A climate archive designed to record humanity’s response to global warming is set to be installed in western Tasmania in December, nearly five years after it was first announced.
Known as "Earth’s Black Box", the 16-metre-long steel structure will be built near an airfield outside Queenstown.
Inspired by an aircraft flight recorder, it will continuously collect and store climate-related data, environmental measurements, and other information documenting the planet’s condition.
The project was unveiled during the COP26 climate summit in 2021, but little information emerged in the following years. Jonathan Kneebone, artistic director of Rouser Lab, said the delay was spent refining the design, data systems, and long-term funding model.
The structure, powered by solar panels, is intended to preserve information for future generations and record humanity’s actions during the climate crisis.
Tasmania’s West Coast Mayor Shane Pitt said the region was chosen for its geological and political stability and could also attract visitors.
Project organisers say the archive will serve as a record of the decisions made during a period of environmental change, whether it ultimately documents a climate catastrophe or a crisis successfully avoided.