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The Observatory from air

The Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) is an atmospheric baseline station on Mauna Loa volcano, on the big island of Hawaii.

Contents

The observatory

Since 1957 MLO has been continuously monitoring and collecting data relating to atmospheric change, and is known especially for their continuous monitoring of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, which is sometimes referred to as the Keeling Curve. The observatory is under the Earth System Research Laboratory which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The latest observation of CO2 concentrations from MLO can be found at web sites compared with other sites,[1] and trends at Mauna Loa[2]. There are a number of datasets provided on the first page. The MLO CO2 data is depicted by the red datapoints. CO2 levels are shown on the left side of the graph.

Two domes house solar sensors

Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) has activities at five sites. The primary observing site is located at the 11,135 ft (3397 m) level on Mauna Loa's north slope, 19°32′10″N 155°34′34″W / 19.53611°N 155.57611°W / 19.53611; -155.57611Coordinates: 19°32′10″N 155°34′34″W / 19.53611°N 155.57611°W / 19.53611; -155.57611 about 2 miles north of the summit Mokuaweoweo. The Mauna Loa Solar Observatory shares this site. The administration and data processing is done in the Hilo, Hawaii office. Kulani Mauka is a rain collection site. Cape Kumukahi is a flask sample site located on the eastern-most point of Hawaii. The old Hilo airport is where weekly balloon-born instrument flights are prepared and launched to measure stratospheric ozone.[3] The site also includes the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory, and is close to a cosmic microwave background observatory called AMiBA.[4]

Atmospheric CO2 concentrations measured at Mauna Loa Observatory

Mauna Loa was originally chosen as a CO2 monitoring site because being isolated in the middle of the Pacific, the air is exceptionally pure. Being high, it is above the inversion layer. There was also already a convenient road to the summit built by the military. The purity is good as long as contamination from local volcanic sources is detected and removed.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Carbon Cycle-Greenhouse Gases Observatory Measurements". National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/ccgg/insitu.html. Retrieved 2009-07-04. 
  2. ^ "Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide - Mauna Loa". http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/. Retrieved 2009-07-04. 
  3. ^ "Ozonesone". NOAA Ozone Layer web site. http://www.ozonelayer.noaa.gov/action/ozonesonde.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-04. 
  4. ^ "Mauna Loa Solar Observatory". official web site. http://mlso.hao.ucar.edu. Retrieved 2009-07-04. 
  5. ^ Steven Ryan (1995). "Quiescent Outgassing of Mauna Loa Volcano 1958-1994". Mauna Loa Revealed: Structure, Composition, History, and Hazards Geophysical Monograph 92, American Geophysical Union. http://web.archive.org/web/19980114152259/http://mloserv.mlo.hawaii.gov/publish/steve/VolcCO2.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-04. 

External links








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