Biosphere 2 ©

Biosphere 2 is an earth systems science research facility that was constructed between 1987 and 1991.  It is the size of two and half football fields and is the largest closed system ever created.  It is located 30 miles outside of Tucson, 4,000 feet above sea level, at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Inside you will see the rainforest, an ocean and coral reef, a mangrove wetlands, a savannah grassland, a fog desert, an agricultural system, and a human habitat.




























Heating and cooling water was achieved  through an independent piping system using the solar energy through the glass panels covering the facility. Electrical power was supplied from an onsite natural gas energy center.






Can you imagine living inside and under glass for 2 years of your life?

From September 26, 1991 to September 26, 1993 this structure was sealed with a crew of eight researchers and medical doctors living inside.  The agricultural area of the Biosphere 2 was planted over a year before the sealing and closure, and the biospherians managed their farm, growing and processing food so that there would a supply of food inside before the structure was sealed.  The agricultural system supplied 83% of the total diet which included bananas, papayas, sweet potatoes, beets, peanuts, lablab, cowpea, beans, rice and wheat.

Some of the domestic animals that were brought in during the first mission included four pygmy goats and a billy goat from the plateau region of Nigeria, thirty-five hens and three roosters (a mix of Indian jungle fowl), two sows and one boar pig as well as tilapia fish grown in a rice pond system in China.

This was considered by most a failure but the scientists were happy with their results.  It is all a mystery to the layman but it was interesting to see and learn whatever could sink in!

(Copyright 2012)