How to read the outdoor sculpture

How to read the sculptural instrument

This sculpture serves as an instrument to inform the viewer if the temperature is above, the same or below the average temperature as from a past peroid in time.

The sculpture outside is composed of 3 glass tubes. The glass tubes are equiped with a series of LED strips . 

1.  The longest glass tube measures real live temperature in Fahrenheit degrees. This is compared to the maximum daily temperature in the past for the same week of the year(1950-1970 historical data) when climate change was less (Tube 3 – see description below). 

2. The 60" tube displays the possible maximum temperature for the same week for 2050 in Concord for a moderate emission scenario of greenhouse gases from Climate Explorer (nemac.org) (this tube will most likely be red most of the time) Temperatures are expected to rise by 4. degrees  in the predicted future so the color of this tube is mostly red(above the average temperature whe compare to historical data.

3.  60" tube displays the color green for the average maximum daily temperature for the same week in the past when there was less climate change compared to the present – this is the period 1950-1970 using data from the US National Weather Service for Hanscom Field, Bedford MA. We have set this to to be grren to identify it as the an average baseline by which to compare the the live temoerature reading.

Color key (what color is the glass tube  and what does it mean?)

RED= above average temperature reading 

Green= Average temperature reading

Blue= below average temperature  reading 

• transitional colors= color between red green and blue may transition based on the temperature.

References 

1.Climate change impacts and projections

2. Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment | Mass.gov

3. 2023 ResilientMass Plan | Mass.gov

4. Fifth National Climate Assessment (globalchange.gov)