubes y la retroalimentación climática es probablemente insignificante.
- Es hora de retirar la hipótesis CLAW debido a la falta de evidencia de apoyo.
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