Previous simulations of regional scale weather and climate required the power of mainframe supercomputers to handle the formidable nonlinear fluid dynamical equations that describe the atmosphere. Using a reasonably powerful Linux-based Beowulf cluster (christened the Agila), we report a successful application of the...
The potential for the use of water vapor as an air quality indicator was investigated. Water vapor samples were collected from three urban sites (roadside, landfill, residential) and an agricultural area, using a simple active cooling system. They were analyzed for standard water...
A prototype DOAS instrument was assembled to measure ambient concentration of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2). A folded-path configuration employing retroreflectors was chosen because of advantages in sensitivity and convenience in housing the transmitter and receiver together. The measurement path length was approximately 280m. Data...
Different methods of clustering are explored to determine the different climate types in the Philippines. This study aims to find a way to reduce data that is varying in both space and time, as in the case of rainfall data, in order to...
The performance of the MM5 and the RegCM3 models in simulating total monthly rainfall has been evaluated. Total rainfall for the two months of June 2000 and June 2001 are simulated. These two months have been selected because they are characterized by two...
A method for computing climatological rainfall is used to determine the rainfall distribution for Luzon during the month of June. The method consists of simulating the distribution with a fluid dynamical model of the atmosphere and merging the results of the simulation with...
A ground based scanning lidar was used for the first time in the Philippines to observe early stages of the convective boundary layer (CBL) growth. Two days of observations were done (March 16 and 17, 2003) at the Manila Observatory, Katipunan. The scanning...
A theoretical study of diurnal variations of NO2 concentrations in the air is conducted to verify the observations at the Manila Observatory inside the Ateneo de Manila Campus (Quezon City, Philippines) in June and August 2002. The analysis of the observations shows that...
A 280m open-path DOAS instrument was constructed. A folded-path configuration employing retroreflectors was chosen for advantages in sensitivity and convenience in instrument alignment and housing. An annular illumination single-telescope transceiver was used to reduce cost and system complexity. Data gathering was performed during...
The Fifth-generation PSU/NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) was used to predict tropical cyclone tracks that developed near the Philippines in 2003. The model’s sensitivity to the parameterization schemes for the cumulus, planetary boundary layer and explicit moisture was investigated to determine the optimal model...
Inertial impaction theory was used in the design and construction of a prototype PM 2.5 aerosol sampler. This prototype, consisting of just an impaction stage and a pump to move air through it, was subjected to collocation tests with MiniVolTM samplers at different...
A June climatological distribution of rainfall for Luzon has been constructed. The method of construction consists of combining two types of rainfall values: theoretical values from simulations with an atmospheric model and observed values at rain gauge stations. The method has been applied...
In response to the serious implications of changes in the local climate, this study describes the temporal and spatial rainfall variability in the Philippines. Precipitation and wet-day frequency are obtained from the 0.5-degree resolution gridded dataset of monthly surface climate of global land...
The dependence of pollution patterns in the coastal waters of Lingayen Gulf on the prevailing winds is studied with the aid of a theoretical model. The model equations consist of the well-known vertically integrated hydro-dynamical equations and a mass transport-dispersion equation. The model...
Flooding due to sea level rise is a primary concern brought about by climate change. This study focuses on Northern Navotas, Metro Manila, a densely populated urban area affected by frequent diurnal changes in sea level. The study verifies terrain data vis-a-vis its...
A method for developing a high resolution, accurate gridded, rainfall data for the Philippines is described. The method is based on combining three types of climatological rainfall information. The first type consists of gridded data which are obtained by using rainfall simulations with...
Observations of NO2 at the Manila Observatory in the Ateneo de Manila Campus (Quezon City, Philippines) are analyzed. These have been made with a Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscope (DOAS) during the two months of June and August 2002. The analysis shows that the...
This study investigates the changes in the surface temperature and wind field due to the possible southward growth of the Metro Manila urban area. Twenty days in April 2002 are simulated using the Fifth-Generation PSU/NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5). In order to isolate the...