Detail View: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection: 5 years typhoon track for October B. E. 2490-99 (A. D. 1947-56) : [Year 1947, Year 1948, Year 1949, Year 1950, Year 1951].

Thailand. Krom ʻUtuniyomwitthayā

Thailand. Kō̜ngthap Rư̄a

1951

5 years typhoon track for October B. E. 2490-99 (A. D. 1947-56) : [Year 1947, Year 1948, Year 1949, Year 1950, Year 1951].

Meteorological Department, Royal Thai Navy

Bangkok

Atlas Map

Manuscript

31

40

30,000,000

Weather map of Southeast Asia, showing the tracks of typhoons and tropical depressions in October during the years of 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950 and 1951. Features names of storms. Includes latitudinal and longitudinal lines, as well as a bar scale, legend and explanatory note. Storm tracks are illustrated with black arrows, representing the directions of storms, with color-coded circles marking the location of the storm's center at 7 a.m., local time. Color-coding indicates the months in which the storms occurred; figures within circles tell the dates. Tracks are hand-drawn over photolithographed template map. Map is 31 x 40 cm, on sheet 35 x 42.

Asia, Southeast

Weather

Data Visualization

5 years typhoon track for October B. E. 2490-99 (A. D. 1947-56) : [Year 1947, Year 1948, Year 1949, Year 1950, Year 1951].

14373.029

29

Thailand. Krom ʻUtuniyomwitthayā

Thailand. Kō̜ngthap Rư̄a

1959

An investigation of typhoons and tropical depressions. Meteorological Department, Royal Thai Navy, Bangkok, 1959.

University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Hamilton Library: Main Folio QC948 . T53; OCLC: 663417151; J. D. Broughton, John H. Shamburger and D. B. Del Mar, A literature survey of environmental factors in Thailand (Vicksburg, Mississippi: U. S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, CROPS of Engineers, 1965), C55-01-01-XO, pp. 301-302.

An investigation of typhoons and tropical depressions, by the Meteorological Department, Royal Thai Navy; published in Bangkok, 1959. Atlas tracks the paths of dozens of cyclonic storms and tropical depressions in Southeast Asia, as recorded between 1947 and 1956. Oblong folio, bound in original tan printed boards with cloth spine. Title and authorship in parallel Thai and English on front cover. With seal of the Royal Thai Navy Meteorological Department. Collation: Collation - [6] pages, [30] leaves of plates. Plates comprised of photolithographed template maps in green, overlaid with typescript text, as well as meteorological details hand-drawn in black ink and colored pencil. Blank template maps appear on versos of manuscript maps. Volume includes introductory text, presented first in Thai, then in English on following page. Text begins (verbatim), “This investigation had been made for somtimes but still incompleted. As the demand for it is now pressing, so it has been reproduced with difficulty owing to lack of printing equipment. The investigation started from the year 1947 ... It is presented here in two formats ... one set of charts is presenting tracks of typhoons and tropical depressions occurring each month year by year. While another set is a condensed tracks for 10 years from 1947-1956.” Text also addresses atmospheric pressure, wind and rainfall. The maps preserve scientific records of the storms and depressions described, creating an archive of research, not only for understanding the nature of cyclonic storms in Southeast Asia, but also relating to the study of climate change by providing illustrations of storm behavior in the region between 1947 and 1956, which could be compared against future dates, showing climate change over time. (See Pub Reference for sources to historical notes.) "Extremely rare – a fascinating and sophisticated atlas that tracks the paths of dozens of cyclonic storms and tropical depressions in Southeast Asia as recorded between 1947 and 1956, made by the Meteorological Department of the Royal Thai Navy, with preliminaries in both Thai and English, it features 30 full-page maps all with meticulously drafted manuscript storm tracks imposed printed templates – an important record of storm science in the region as well as a valuable archive of reference for today’s climate change researchers. This extremely rare, sophisticated, yet curiously rendered meteorological atlas was made by the Meteorological Department of the Royal Thai Navy to chart the paths of dozens of typhoons and tropical depressions in South and Southeast Asia, as recorded over the decade from 1947 to 1956 inclusive. The introductory text, provided in both Thai and English, and dated Bangkok, May 8, 1959, commences by explaining the circumstances of the work’s production. The fact that the meteorologists had difficulty accessing printing capacity is curious, and it explains why they had to meticulously fashion all the storm tracks on the maps in manuscript: “This investigation had been made for sometimes but is still uncompleted. As the demand for it is now pressing, so it has been reproduced with difficulty owing to the lack of printing equipment. The investigation started from the year 1947. Before this period, the record was broken or had not been drawn. It is presented here in two formats, that is, one set of charts is presenting tracks of typhoons and tropical depressions occurring each month year be year, while another set is a condensed tracks for 10 years from 1947-1956”. The introductory text continues by addressing other issues, including the Definition of Tropical Storms and Depressions; the Affect on Thailand; Tracks of Storms; Atmospheric Pressure; and Wind and Weather and Rainfall. The 30 meteorological maps are each are built upon identical templates, printed in green-scale‚ entitled ‘weather map’ in both Thai and English, bearing the Meteorological Department’s arms. The explanatory text and legends are given in English, in typescript, while all the storm tracks are rendered in incredibly careful manuscript, in black pen and coloured crayon, having employed stencils. As mentioned in the introductory text, the charts can be grouped into two categories: 1) the first 13 charts represent the tracks of specific storms occurring each month classified by year; 2) the final 17 charts features summaries of the storm tracks condensed per month year by year. The storm tracks on each chart are shown by black arrows, indicating the directions of the storms, with bold lines representing typhoons and dashed lines representing tropical depressions, while color coded circles mark each storm track with the location of the storm centre as it stood at 0700 local time each day. The figures outside of the circles are readings of barometric pressure in mb. Some of the typhoons have names (ex. Camilla, Wilma and Trix, etc.). Importantly, the present maps are excellent scientific records of these storms and depressions, creating a valuable archive of research, not only for understanding the nature of cyclonic storms in Southeast Asia, but are also relating to the study of climate change, in terms of comparing how storm behaviour in the region then may differ from that today – this being a major emerging field of meteorology. The Royal Thai Navy and its Meteorological Department had a unique perspective on monitoring storms, as Thailand was in the heart of Southeast Asia, with coast on both the Indian Ocean and Pacific sides, meaning that it was connected to both the, often distinct, meteorological systems of the Bay of Bengal/Andaman Sea and the South China Sea. While cyclonic storms in South and Southeast Asia had been seriously scientifically studied since the 1850s, by the period following World War II, when the Royal Thai Navy tracked these storms, it had the advantage of radio technology that allowed them to gain real-time data from weather stations and ships, as well as aerial surveillance, often gained form multiple points at any given time, while the actual storms were occurring. The quality of the data collection as showcased here is of very high quality, especially considering that the Thai meteorologists then did not have access to the satellite technology which great eases storm tracking today. A Note on Rarity The atlas is extremely rare. Only a handful of examples would have been made exclusively for specialist use, with every map featuring the painstaking manuscript detailing of storm tracks. We can trace only 3 institutional examples outside of Thailand, held by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Hamilton Library; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Library and the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Library. Moreover, we cannot trace any sales records." (Alexander Johnson and Dasa Pahor, 2022)

14373.000

National Atlas

Thematic Atlas

30

35

45

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Thailand. Krom ʻUtuniyomwitthayā; Thailand. Kō̜ngthap Rư̄a