Oxygen in the Atmosphere:

Working at a High Elevation

In the Atacama Desert of Chile, the ALMA Observatory gathers data from some of the farthest and oldest galaxies in the universe. The data is collected using a group of scientific devices, called a radio antenna array, that is 5,000 m (16,404 ft) above sea level. For the engineers and technicians who maintain the antenna array, working at such a high elevation can be dangerous.

Watch the video to learn what it’s like to work at a high elevation. How are safety precautions different from those at a sea-level worksite? Why do you think those extra precautions are in place?

Elevation, like altitude, is a term used for vertical distance or “height.” Elevation is the height of a point on Earth’s surface, like a mountain, above sea level. Altitude is the height of an object that doesn’t have to be on Earth’s surface, like an airplane, above some reference level (often sea level as well).
ALMA Observatory Video (Credits: Footage from ALMA Observatory, CC BY 3.0).

Like the workers at the ALMA Observatory, many people experience physical changes at high elevations. To understand what causes these changes, let’s explore the air at high elevations.