• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.503-524
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• 2000

Intercomparisons between four kinds of data have been done to estimate the accuracy of satellite observations and model reanalysis for middle and lower tropospheric thermal state over regional oceans. The data include the Microwave Sounding Units (MSU) Channel 2 (Ch2) brightness temperatures of NOAA satellites and the vertically weighted corresponding temperature of ECMWF GCM (1980-93). The satellite data for midtropospheric temperatures are MSU2 (1980-98) in nadir direction and SC2 (1980-97) in multiple scans, and for lower tropospheric temperature SC2R (1980-97). MSU2 was derived in this study while SC2 and SC2R were described in Spencer and Christy (1992a, 1992b). Temporal correlations between the above data were high (r${\ge}$0.90) in the middle and high latitudes, but low(r${\sim}$0.65) over the low latitude and more convective regions. Their values with SC2R which included the noises due to hydrometeors and surface emission were conspicuously low. The reanalysis shows higher correlation with SC2 than with MSU2 partially because of the hydrometeors screening. SC2R in monthly climatological anomalies was more sensitive to surface thermal condition in northern hemisphere than MSU2 or SC2. The first EOF mode for the monthly mean data of MSU and ECMWF shows annual cycle over most regions except the tropics. The mode in MSU2 over the Pacific suggests the east-west dipole due to the Walker circulation, but this tendency is not clear in other data. In the first and second modes for the Ch2 anomalies over most regions, the MSU and ECMWF data commonly indicate interannual variability due to El Ni${\tilde{n}$o and La Ni${\tilde{n}$a. The substantial disagreement between observations and model reanalysis occurs over the equatorial upwelling region of the western Pacific, suggesting uncertainties in the model parameterization of atmosphere-ocean interaction.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.525-540
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• 2000

Global temperature trends of middle and upper tropospheres have been investigated using the data of satellite-observed Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) channels 2-3(Ch2, Ch3) during the period of 1980-97 and three GCM (NCEP, ECMWF, GEOS) reanalyses during 1981-93. The global, hemispheric and tropical anomalies, computed from the data during the common period, have been intercompared in the following regions; ocean, land, and both ocean and land. The correlation with MSU in midtropospheric temperatures is the best (r=0.81${\sim}$0.95) in ECMWF, particularly over the tropics. The correlations in upper troposphere are lower (r=0.06${\sim}$0.34) due to poor quality of MSU Ch3 data consistent with previous result. The midtropospheric trends during 1981-93, obtained from MSU and three GCMs, show the global warming of 0.01${\sim}$0.18K decade$^{-1}$. The warmest years have been 1987 and 1991 in El Ni${\tilde{n}$o while the coolest 1993 and 1994 in La Ni${\tilde{n}$a. The warming (0.12${\sim}$0.13K decade$^{-1}$) in MSU over global ocean is similar to that over global land. The largest discrepancy in upper troposphere between MSU and GCMs has been found in the transition period (1984. 12-1985. 1) from NOAA 9 to 10, because of a sizable error in the MSU Ch3. The midtropospheric trends near the Korean peninsula during 1981-93 are almost negligible(-0.02K decade$^{-1}$) in MSU, but indicate significant warming (0.25-0.43K decade$^{-1}$) in GCMs. The trends are crosschecked and discussed with other two independent MSU data of Spencer and Christy (1992a, 1992b).

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.178-189
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• 2008

The distribution of inorganic nutrients and their remineralization ratio in the divergence zone ($7^{\circ}{\sim}10.5^{\circ}N$) of the northeastern Pacific were investigated from July 2003 to July 2007. A divergence zone along the boundary of the North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC) and North Equatorial Current (NEC) at $10^{\circ}N$ was observed in July 2007 when the La Nina event and divergence-related upwelling was strong. The mean depth of oligotrophic surface mixed layer in the divergence zone was 46, 61, and 30 m in July 2003, August 2005, and July 2007, respectively. Below the surface mixed layer, a nutricline was clearly observed. The depth integrated value of nitrate including nitrite (DIVn) in the upper layer($0{\sim}100$ m depth) ranged from 5.51 to 21.71 $gN/m^2$(mean 12.82 $gN/m^2$) in July 2003, from 5.62 to 8.46 $gN/m^2$ (mean 7.15 $gN/m^2$) in August 2005, and from 8.98 to 27.80 $gN/m^2$(mean 21.12 $gN/m^2$) in July 2007. The maximum DIVn was observed at the divergence zone. The distributions of phosphate(DIVp) and silicate(DIVsi) were similar to that of DIVn and the DIVn/DIVsi ratio was $0.87{\pm}0.11$ in the upper layer. The limiting nutrient for phytoplankton growth in the study area was identified as nitrogen(N/P ratio=14.6). The nitrate (including nitrite) concentrations were lower in the region mainly affected by NEC than in the region affected by NECC. The study area of low silicate concentrations was also considered to be Si-limiting environment. The remineralization ratios of nutrients were $P/N/-O_2=1/14.6{\pm}1.1/100.4{\pm}8.8(23.44{\leq}Sigma-{\theta}{\leq}26.38)$ in the study area. These ratios suggested remineralization process in the surface layer of divergence zone.