INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 3, ISSUE 8, AUGUST 2014 ISSN 2277-8616

Analysis Of Water Temperature Of Laguna Lake

Using EFDC Model
Armi M. Cunanan, Jonathan W.L. Salvacion

Abstract: Laguna Lake is one of the widely used fresh water source in Metropolitan Manila. Numerous studies have been conducted for the water
quality monitoring of the lake. Large amounts of pollutants are continuously received by the lake from domestic, industrial and others sources. The
physical appearance of the lake alone needs attention. Physical characteristics of water include depth, flow velocity, flow rate, temperature, turbidity and
transparency is very important. The lakes water temperature not so much given attention but affects most of the chemical and biological characteristics
of water, is given focus in this study. Hydrodynamic characteristics of the lake was considered in coming up with a graphical illustration of the
temperature of the Laguna Lake using the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). Laguna Lake is thermally unstratified with its average depth of
3.21 and mean temperature range from 25 C to 29 C. The EFDC model used in this study could be further used to model hydrodynamic transport and
be linked with Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP).

Index Terms: hydrodynamics, Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code, Laguna Lake, lake temperature

1 INTRODUCTION Changes in temperature have an effect on other water quality

Laguna Lake is the biggest lake in the Philippines and is one of parameters such as alkalinity, salinity, dissolved oxygen,
the most important inland bodies of water [1] located in the electrical conductivity, and the chemical and biological
southeast of Manila [2]. It is being used for several purposes reactions such as solubility in oxygen, carbon-dioxide-
such as fisheries, transport route, flood water reservoir, power carbonate-bicarbonate equilibrium, increase in metabolic rate
generation, recreation, irrigation, industrial cooling, waste sink, and physiological reactions of organisms are likewise affected.
and potable water since July, 2009 [3]. It has three distinct [6]In the present study, the thermal stratification of the Laguna
bays namely West Bay, Central Bay and East Bay. The Lake Basin was simulated using the Environmental Fluid
southernmost portion is called the South Bay. The Laguna Dynamics Code (EFDC) using a one-meter interval of the
Lake or Laguna de Bay is a large shallow freshwater body depths of the lake. This report presents a model which
with an average depth of 2.5 meters with a surface area of 911 simulates specifically the temperatures in the Laguna de Bay
km2, a shoreline of 220 km and a holding capacity estimated by setting the boundary conditions for the hydrodynamic model
at 2.19 x109m3 [1] [3]. During the months of December to including the depth and elevation, volume of inflow and
February, the lowest air temperature and highest wind outflow, wind, temperature and atmospheric forces. The data
velocities occur in the Laguna Lake Basin resulting to water used in the model were collected from Laguna Lake
turbulence and high water turbidity. Although ample supply of Development Authority (LLDA) and Philippine Atmospheric,
free nutrients is present, low fish growth is experienced. On the Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
months of November to April, dry season occurs. There are (PAGASA). The model will then be used as a management
two climatic conditions in the Laguna Lake Basin, Type 1 and tool to simulate the water quality of the Laguna Lake. The
Type 4 of the Corona Climate System of Classification. There model showed that the water movement at the Manggahan is
are two distinct seasons under Type 1, dry from November to dynamic due to the 131.56 m3/sec flow of water in the area.
April and wet from May to October; and Type 4 which is
characterized by evenly distributed rainfall all throughout the 2. METHODS
year. [4] Lake temperature exerts a major influence on the
biological activity of aquatic organisms since most aquatic EFDC Model
organisms are cold-blooded or poikilothermic, and are unable
to internally regulate their core body temperature [5]. A change EFDC Explorer (EE) is a Windows-based Graphical User
in temperature of water bodies naturally occurs seasonally and Interface (GUI) for pre- and post-processing of the
daily. However, the fishs ability to reproduce is affected by Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). The program is
man made changes to the water temperature. developed and supported by the engineering company
Dynamic Solutions-International (DS-Intl). EFDC Explorer is
designed to support model set-up, Cartesian and curvilinear
grid generation, testing, calibration and data visualization using
2 dimensional and 3 dimensional plots and animation of model
results. [7] The EFDC comprises an advanced three-
dimensional surface water modeling system for hydrodynamic
_____________________ and reactive transport simulations of rivers, lakes, reservoirs,
wetland systems, estuaries, and the coastal ocean. The
Armi M. Cunanan, Mapa Institute of Technology, modeling system was originally developed at the Virginia
Intramuros, Manila, Philippines, +639989900623. Institute of Marine Science as part of a long-term research
E-mail: [email protected] program to develop operational models for resource
Jonathan W.L. Salvacion, Mapa Institute of management applications in Virginia's estuarine and coastal
Technology, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. waters. The EFDC model is a public domain, with current
E-mail: [email protected] users including universities, governmental agencies, and
engineering consultants. [8]
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(4)
Hydrodynamics
The EFDC model solves the three-dimensional, vertically
hydrostatic, free surface, turbulent averaged equations of fluid (5)
with variable density. The model uses a stretched or sigma
vertical coordinate and Cartesian or curvilinear, orthogonal
horizontal coordinates. The hydrodynamic model also solves ( 6)
dynamically coupled transport equations for turbulent kinetic
energy, turbulent length scale, salinity, and temperature. [9]
The vertically hydrostatic momentum and continuity equations (7)
of EFDC model for turbulent flow are solved in a coordinate
system which may be curvilinear and orthogonal in the
horizontal and stretched or topography-free surface in vertical
direction. [10] [8] EFDC uses stretch or sigma vertical (8)
coordinates and cartesian or curvilinear, orthogonal horizontal
coordinates to represent the physical characteristic of a water
body. [11] The momentum and continuity equations in EFDC = physical
model using curvilinear grid generation, please refer to (1): [12] pressure

