■* 6 Dickerson: Baguio Plateau 447 



However, as pointed out in the introduction, the torrential 

 character of the rainfall, taken together with a great annual 

 precipitation, is the chief concern of the geologist in considering 

 the problem of the rate of development of land forms. The 

 world's record for this characteristic is claimed by Baguio. Co- 

 ronas described this event as follows: 14 



As to Baguio, the absolute maximum rainfall observed in a single day 

 is as great as 879.8 mm., an amount which is above the annual average 

 rainfall of many cities of Europe and of the United States. This heavy 

 rain occurred during a typhoon which crossed the northern part of Luzon 

 on July 14 to 15, 1911. No less than 2,238.7 mm. of water were collected 

 by the rain gauges of Baguio in four days, as follows: July 14, 879.8 mm.; 

 July 15, 733.6 mm.; July 16, 424.9 mm.; and July 17, 200.4 mm. These 

 daily amounts of rain are counted as it is customary in the Philippines from 

 6 a. m. of one day to 6 a. m. of the next day. But the most remarkable 

 thing is that taking only the period of hours in which the rains fell with 

 the incredible amount of 1,168.11 1 



as shown in a Friez Quadruple Register, in only 24 hours, from noon 

 of the 14th to noon of the 15th. 



Although Baguio is not one of the wettest places of the world, yet 

 the record of 1,168.1 mm. in 24 hours is considered, as far as known, 

 a world's rainfall record for a period of 24 consecutive hours. 



As was indicated above, the principal controls of climate are 

 the typhoons taken together with the mountainous character of 

 the Philippine Islands. Baguio is centrally situated as respects 

 typhoon tracts, as most Philippine typhoons either pass over 

 Baguio or are sufficiently near, either to the north or to the 

 south, that Baguio is under their influence. This is well shown 

 in fig. 6 which is copied from Coronas's work. 15 That elevation 

 is a factor is shown by comparing graphs for Laoag on the 

 seacoast north of Baguio and for Iba on the south coast, see 

 fig. 5, but even these stations have an enormous rainfall as 

 compared with stations in the United States. If the Baguio 

 region were 900 meters (3,000 feet) lower than to-day its 

 rainfall would even then be quite sufficient to accelerate the 

 processes of erosion. In Pleistocene time these same climatic 

 controls probably prevailed, and the process of the reduction 

 of a high mountainous region to a gently rolling upland which 

 merged into a coastal plain was exceedingly rapid. Likewise, 

 since the uplift of Baguio Plateau, erosion has over large tracts 

 of country completely removed all traces of this early old-age 



