A newly built weather tower in Liaoning Province is to be put into use soon to monitor ecological changes in the area.

As the first ecological weather station in China, the weather tower would observe the local ecological system, according to an official with Liaoning provincial meteorological bureau.

The station would mainly provide statistics on the rise of temperatures and sea levels, acid rain and damage to the ozone layer.

The 100-meter high weather tower was built near Jinzhou City near the Bohai Sea. The station would combine satellite remote sensing technology with long-term ground observation to monitor the ecological changes in the coastal area of Liaoning.

Jinzhou was chosen because this area could provide many ecological phenomena for observation and study such droughts, flooding, desertification, and sandstorms.

The provincial meteorological bureau also plans to set up an ecological weather station in the mountainous area of east Liaoning and another in the delta area of the Liaohe River.

With more than 2,600 weather observatories and stations, China has formed a complete weather monitoring and forecast system. The establishment of ecological weather stations is an extension of the country's weather service.

(Xinhua News Agency January 13, 2003)