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INTEGRATED MODELING OF SINGAPORE'S ENVIRONMENT (iMOSE)
Projects:
 Environmental Impacts Of Large Scale Biofuel Development In SE Asia This project will study the environmental impacts of large scale biofuel development on ecosystem services, agriculture, and water resources. The primary focus will be conversion of natural forest to plantations that produce palm oil for processing into bio-diesel in the region surrounding Singapore. The research will involve field experiments and numerical modeling.
 Bio-Diesel Plants In and Around Singapore  Proposed Field Experiments and Modeling Contact PI: Elfatih Eltahir, Charles Harvey, Dara Entekhabi
Coastal Environment and Sediment Transport The CEST objectives are to (i) develop small scale process models for hydrodynamics and sediment transport in the coastal environment; (ii) verify crucial aspects of these process models through laboratory experimentation in facilities designed as part of CEST for this purpose; and (iii) develop the necessary linkages to properly account for and incorporate small scale processes in larger, systems level models. The main theoretical work will involve the development of a combined wave-current sediment transport model that is integrated to remove temporal scales associated with individual wind-waves, thereby providing the proper bottom boundary conditions for large-scale numerical circulation models such as FVCOM or SLON. Other theoretical developments relate to the 3D generalization of a surf zone process model, which in turn will provide the proper coastal boundary condition for large-scale circulation and sediment transport models. The main experimental research will involve the design, construction, and testing of a unique Wave-Current-Sediment (WCS) interaction facility, envisioned as an improved version of the Delft Oscillating Water Tunnel (OWT). The WCS facility will be used to calibrate and validate the theoretical small-scale hydrodynamic and sediment transport process models. Other experimental studies on oblique wave-current interactions will be performed using an existing wave basin facility in the Hydraulics Laboratory at NUS.
 Layout for Oblique Wave-Current Interaction Experiments  Delft Oscillating Water Tunnel Apparatus
Contact PI: Ole Madsen
Related References:
Evaluation of Integrated Biosphere Simulator (IBIS) Model The goal of this research will be to evaluate an integrated biosphere simulator (IBIS) model that performs integrated assessments of water balance, carbon balance, and vegetation structure on both global and regional scales based on an integrated modeling approach. Also known as Dynamic Vegetation Model (DVGM), IBIS includes several modules that are organized with respect to their temporal scale: land-surface processes (energy, water, carbon and momentum balance), soil biogeochemistry (carbon and nitrogen cycling from plant through soil), vegetation dynamics, and vegetation phenology. IBIS is a more reasonable alternative to the static representation of vegetation (BATS) already in the regional climate model (RegCM3). Contact PI: Elfatih Eltahir
High Resolution Modeling Of Biosphere-Atmosphere-Ocean The modeling effort will use the Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) adapted to the configuration of the South China Sea (90E-140E; 20S-30N) with very fine space resolution in the basin surrounding Singapore. The simulations of the ocean circulation and property distributions (temperature, salinity, density) will be carried out under surface forcings of wind stress, heat and moisture fluxes and will be validated with altimetric, tidal and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data. Three assimilation packages based on sequential data assimilation (Kalman filtering) have already been adapted to FVCOM. They will be used for the assimilation of different observations (altimetry, tide gauges, in situ data). Specific emphasis will be given to the design of fixed and adaptive observational arrays in the Singapore regional environment. FVCOM will also be coupled to the bottom boundary layer and sediment transport model developed by Prof. Madsen. The final goal and outcome of the project will be to achieve operational and real time assimilation and forecasting capabilities for the Singapore region and surrounding seas.
Contact PI: Paola Rizzoli
Related References:
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