ABOUT MLO
Organization
Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) - Global Monitoring Division (GMD).
Location
MLO is located on the north flank of Mauna Loa Volcano, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Due to its remote location in the Pacific Ocean, high altitude (3397 meters, or 11,135 feet above sea level), and great distance from major pollution sources, MLO is a prime spot for sampling the Earth's background air in the well mixed free troposphere. The observatory protrudes through the strong marine temperature inversion layer present in the region, which separates the more polluted lower portions of the atmosphere from the much cleaner free troposphere. More on MLO Site Location...
Prominence
MLO began continuously monitoring and collecting data related to climate change, atmospheric composition, and air quality in the 1950's. Today, the observatory is best known for its measurements of rising anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmposhere. This trend is sometimes referred to as the "Keeling Curve". MLO is also known for its measurements of ozone, chemicals that destroy ozone (such as CFCs and HCFCs), solar radiation, and both trospheric and stratospheric aerosols. Data from MLO is also used to calibrate and verify data from satellites and stations around the world. More on MLO Programs...
Affiliations
The Observatory at Mauna Loa has been a model for several recently instituted atmospheric research stations. In its 50 years of operation, MLO has supported hundreds of cooperative research programs with national and international universities, government organizations, and foreign agencies. Hundreds of papers have been published based on data collected at MLO. To view a list of research programs at MLO that include the participating organization(s), click here.
Mauna Loa Observatory is also affiliated with the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH), School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR). Several MLO employees work for JIMAR (more about MLO Staff...).
