This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-29199728
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Brazil builds giant Amazon observation tower | Brazil builds giant Amazon observation tower |
| (5 days later) | |
| Construction has begun on a giant observation tower in the heart of the Amazon basin to monitor climate change. | Construction has begun on a giant observation tower in the heart of the Amazon basin to monitor climate change. |
| The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory is expected to rise 325m from the ground. | The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory is expected to rise 325m from the ground. |
| Its instruments will gather data on greenhouse gases, aerosol particles and the weather in one of the largest continuous rain forests on the planet. | Its instruments will gather data on greenhouse gases, aerosol particles and the weather in one of the largest continuous rain forests on the planet. |
| Brazilian and German scientists hope to use the data to better understand sources of greenhouse gases and answer questions on climate change. | Brazilian and German scientists hope to use the data to better understand sources of greenhouse gases and answer questions on climate change. |
| The tower is being constructed out of steel that was brought thousands of kilometres from the south of Brazil to the site, about 160km (100 miles) from the Amazonian city of Manaus. | The tower is being constructed out of steel that was brought thousands of kilometres from the south of Brazil to the site, about 160km (100 miles) from the Amazonian city of Manaus. |
| Because of its height, the tower will make it possible to investigate the alteration and movement of air masses through the forest over a distance of several hundred kilometres. | Because of its height, the tower will make it possible to investigate the alteration and movement of air masses through the forest over a distance of several hundred kilometres. |
| "The measurement point is widely without direct human influence, and therefore ideal to investigate the meaning of the forest region for the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere," said Jurgen Kesselmeier, the project coordinator for the German side, quoted on the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz website. | "The measurement point is widely without direct human influence, and therefore ideal to investigate the meaning of the forest region for the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere," said Jurgen Kesselmeier, the project coordinator for the German side, quoted on the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz website. |
| The Amazon jungle is one of the world's most sensitive ecosystems, with a powerful influence on the intake and release of carbon into the atmosphere. | The Amazon jungle is one of the world's most sensitive ecosystems, with a powerful influence on the intake and release of carbon into the atmosphere. |
| "The tower will help us answer innumerable questions related to global climate change," said Paulo Artaxo, from the University of Sao Paulo. | |
| The tower will be integrated into an existing structure of smaller measuring towers in the region. | The tower will be integrated into an existing structure of smaller measuring towers in the region. |
| When finished, it will complement a similar observatory built in 2006 that already stands in Central Siberia. | When finished, it will complement a similar observatory built in 2006 that already stands in Central Siberia. |