GLOBAL ATMOSPHERIC WATCH ACTIVITIES IN MALAYSIA

Background

Countries in the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) network are encouraged to establish Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) stations to carry out systematic monitoring of background atmospheric constituents for the purpose of acquiring reliable, high quality data to study and understand regional and global environmental issues such as transboundary haze, acid deposition, climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion.

The Malaysian Meteorological Service (MMS) is operating two GAW regional stations, one at Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands and the other at Petaling Jaya. The GAW station at Petaling Jaya monitors urban air quality and meteorology towards developing a better understanding of urban environment issues. Through our involvement in the WMO GAW Urban Research Meteorology and Environment (GURME) project, MMS plans to enhance its capabilities in providing urban air pollution forecasts. The GAW station at Tanah Rata has attracted much interest among the international scientific community in recent years. Due to its strategic location for monitoring regional emissions and its excellent facilities, this site has participated in many regional monitoring networks that require data from the tropics.

A set of observations is currently on-going at the GAW stations to address regional issues such as acid deposition, transport of trace gases and aerosols and local UV radiation. A comprehensive acid deposition programme exists at both sites to monitor both wet and dry deposition. Aerosol mass concentration and chemical composition are also monitored using a number of instruments including High Volume Air Samplers, Low Volume Samplers and the Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance Instrument for real-time measurements. MMS is also operating a nephelometer to measure back scattering of light by aerosols in the atmosphere at Petaling Jaya. Ozone profile and total ozone measurements are conducted at Petaling Jaya while surface ozone is monitored at Tanah Rata. 

MMS is in the process of establishing a GAW global station in the Danum Valley, Sabah. The Danum Valley is globally, one of the best-known research sites in tropical rainforests in the world. The GAW station, located within a Class 1 forest conservation area, will offer an ideal location for investigating atmospheric-biosphere interactions in a tropical rainforest environment, study of long-range transport of pollutants and ability of forests to act as sinks for atmospheric pollutants. The Malaysian government is funding the project with a budget allocation of Ringgit Malaysia 2.6 million. Construction of the station and a 100-metre observation tower is in progress and is expected to be completed by early 2003. When operational, the station will provide facilities to research scientists that are unmatched in this part of the world. 

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