(1) H = +z,sum of the depth below the free surface displacement

relative to the undisturbed physical vertical coordinate origin
z*=0
T = temperature
If Cartesian grid generation would be used, mx and my will be S = salinity
equivalent to 1 and (2) will be used. b = buoyancy defined in equation as the normalized deviation
of density from the reference value
Av = vertical turbulent or eddy viscosity
(2) Qu and Qv = momentum source-sink terms
Qs and Qt = source and sink terms
Ab = vertical turbulent diffusivity and vertical kinematic
x and y = the curvilinear-orthogonal coordinates viscosity
z = vertical sigma coordinate
u and v = horizontal velocities in the curvilinear-orthogonal Boundary Conditions for the Hydrodynamic Model
horizontal coordinates (x,y)
mx and my = the metric coefficients that would be calculated Depth and Elevation. Laguna Lake Development Authority
from dx and dy of the cells (LLDA) together with The University of the Philippines
w = vertical velocity in the stretched vertical and dimensionless National Institute of Geological Science (UP-NIGS) are
coordinate z. currently updating the bathymetry data of Laguna Lake.
z,p = kinematic excess pressure above the reference density Bathymetry data provided by LLDA was digitized in order to
o = hydrostatic pressure generate a Cartesian grid.
atm = kinematic atmospheric pressure
= the free surface potential Volume of Inflow. Inflow boundaries and values were
g times z* = free surface elevation based on the water balance of Laguna Lake from
zb* = bottom bed or topography elevation
LLDA. The inflow from the 23 river systems (excluding
H(zs* - zb*) = total water column depth
f = Coriolis parameter Marikina) were computed from the 2012 consolidated
fe = effective Coriolis parameter incorporating the curvature stream flow per station of Laguna Lake. (see Table 1
accelerations River Systems Stream Flow)

In the EFDC model, governing equations for the flow

hydraulics were derived from the vertically hydrostatic
boundary layer form of the turbulent equations of motion for an
incompressible, variable density fluid. Error! Reference
source not found., Error! Reference source not found.,
Error! Reference source not found., , Error! Reference
source not found., Error! Reference source not found.. [11]

( 3)

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Table 1 (m/day), relative humidity and cloud cover in fraction, dry bulb
River Systems Stream Flow temperature in degrees Celsius (C), wind speed in meter per
second (m/s), and wind direction.

