• Atmosphere
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.433-443
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• 2021

The wind speed and wind direction in Yeongdong are one of the crucial meteorological factors for forecasting snowfall in this area. To improve the snowfall forecast in Yeongdong region, Yeongdong Extreme Snowfall-Windstorm Experiment, YES-WEX was designed. We examined the wind field variation simulated with Local Data Assimilation and Prediction System (LDAPS) using observed wind field during YES-WEX period. The simulated wind speed was overestimated over the East Sea and especially 2 to 4 times in the coastal line. The vertical wind in Yeongdong region, which is a crucial factor in the snowfall forecast, was not well simulated at the low level (850 hPa~1000 hPa) until 12 hours before the forecast. The snowfall distribution was also not accurately simulated. Three hours after the snowfall on the East Sea coast was observed, the snowfall was simulated. To improve the forecast accuracy of snowfall in Yeongdong region, it is important to understand the weather conditions using the observed and simulated data. In the future, data in the northern part of the East Sea and the mountain slope of Taebaek observed from the meteorological aircraft, ship, and drone would help in understanding the snowfall phenomenon and improving forecasts.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.222-237
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• 2020

A heavy (93 mm hr^-1) rainfall event accompanied by lightning occurred over Gangneung in the Yeongdong region of South Korea on August 6, 2018. This study investigated the underlying mechanism for the heavy rainfall event by using COMS satellite cloud products, surface- and upper-level weather charts, ECMWF reanalysis data, and radiosonde data. The COMS satellite cloud products showed rainfall exceeding 10 mm hr^-1, with the lowest cloud-top temperature of approximately -65℃ and high cloud optical thickness of approximately 20-25. The radiosonde data showed the existence of strong vertical wind shear between the upper and lower cloud layers. Furthermore, a strong inversion in the equivalent potential temperature was observed at a pressure altitude of 700 hPa. In addition, there was a highly developed cloud layer at a height of 13 km, corresponding with the vertical analysis of the ECMWF data. This demonstrated the increased atmospheric instability induced by the vertical differences in equivalent potential temperature in the Yeongdong region. Consequently, cold, dry air was trapped within relatively warm, humid air in the upper atmosphere over the East Sea and adjacent Yeongdong region. This caused unstable atmospheric conditions that led to rapidly developing convective clouds and heavy rainfall over Gangneung.

• Atmosphere
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.413-422
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• 2023

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is promising, sustainable and efficient air transportation in a metropolitan area. Korean government has recently announced operation demonstration plans as a step toward commercialization of UAM. However, there is lack of understanding on the potential impact of weather on UAM operation. We collected weather observations from Gimpo International Airport and 5 automatic weather stations (AWS) along UAM corridor of the Han-River to assess weather barriers such as low visibility, wind gust and wind shear. The results show the frequency of low visibility near the corridor fluctuated significantly from year to year depending on the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in Seoul. The frequency of high wind speed-shift calculated using 1-minute wind observations was increased not only during the spring season (March, April, and May) but also the beginning of rainy season (Jun). In addition, a chance of high wind shear from 1-minute wind observations varied by the stations, suggesting that the condition is largely affected by topography including a river and high-rise buildings. These basic weather properties suggest that there are substantial weather barriers to UAM operations along the Han-River Corridor, while they cannot properly surveil micro-scale weather conditions in detail such as wind gust and wind shear over the corridor. Thus, this study suggests that potential barriers related to adverse weather need to be evaluated, building high-density weather observations infrastructure prior to UAM demonstration and commercialization.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.41-53
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• 2014

The special observation using Radiosonde was performed to investigate precipitation events over the east coast of Korea during the winter season from 5 January to 29 February 2012. This analysis focused on the various indices to describe the characteristics of the atmospheric instability. Equivalent Potential Temperature (EPT) from surface (1000 hPa) to middle level (near 750 hPa) was increased when the precipitation occurred and these levels (1000~750 hPa) had moisture enough to cause the instability of atmosphere. The temporal evolution of Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) appeared to be enhanced when the precipitation fell. Similar behavior was also observed for the temporal evolution of Storm Relative Helicity (SRH), indicating that it had a higher value during the precipitation events. To understand a detailed structure of atmospheric condition for the formation of precipitation, the surface remote sensing data and Automatic Weather System (AWS) data were analyzed. We calculated the Total Precipitable Water FLUX (TPWFLUX) using TPW and wind vector. TPWFLUX and precipitation amount showed a statistically significant relationship in the north easterly winds. The result suggested that understanding of the dynamical processes such as wind direction be important to comprehend precipitation phenomenon in the east coast of Korea.

• Atmosphere
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.73-104
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• 2023

Over the past 60 years, Korean numerical weather prediction (NWP) has advanced rapidly with the collaborative effort between the science community and the operational modelling center. With an improved scientific understanding and the growth of information technology infrastructure, Korea is able to provide reliable and seamless weather forecast service, which can predict beyond a 10 days period. The application of NWP has expanded to support decision making in weather-sensitive sectors of society, exploiting both storm-scale high-impact weather forecasts in a very short range, and sub-seasonal climate predictions in an extended range. This article gives an approximate chronological account of the NWP over three periods separated by breakpoints in 1990 and 2005, in terms of dynamical core, physics, data assimilation, operational system, and forecast application. Challenges for future development of NWP are briefly discussed.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.626-632
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• 2013

