The recently installed station will help Chile understand a historic drought that shows no sign of letting up.
Tupungato volcano is one of the highest mountains in Chile, and will now be home to the highest altitude weather station in the southern and western hemispheres. It is a tool that will help scientists understand how climate change is warming the region.At about 5800 meters above sea level on Chile's Tupungato mountain, Baker Perry and his fellow climbers were caught in an early morning snowstorm that kept them hunkered down in their tents, enduring high winds and swirling snow. Perry, a climate scientist at Appalachian State University (USA), takes it philosophically as he recalls the event. "That they are so challenging is part of the beauty of the mountains. It's one of the reasons there aren't many seasons in these parts," Perry says. "We also want to watch the most terrible and challenging storms. They're part of the weather. We have to measure them."
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