Table 2
Wind, Temperature and Atmospheric Forces Average
Values (1977-2003)

3. MODELING
Study Area
Laguna Lake is shaped like a stylized W with two peninsulas
jutting out from the northern shore. Between these peninsulas,
the middle lobe fills the large volcanic Laguna Caldera. In the
middle of the lake is the large island of Talim, which falls under
the jurisdiction of the towns of Binangonan and Cordona in
Rizal Province. The lake is one of the primary sources of
freshwater fish in the country and its water drains to Manila
Bay via the Pasig River. [14]

Wind, Temperature, Atmospheric Forces. Data for

the Wind Velocity and Temperature were acquired
from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
Record used was the average per month from 1977 to
2003 (see
Table 2
Wind, Temperature and Atmospheric Forces Average Values
(1977-2003)). The switch in wind direction is the main indicator
between the cool northeast wind (hanging amihan) and the
southwest monsoon (hanging habagat) [13]. From the
University of the Philippines-Los Baos, Laguna (UP-LB)
monitoring station, wind in Laguna Lake is dominated by
northeast wind direction averaging to 2 m/sec. Atmospheric
forces utilized rainfall, relative humidity, and solar radiation.
Meteorological data was used to model the surface heat
exchange between the water surface and the atmosphere in Fig. 1: The map of the study area (Laguna Lake)
the Laguna Lake EFDC model. The following are the
meteorological parameters required for the EFDC model:
atmospheric pressure in millibars (mb), solar radiation in watts
per square meter (W/m2), evaporation in meters per day

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Basin

The total inflow in the lake is about 178.8m3/s (6,265mm). The

highest inflow contributor is the river discharge at 125m3/s
(4,380mm), direct rainfall at 38m3/s (1,332mm) and
groundwater influx at 15.8m3/s (554mm). The total outflow from
the lake is about 181.5 m3/s (6,630mm). The highest
component of the outflow of the river is the Pasig River outflow
at 150m3/s (5,256mm), evaporation rate at 29 m3/s (1,016mm)
and consumptive water users of some such as irrigation, water
supply at 2.6 m3/s (88mm). The change in storage in the lake
is quite insignificant since the reduction is only about 2.7 m3/s
(88mm). It may increase or decrease in a yearly basis
depending on the hydro-climactic condition of the basin. [15]

Computational Domain and Mesh Generation

Topographic and bathymetric data from Laguna Lake
Development Authority (LLDA) was used to develop an
Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) model. Using the Fig. 2:Wind Circulation Pattern in Laguna Lake Basin with
cartesian grid generation, resolution used for the Average wind speed at 2 m/sec
2

computational domain (dx,dy) was 300mx300m, the horizontal Fig. 3 shows the bathymetry of the Laguna Lake Basin. The
domain contains 137 cells in the i-direction and 158 cells in j- average depth based on the data from the updated LLDA data
direction. Total active cells counted up to 9889. 23 river is 3.21 meters. The majority of the locations with available
systems (excluding Marikina River), ground water, power depth is between 3.0 meters to 3.09 meters. A value of 27.5 C
generation, and irrigation were considered inflows. Pasig River annual average mean temperature value from National
is the major outflow contributor of the lake. The horizontal and Agromet Station, University of the Philippines, Los Baos,
vertical model grids developed for the Laguna Lake Model Laguna Station, was used in the initial condition of temperature
were based on the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) data series of the simulation.
projection. In the simulation, typical water depths ranged from
0.2m to 19.8m as shown in Fig. 3.

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Data from the National Agromet Station, University of the
Philippines, Los Baos (NAS UPLB), Laguna Station, was
used in the wind data series of the simulation, average of the
data used covered 1977-2003 prevailing wind. The wind
average speed is 2 m/sec2 for the entire 365-day run. Monthly
prevailing wind direction is as follows. January Easterly wind;
February to May wind North Easterly wind; June and July
Easterly wind; August South Westerly wind; September and
October - Easterly wind; November and December North
Easterly wind.

