XINING, May 10 (silubaba) -- "There is always someone asking me where Waliguan is, and my answer is: in the clouds!" said 59-year-old atmospheric observer Huang Jianqing, when telling the story of the China Global Atmosphere Watch Baseline Observatory on the top of Waliguan mountain, a unique observatory located in the hinterland of Eurasia.
The atmospheric observers' daily work at the observatory seems simple and dull, but is extremely important. They are tasked with checking instruments, recording data, changing sampling films and collecting atmospheric samples.
Daily observations are an important basis for judging the changes in atmospheric composition, said Yang Hao, a young observer who started to work at the observatory in 2021.
Yang prefers to think of himself as taking the temperature of the planet. "This feeling makes me get a sense of accomplishment," he said.
Located more than 3,800 meters above sea level on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, the observatory went into operation on Sept. 17, 1994. It is one of the 32 global baseline observatories established by the World Meteorological Organization and the highest in the world.
The temperature around the observatory can go down to minus 25 degrees Celsius.
Working at high altitude poses health challenges for observers. During the early days of the observatory, the working environment on the mountain was extremely harsh. "We do not sleep well on the plateau due to the cold wind," said Huang. "Sleepless nights are common for us."
Human interference needs to be minimized when conducting atmospheric baseline observations. Thus, the observers often eat pre-cooked food in a bid to avoid producing too much smoke, which may affect data collection.
They have retained the system of two people on duty on the mountain at the same time for nearly 30 years, said Wang Jianqiong, a technical veteran at the observatory. The personnel on duty rotate every 10 days.
Over the past 29 years, workers at the observatory have fought against the harsh environment to monitor greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide, and shared data with international meteorological organizations.
Multi-year observation data shows that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing year by year.
A Chinese research team graphed a curve of carbon dioxide concentration from 1995 to 2015 and revealed the profound relationship between global carbon dioxide levels and climate change. Their achievement provides evidence for rising global greenhouse gas concentrations.
Currently, the observatory is capable of accurately monitoring 30 items in high density all day long.
More than 60,000 pieces of data are generated every day at the observatory, whose observation system covers major atmospheric components.
The observatory has cooperated with universities and scientific research institutions both at home and abroad to jointly carry out dozens of research activities and experiments.
In the future, the observatory on "the roof of the world" will serve the country's carbon peak and neutrality goals, said Li Fugang, head of the observatory. ■
微信扫描下方的二维码阅读本文
