Biosphere 2 LEO Project: Message in a Bottle

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The Biosphere 2 is located south of Oracle on Highway 77. (File photo)

Funded by the Philecology Foundation, the Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO) project at Biosphere 2 is the University of Arizona’s flagship research project for at least the next decade. LEO will enable scientists to study the terrestrial water cycle, in hopes of learning everything that happens to a water molecule as it leaves the atmosphere all the way to when it, ultimately, makes its way into a riverbed.

Observation of the gas exchange and carbon cycling, and all the complex hydrological and biogeochemical processes that are affected by the Earth’s climate will be included in the study, in an effort to understand how the changing weather conditions will impact the water resources and atmosphere in the future.

What is learned through the LEO project will, ultimately, be of benefit in aiding policy makers, at various levels of government, to make better informed decisions about urban planning and development, population growth, land usage, and related issues. Of course, the information will also be of interest, and use, to individual citizens and private businesses.

“One of our primary missions at Biosphere 2 is to increase public scientific literacy. LEO will be the centerpiece of this effort for many, many years as we educate people about the nature of water in what will increasingly become a hotter, drier desert southwest.” said Matt Adamson, Associate Director, K-12 Education.

LEO, which is currently still under construction, is expected to be fully operational by the end of this year. Three mountains, comprised of crushed volcanic rock from northern Arizona, will rest within a glass enclosures approximately the size of an aircraft hanger. With its arched ceiling, the enclosure, which is curved to mimic the natural slope of hills, has been likened to a bottle, housing three ships. Supporting the three mountains are steel beams weighing approximately 15,000 pounds.

Each mountain will be interlaced with approximately 1,800 sensors which measure water flow, soil chemistry and temperature. Once it is observed how the physical system behaves for a year or two, plants will be added to see how the flora interact with the hydrology and soil chemistry.

In the Desert Southwest, especially, hilly and mountainous landscapes play a vital part in the ecology, since the water resources come from the high elevation areas. Ability to control temperature and rain will allow the scientists to study how climate change will impact atmospheric chemistry, water resources and plant and microbial life in the soil. With three hills, which will first be used in identical fashion, there is the possibility, in the future, of adding different plans and for studies to be run in different climates, as well.

For more information about LEO, visit the University of Arizona website at http://leo.b2science.org/ . Also, there are some informative videos about the LEO project, one of which can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCV9DHjtCSU.

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