Why mauna loa observatory

And the way things are going this 1. So, climate change will likely impact on us and our children in some way. We have a small window to really make a difference. We must act now. The technology that can significantly reduce the impact that buildings and cities have on the environment is available, with new developments continuing to emerge at an incredible pace.

One of these developments is the ICL Intelligent Communities LifeCycle - a suite of interconnected tools that will enable more sustainable, resource efficient, and healthier communities. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to find out about our latest technology. This blog is the first of a series where I explore the current circumstances and challenges that we face as a species, as well as potential solutions for reducing carbon emissions and improving our buildings and cities for future generations.

Watch this space to find out more. The longest continuous record of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels present comes from Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. In many ways the mountain is the ideal location for studying the atmosphere. Isolated in the Pacific, it is far from major sources of pollution. Its high-altitude, lava-coated flanks are free of plants and trees, whose cycles of photosynthesis and respiration affect carbon dioxide concentrations.

On the other hand, there would seem to be a major problem with measuring carbon dioxide at Mauna Loa: the mountain is an active volcano.

This natural-color satellite image of the summit of Mauna Loa overlaid with meter foot contour lines helps illustrate why volcanic emissions from the summit rarely reach the observatory.

The observatory is located on the northern slope of the mountain, 6 kilometers 4 miles away from and meters 2, feet lower than the summit.

Most of the time, the prevailing northeasterly trade winds prevent volcanically contaminated air from reaching the observatory. These measurements are valuable to volcanologists trying to model the evolution of subsurface magma chambers throughout an eruption cycle. You can read more about this topic at www. This entry was posted on Monday, March 8th, at pm and is filed under Climate: Greenhouse Gases , Observations.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2. Both comments and pings are currently closed. EO Explorer. Subscribe to our newsletters.