2002-03 . . . Episode 5 - Biosphere2

Bioshpere2 is about 30 miles NE of Tucson on Hwy 77. They call it a living laboratory for the earth and the environment. It is a 3 acre enclosed environment covered with glass and steel (like a green house). They brought in untreated plants, air, soil and water to emulate the various ecological systems . . . the ocean . . . the desert . . . the rainforest . . . and use different types of technology to control the atmosphere, rainfall and wind, as well as, test how these systems respond when exposed to various levels of carbon dioxide and other atmosphere-modifying elements. The whole thing is fascinating ! !

The lungs are particularly interesting. Each consists of a large aluminum disc which has a rubber membrane connected to it and then connected to the side of the dome. When looked at from above it would resemble the surface of a drum with a metal plate surrounded by rubber (to make sure that the air pressure inside the glass structure stays at a safe level). In the daytime when the temperature inside of Biosphere2 increases, expanded air rushes in to the two "lungs" via large tunnels and then at night when the structure cools and contracts, air in the lungs flows back in to Biosphere2.

The original design included The Human Habitat (to house 10 people) and eight people did manage to survive in there for two years BUT the initial problems they ran into included insufficient levels of oxygen and an inability to produce as much food as they thought they could. Apparently, they had not accounted for the amount of oxygen it would take to cure the concrete they used - that accounted for the tower levels of oxygen - and rather than rely on their gardens, they utilized the various other biome's to produce food. For example, the planted additional bananas and papayas in the rainforest.

They actually hauled a million gallons of water right from the ocean to develop the Ocean Biome.

One of the present experiments includes how an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would effect the coral in the ocean. The coral exhibits are spectacular. The experiments tend to indicate that the increase carbon dioxide is destroying the coral. I would like to get back there sometime.

We're hoping to get to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Forest next (around Why and Ajo) and then down to Rocky Point in Mexico.