The Tropical Atmospheric Physics Research Laboratory (TAPL)
Background
Thailand, located in Southeast Asia (SEA), is characterized by a complex land-ocean-atmospheric system. Straddling the equator, the country has a monsoonal climate largely dictated by the annual movement of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Situated between the South China Sea and eastern Indian Ocean, Thailand is subjected to multi-scale meteorological features, ranging from the interannual El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO), Rossby wave, tropical cyclones and isolated convection. The northern part of the country has complex terrain, with a series of high mountain ranges, while the southern part has maritime character. Being rich in natural resources and situated in an important geopolitical region, Thailand has one of the fastest growing economies in SEA. This has led to a rapid change of land-use and intensification of atmospheric pollutants, causing a change in atmospheric composition. These changes consequently have influenced regional climate which impacts on millions of people living in the country. In the past 10 years, extreme weather-related such as severe tropical storms, floods and droughts have occurred at a greater frequency. Although there are still no clear links between them, it is likely that such events are related to climate variability. To cope with this problem, it is necessary to enhance our understanding of atmospheric processes. In response to this need, a Tropical Atmospheric Physics Research Laboratory (TAPL) has been established in the Department of Physics of Silpakorn University with support from the Department of Physics and Thailand Research Fund (TRF). The activity of the laboratory includes a M.Sc. program in tropical atmospheric physics and research projects on tropical atmospheric physics.
