Deep in the Amazon, Brazil is building a network of towers arrayed in six rings set to spray carbon dioxide into the rainforest. The purpose is to understand how the world’s largest tropical forest responds to climate change.
Named AmazonFACE, the project will study the forest’s amazing ability to sequester carbon dioxide, which is an essential piece in the puzzle of world climate change. The study will help scientits understand whether the region has a tipping point that could throw it into a state of irreversible decline.
FACE is short for Free Air CO2 Enrichment. The technology was first developed by Brookhaven National Laboratory, near New York City, and has the ability to modify the surrounding environments of growing plants in a way that replicates future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.
The construction of the first two rings is underway and they are expected to be operational by early August. Each ring is made up of 16 aluminum towers as high as a 12 story building. The carbon dioxide will be provided by three companies to avoid any shortage.
Located 70 km north of Manaus, the project is led by the National Institute for Amazon Research with financial support from the British government, which has pledged $9 million. It is set to be fully operational by mid-2024.