Guest Lecture: Joaquin Ruiz discusses Biosphere 2 and observing interacting environments
On January, Joaquin Ruiz, professor of geosciences at University of Arizona, gave a lecture entitled “University of Arizona’s Biosphere 2: Addressing Environmental Grand Challenges of the 21st Century” at the Powerhouse Campus, home of the Energy Institute.
Biosphere 2 is a 40-acre campus originally constructed in 1989 with the purpose of observing how different types of environments would interact with each other at a small scale. The building has sections that recreate rain forest, ocean, savannah, marsh, and desert environments.
Ruiz spoke about research done at the facility, which seeks to answer questions about global climate change. Examples of research projects at Biosphere 2 include predicting the consequences of increased ocean pH levels, observing the level at which rain forests cease to absorb carbon dioxide, and estimating future variations in water availability.
Visit Biosphere 2 for more information.