In this study the GPS Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) was derived and evaluated by a radiosode measure during the winter intensive observation in Gangneung site from January 5 till February 29 in 2012. Bernise 5.0 software was used to derive the GPS data. GPS-derived PWV from Zero difference (GANG) and Single difference (GANG and DAEJ) was high variance in time and about 5 times the PWV of radiosonde. GPS post-processing has been performed from two additional IGS site (Xian Dao, Ibaraki-ken) in order to correct the absolute troposphere errors. As a result, the mean bias error (MBE) and root mean square error (RMSE) and correlation compared with radiosonde measure were 0.67 mm, 6.40 mm, and 0.93, respectively. In order to correct the relative troposphere errors from the altitudinal difference between the two GPS receivers, we calculated the GPS-derived PWV by adding the data of GPS that was installed in Gangneung-Wonju University near the Gangwon Regional Meteorological Administration. In the end, the improved result showed that MBE, RMSE and correlation in comparison with radiosonde measures were 0.61 mm, 5.79 mm, and 0.93, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.119-134
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• 2023

The synoptic, thermodynamic, and dynamic characteristics of a snowfall event that occurred in the Yeongdong region on March 1-2, 2021, were investigated. Surface weather charts, ERA5 reanalysis data, rawinsonde data, GK-2A satellite data, and WISSDOM data were used for analysis. The snow depth, exceeding 10 cm, was observed at four weather stations during the analysis period. The maximum snow depth (37.4 cm) occurred at Bukgangneung. According to the analysis of the weather charts, old and dry air was trapped within relatively warm, humid air in the upper atmosphere over the East Sea and adjacent Yeongdong region. This caused unstable atmospheric conditions that led to developing convective clouds and snowfall over Bukgangneung. In particular, based on the thermodynamic and kinematic vertical analysis, we suggest that strong winds attributable to the vertical gradient of potential temperature in the low layer and the development of convective instability due to cold advection played a significant role in the occurrence of snowfall in the Yeongdong region. These results were confirmed from the vertical analysis of the rawinsonde data.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.479-495
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• 2021

This study investigates the synoptic (patterns of southern highs, northern lows, and lows rapidly developed by tropopause folding), thermodynamic, and kinematic characteristics of a strong wind that occurred in the Yeongdong region of South Korea on March 18-20, 2020. To do so, we analyzed data from an automatic weather station (AWS), weather charts, the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis, rawinsonde, and windprofiler radars. The daily maximum instantaneous wind speed, exceeding 20 m s^-1, was observed at five weather stations during the analysis period. The strongest instantaneous wind speed (27.7 m s^-1) appeared in the Daegwallyeong area. According to the analysis of weather charts, along with the arrangement of the north-south low-pressure line, the isobars were moved to the Yeongdong area. It showed a sine wave shape, and a strong wind developed owing to the strong pressure gradient. On March 19, in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, with a drop in atmospheric pressure of 19 hPa or more within one day, a continuous strong wind was developed by the synoptic structure of the developing polar low. In the adiabatic chart observed in Bukgangneung, the altitude of the inversion layer was located at an altitude of approximately 1-3 km above the mountaintop, along with the maximum wind speed. We confirmed that this is consistent with the results of the vertical wind field analysis of the rawinsonde and windprofiler data. In particular, based on the thermodynamic and kinematic vertical analyses, we suggest that strong winds due to the vertical gradient of potential temperature in the lower layer and the development of potential vorticity due to tropopause folding play a significant role in the occurrence of strong winds in the Yeongdong region.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.187-199
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the formation mechanism of landspout by using the Cloud Resolving Storm Simulator (CReSS). The landspout occurred over Ilsan, Goyang City, the Republic of Korea on June 10, 2014 with the damage of a private property. In synoptic environment, a cold dry air on the upper layers of the atmosphere, and there was an advection with warm and humid air in the lower atmosphere. Temperature differences between upper and lower layers resulted in thermal instability. The storm began to arise at 1920 KST and reached the mature stage in ten minutes. The cloud top height was estimated at 9 km and the hook echo was appeared at the rear of a storm in simulation result. Model results showed that the downburst was generated in the developed storm over the Ilsan area. This downburst caused the horizontal flow when it diverged near the surface. The horizontal flow was switched to updraft at the rear of storm, and the rear-flank downdrafts (RFDs) current occurred from simulation result. The RFDs took down the vertical flow to the surface. After then, the vertical vorticity could be generated on the surface in simulation result. Subsequently, the vertical vorticity was stretched to form a landspout. The cyclonic vorticity of echo hook from simulation was greater than $3{\times}10^{-2}s^{-1}$(height of 360 m) and landspout diameter was estimated at 1 km.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.307-321
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• 2016

Planetary Boundary Layer Height (PBLH) is a major input parameter for weather forecasting and atmosphere diffusion models. In order to estimate the sub-grid scale variability of PBLH, we need to monitor PBLH data with high spatio-temporal resolution. Accordingly, we introduce a LIdar observation VEhicle (LIVE), and analyze PBLH derived from the lidar loaded in LIVE. PBLH estimated from LIVE shows high correlations with those estimated from both WRF model ($R^2=0.68$) and radiosonde ($R^2=0.72$). However, PBLH from lidar tend to be overestimated in comparison with those from both WRF and radiosonde because lidar appears to detect height of Residual Layer (RL) as PBLH which is overall below near the overlap height (< 300 m). PBLH from lidar with 10 min time resolution shows typical diurnal variation since it grows up after sunrise and reaches the maximum after 2 hours of sun culmination. The average growth rate of PBLH during the analysis period (2014/06/26 ~ 30) is 1.79 (-2.9 ~ 5.7) m $min^{-1}$. In addition, the lidar signal measured from moving LIVE shows that there is very low noise in comparison with that from the stationary observation. The PBLH from LIVE is 1065 m, similar to the value (1150 m) derived from the radiosonde launched at Sokcho. This study suggests that LIVE can observe continuous and reliable PBLH with high resolution in both stationary and mobile systems.