Surface Synoptic Climatic Patterns for Heavy Snowfall Events in the Republic of Korea

우리나라 대설 시 지상 종관 기후 패턴

  • Choi, Gwang-Yong (Department of Environmental Science, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Kim, Jun-Su (Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah)
  • 최광용 (강원대학교 환경과학과) ;
  • 김준수 (유타대학교 대기과학과)
  • Received : 2010.04.02
  • Accepted : 2010.06.18
  • Published : 2010.06.30

Abstract

The purposes of this study are to classify heavy snowfall types in the Republic of Korea based on fresh snowfall data and atmospheric circulation data during the last 36(1973/74-2008/09) snow seasons and to identify typical surface synoptic climate patterns that characterize each heavy snowfall type. Four synoptic climate categories and seventeen regional heavy snowfall types are classified based on sea level pressure/surface wind vector patterns in East Asia and frequent spatial clustering patterns of heavy snowfall in the Republic of Korea, respectively. Composite analyses of multiple surface synoptic weather charts demonstrate that the locations and intensity of pressure/wind vector mean and anomaly cores in East Asia differentiate each regional heavy snowfall type in Korea. These differences in synoptic climatic fields are primarily associated with the surge of the Siberian high pressure system and the appearance of low pressure systems over the Korean Peninsula. In terms of hemispheric atmospheric circulation, synoptic climatic patterns in the negative mode of winter Arctic Oscillation (AO) are also associated with frequent heavy snowfall in the Republic of Korea at seasonal scales. These results from long-term synoptic climatic data could contribute to improvement of short-range or seasonal prediction of regional heavy snowfall.

본 연구에서는 지난 36년 동안(1973/74-2008/09) 우리나라 겨울철 강설자료와 북반구 대기순환장을 분석하여 대설 유형별 지상 종관 기후 패턴의 특징을 밝히고자 한다. 동아시아 기압 배치 및 대설 지역을 복합적으로 고려하여 우리나라 대설 발생 사례를 크게 4가지 종관 기후 범주, 세부적으로 17가지 유형으로 세분하였다. 지상 종관 기후 자료 분석에서 각 대설 유형마다 한반도 주변에 나타나는 기압과 바람벡터 아노말리 핵들의 위치 및 강도 차이가 뚜렷하게 나타난다. 특히, 시베리아 고기압의 장출과 이동성 저기압의 통과 여부가 이러한 차이점에 중요한 영향을 미친다. 반구 규모 종관 기후 패턴으로 북극진동의 음의 모드 또한 한반도 겨울철 대설 발생 증가에 영향을 미친다. 이러한 종관 기후 분석 결과들은 단기 또는 계절 대설 예보 향상에 기초 자료로 활용 될 수 있다.

Keywords

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