Contact: Barbara McGehan FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11/5/97It's the big one for the Mauna Loa Observatory, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary on Nov. 19 by dedicating a new building on site that will be one of the few primary facilities worldwide focused on studies of the ozone layer.
Situated on the slope of the Mauna Loa volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, the observatory has served the world well in its first 40 years, accumulating the longest continuous measurements of greenhouse gases on the planet. And it is poised to make even greater contributions in the 21st century.
From a modest beginning as a small, meteorological station, it became the first site to provide conclusive evidence that carbon dioxide - the most important of all greenhouse gases - was increasing in the atmosphere. The observatory continues to play a central role in studies of climate change and is now prepared to monitor the ozone layer for long-term environmental effects.
To celebrate the anniversary, a new building will be dedicated on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at the observatory site. Under the direction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., the new facility will house the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change instrumentation, and will be one of a handful of global primary sites dedicated to studying the ozone layer. David Hofmann, director of the Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory, says "these key sites will provide data on the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer during the 21st century."
According to Russell Schnell, director of the observatory, the anniversary celebration will include honored guests, Professor Charles D. Keeling, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who conducted the first carbon dioxide measurements at Mauna Loa; Honorable Stephen Yamashiro, Mayor of Hilo; Dr. Elbert Friday Jr., director of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research for NOAA; and Dr. James Rasmussen, director of NOAA's Environmental Research Laboratories. The ceremonies will conclude with a traditional Hawaiian blessing of the new building. As part of these ceremonies, the original Mauna Loa Observatory building will be renamed the Charles D. Keeling Building in honor of Keeling's pioneering research in the field of carbon dioxide measurements.
Schnell says that the observatory is notable for a number of reasons. "Its location is unique. Situated more than 11,000 feet high on a mountain thousands of kilometers from any continental landmass, its pristine environment is one of the cleanest in the world and is ideal for measuring atmospheric gases that could cause climate change." The first conclusive evidence that carbon dioxide was increasing in the atmosphere came from measurements taken there by Keeling, who began measuring carbon dioxide in 1958. These measurements are one of the most famous environmental records in existence and clearly show the influence of humans on the environment.
In addition, the Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory takes long-term measurements of other key atmospheric substances such as the concentrations of carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide, surface and stratospheric ozone, halogenated compounds including CFC replacements, and aerosols. Measurements of solar and infrared radiation are also taken. These observations are studied and compared to see what trends are occurring in the atmosphere, giving scientists a chance to investigate what factors may be involved in changing the earth's climate. Particulates, caused by volcanic eruptions, are also studied, using a laser radar.
As the major industrial nations meet in Kyoto, Japan, in December to decide how to limit the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the world, the Mauna Loa Observatory continues to be a beacon for scientists and policy makers alike. Hofmann believes that "if world leaders decide to limit the emission of carbon dioxide, effectively controlling global warming through regulations, Mauna Loa Observatory will play a key role in monitoring the effects of the regulations in the future."
NOTE TO EDITORS: B-roll video of the observatory is available by calling Delores Clark. A photo of the observatory site is available by calling Barbara McGehan.
For more information on the Mauna Loa Observatory, consult their website at http://mloserv.mlo.hawaii.gov/mloinfo/visit.htm Press releases and links to NOAA will be found on the Internet at: http://www.noaa.gov/public-affairs