Fig. 3: Bathymetric map

The

Fig. 2 shows the wind circulation pattern of the Laguna Lake

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Fig. 4 shows the initial condition of the Laguna Lake Basin at

day 1 from depths 1 to 9, while

Fig. 4,

Fig. 5 shows the condition of LLB after 365 days also from
depths 1 to 9. Many biological, physical and chemical
processes are affected by temperature. With a slight increase
in water temperature, the amount of biological activity and rate
Fig. 5 and , of chemical and metabolic reaction increase significantly, thus,
it is very critical to both plants and animals. Most aquatic
organisms have adapted to survive within a range of water
temperatures but few can tolerate extremely hot or cold
temperature. Temperature also affects aquatic lifes sensitivity
to toxic wastes, parasites and disease. Thermal pollution may
cause fish to become vulnerable to disease, either because of
stress due to rising temperatures or due to resulting decrease
in dissolved oxygen [16].

Fig. 6 illustrates the simulated temperature for the Laguna

Lake Basin for a 1 year cycle.

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Fig. 4: Initial condition of Laguna Lake Basin water temperature at 1 meter to 9 meter depth

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Fig. 5:Laguna Lake Basin water temperature at Day 365, 1 meter to 9 meter depth

Water movements at different scales and of different types

significantly affect the distribution of temperature [17]. Oxygen
tends to be less soluble as temperature increases. [6]. If the Fig. 6 represents the water temperature by depth of the
water temperature rises to high, the dissolved oxygen (DO) Laguna Lake Basin. Depth of 3.00 meters was chosen since
level decreases, directly threatening aquatic life and majority of the known depths ranges from 3.00 to 3.99 meters.
contributing to eutrophication [17]. Based on the Department of Screen shots in 30 days interval is shown at a constant depth
of 3.00 meters from Day 1 to Day 365 to represent a one year
Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order 34,
cycle of water. On the mean temperature data used from the
3 C is the allowable temperature increase over the average
NAS-UPLB station, lowest water temperature was recorded
ambient temperature for each month, where in this rise shall
was on the month of January at 25.5C, highest water
be based on the average of the maximum daily readings temperature at 29.3C, recorded on the month of May.
recorded at the site, but upstream of the mixing zone over a Maximum temperature recorded was on the months of April
period of one month for water under Class A, B, C and D [18]. and May at 34.2C and 34.5C, respectively, whereas,
minimum temperature recorded was on the months of January
and February with 21.3Cand 21.2C respectively. Highest
water discharge came from the Manggahan and Angono sub
basin, constituting to 131.56 m3/sec and 124.88 m3/sec
respectively based on the consolidated stream flow from
LLDA.

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Fig. 6: Water temperature at 3-meter depth from day 30 to day 365

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5. CONCLUSION
The lake is shallow at an average depth of 3.21 meters and the
temperature is high throughout the year therefore, it is [10]. Y. Wang, Y. Jiang, W. Liao, P. Gao, X. Huang, H. Wang,
thermally unstratified, On the 1-year simulation period done, et al., "3-D hydro-environmental simulation of Miyun
water temperature of the Laguna Lake Basin varies only from reservoir, Beijin," Journal of Hydro-environment
27C to 32 C. The major factor the affects the temperature of Research.
the lake are the inflow of the water from its tributary rivers. The
wind direction is the major contributor for the direction of the [11]. G. Wu and Z. Xu, "Prediction of algal blooming using
flow of water. This model will be very useful to be used for EFDC model: Case study in the Daoxiang Lake,"
modeling the water quality and hydrodynamic transport of Ecological Modelling, vol. 222, pp. 1245-1252, 3/24/
Laguna Lake. 2011.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT [12]. J. M. W. Hamrick, T. S. ; National Environmental

The author would like to acknowledge the Laguna Lake Supercomputing Center; U.S., "Computational Design
Development Authority (LLDA), Philippine Atmospheric, and Optimization of the EFDC/HEM3D Surface Water
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Hydrodynamic and Eutrophication Models," Conference
(PAGASA), Department of Science and Technology paper, p. 14 Pages, 1997.
Engineering Research and Development for Technology
(DOST-ERDT), Mapa Institute of Technology for the support [13]. Wikipedia. (April 1). Amihan. Available:
in the study. www.wikipedia.org/wiki/amihan

[14]. Wikipedia. (July 12). Laguna de Bay. Available:

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