Friday, March 21, 2014

Biosphere II Complex - NE of Tucson

Connecting to 


Beginning my tour of the Biosphere II complex. The temperature was perfect this day. The tour took about two hours.  This place is immense being 40 acres or about 2 1/2 football fields long.

 First glance.

 Inside Biosphere looking at a replica of ocean life and coral reef. A giant motor keeps the water in motion. To think that they have kept this project going since 1991.

 Water reflections.

 One of the many planted growing areas. The University of Arizona now owns this complex and is studying the air, water and plant life and regular research projects continue.

The tropical area is so dense after 23 years and the plants have reached the glass roof so I wonder what they will do next so that the plants don't push the glass out.  No animals allowed but plenty of tropical plants and insects.

In another section where they have desert fog climate, occasionally they crack a window open on top and sometimes a bird or two get in and help themselves to inserts.


Reflections.

Apparently, there were two missions.  I only remember the first mission where 8 people were locked inside for two years and they all came out rather skinny.  They grew their own food but did not count on the fact that a cloud settled over the complex for nine months and crops failed so it limited their food intake.  They lost 16% of their body weight.


Shadow shot - living quarters - the bedrooms were upstairs. They had TV, books, and occasionally they had dances. Two hooked up and got married after they left the Biosphere.  Two were already married.


16 comments:

sweetbriardreams said...

What a great place Ruth. To live there for a couple of years would be hard but I think I would love it! Take care xx

'Tsuki said...

When I saw the title, I thought it was a joke, that you were ironic or something... I had no idea you went to the real biosphere ! That's an awesome place to visit, thanks for sharing your pics !

TexWisGirl said...

a nice place to visit but i'd sure not want to live there!

orvokki said...

Again interesting place.
It has to be a very long time to be there 2 years. (It would be good for ruducing diet :)
Thanks for sharing this.
Have a nice weekend.

Halcyon said...

What an interesting place. I will have to keep it in mind if I get back to Arizona.

Viera said...

very interesting story... nice place to visit...

Ileana said...

Interesting place to visit!
Have a nice day!

Paulette said...

It certainly is a very interesting place, I think it would be a place I might visit some day.

cieldequimper said...

It looks like something outta space! Great!

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

Even though I live within three hours of Biosphere II, I've never been there. Now I MUST go!

Dark and Thorny Way

Hootin Anni said...

I've been there...lived in Tucson for a decade. I wasn't impressed with the complex much. More or less a tourist ripoff in my opinion. Would rather go to Sabino Canyon or the Outdoor Desert Museum west of the city in the Tucson Mountains.

Anne said...

Looks amazing Ruth.It sounds similar to our Eden Project in Cornwall.

Ralph said...

This looks like the ultimate greenhouse, a perfect bland of light and indoor cloud - for growing plants if not people, given a cloudy season grows little. An interesting experiment, although I do not have quite a sense of excitement to prove its reason for being...

Catherine said...

what a great place to visit and a great sequence of shots

biebkriebels said...

That is interesting, I remember the people went in indeed.I didn't know the building still existed. It would give me the creeps to get locked in for a year there.

nature ramblings said...

What a great place to visit. Hope I get there some day to see it. Thanks for the great photos. Beautiful blog!

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