Berlin (d.de) – One of the most state-of-the art measuring stations in the world is being built at an altitude of almost 3,000 metres on the Zugspitze. It will provide data for climate research – and also information relevant to health, as the news programme Tagesschau reports. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is having a completely renovated observatory for atmospheric research measurements built near the summit cross on Germany’s highest mountain. “This is a very big new programme which will operate across Europe,” Ralf Sussmann, head of atmospheric research at KIT, tells Tagesschau. The data obtained will be shared and compared with other research institutions in Germany and Europe, providing insights into global climate change.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is providing funding of 5.5 million euros for the project. Highly sensitive measuring devices such as a spectrometer are to be installed in the dome. As a result, the observatory at an altitude of 2,962 metres is regarded as one of the most state-of-the-art in the world. “The Zugspitze is a special place, not least due to the altitude. We’re free of local sources here so the atmospheric measurements will yield information that is relevant to extensive geographical areas,” explains Sussmann. The methane measurement at the summit cross in particular is significant for the entire northern hemisphere.
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