**Sophian hydroponics** ---- **Sophian hydroponics** is a unique manifestation of colonial agriculture adapted for human colonies within the upper atmosphere of the turbulent world. Such a practice is conducted through the usage of large-scale aerostat farming habitats; these can be found suspended above the raging clouds of sulfuric acid found between [[wiki:Sophia|Sophia's]] mesosphere and troposphere, approximately fifty kilometers above the surface. With access to sunlight through windowed roofs for these aerostats, artificial lighting is rarely necessary; carbon dioxide is sourced directly from the atmosphere for use with plants, creating in turn oxygen that can be used for life support systems in residential habitats. Water and organic material to aid in cultivation is almost entirely imported from abroad as a result of the low concentration of water vapor in Sophia's atmosphere and the lack of nutrients in general. More often than not, waste products from residential habitats are cheaply imported within-atmosphere towards these hydroponic systems, allowing large-scale efficiency versus importing fertilizers from Plateia. {{tag>techs-civilian offworld_colonization}}