• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.76-83
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• 2012

Korean aviation Turbulenc Guidance (KTG) system is developed using the operational unified model (UM) of the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) and pilot reports (PIREPs) over East Asia. The KTG system comprised of twenty turbulence diagnostics that represent various turbulence potentials and have the best forecasting skills, which are combined into a single ensemble-averaged index, namely KTG, at upper-(above FL250) and mid-(below FL250) levels. It is found that the overall performance of the KTG is higher than those produced from the one single best index, and satisfies the minimum criteria (80% accuracy) that the system is operationally useful in aviation industry.

• Atmosphere
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.367-374
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• 2015

Korean Peninsula has high potential for occurrence of aviation turbulence. A Korean aviation Turbulence Guidance (KTG) system focused on the Korean Peninsula, named Korean-Peninsula KTG (KP-KTG) system, is developed using the high resolution (horizontal grid spacing of 1.5 km) Local Data Assimilation and Prediction System (LDAPS) of the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The KP-KTG system is constructed first by selection of 15 best diagnostics of aviation turbulence using the method of probability of detection (POD) with pilot reports (PIREPs) and the LDAPS analysis data. The 15 best diagnostics are combined into an ensemble KTG predictor, named KP-KTG, with their weighting scores computed by the values of area under curve (AUC) of each diagnostics. The performance of the KP-KTG, represented by AUC, is larger than 0.84 in the recent two years (June 2012~May 2014), which is very good considering relatively small number of PIREPs. The KP-KTG can provide localized turbulence forecasting in Korean Peninsula, and its skill score is as good as that of the operational-KTG conducting in East Asia.

• Atmosphere
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.497-506
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• 2011

Korean mid- and upper-level aviation turbulence guidance (KTG) system is developed using the unified model (UM)-based regional data assimilation and prediction system (RDAPS) of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The KTG system includes three steps. First, the KTG system calculates a suite of diagnostics in the UM-RDAPS domain. Second, component diagnostics that have different units and numerical magnitudes are normalized into the values between 0 and 1, according to their own thresholds in the KTG system. Finally, normalized diagnostics are combined into one KTG predictor by measuring the weighting scores based on the probability of detection, which is calculated using the observed pilot reports (PIREPs) exclusively of moderate-or-greater (MOG) and null (NIL) intensities. To investigate the optimal performance of the KTG system, two types (RD-KTG and UM-KTG) of the KTG systems are developed and evaluated using the PIREPs over Korea and East Asia. Component diagnostics and their thresholds in the RD-KTG are founded on the 8-yrs (2002.12-2010.11) MM5-based RDAPS (previous version of the RDAPS; ${\Delta}x$ = 30 km) and PIREPs data, while those in the UM-KTG are based on the 6 months (2010.12-2011.5) UM-based RDAPS (${\Delta}x$ = 12 km) and PIREPs data. In comparison between the RD-KTG and UM-KTG, overall performance of the UM-KTG (0.815) is better than that of the RD-KTG (0.79) during the recent 6 months, because forecasting skill for the upper-level wind is higher in the UM-RDAPS than in the MM5-RDAPS. It is also found that the UM-KTG is more efficient than the RD-KTG according to the statistical evaluations and sensitivity tests to the number of component diagnostics.

• Atmosphere
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.255-268
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• 2009

Based on the pilot reports (PIREPs) collected in South Korea from 2003 to 2008 and corresponding Regional Data Assimilation and Prediction System (RDAPS) analysis data of 30 km resolution, we validate the Korean Integrated Turbulence Forecasting Algorithm (KITFA) system that predicts clear-air turbulence (CAT) above the Korean peninsula. The CATs considered in this study are the upper level (higher than 20000 ft) turbulence excluding convectively induced turbulences. In the KITFA system, there are two main processes for predicting CATs: to select CAT indices and to determine their weighting scores. With the PIREPs observed for much longer period than those used in the current operational version of the KITFA system (March 4-April 8 of 2002), three improvable processes of the current KITFA system, re-calculation of weighting scores, change of method to calculate weighting scores, and re-selection of CAT indices, are tested. The largest increase of predictability is presented when CAT indices are selected by using longer PIREP data, with the minor change using different methods in calculation of weighting scores. The predictability is the largest in wintertime, and it is likely due to that most CAT indices are related to the jet stream that is strongest in wintertime. This result suggests that selecting proper CAT indices and calculating their weighting scores based on the longer PIREPs used in this study are required to improve the current KITFA.

• Atmosphere
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.235-243
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• 2014

Sources of aviation turbulence vary through the seasons, especially in the East Asia including Korean peninsula, associated primarily with the changes in the jet/front system and convective activities. For this reason, a seasonal Korean aviation Turbulence Guidance (KTG) system (seasonal-KTG) is developed in the present study by using pilot reports (PIREPs) and analysis data of the operational Unified Model (UM) of the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) for two years between June 2011 and May 2013. Twenty best diagnostics of aviation turbulence in each season are selected by the method of probability of detection (POD) using the PIREPs and UM data. After calculating a weighting value of each selected diagnostics using their area under curve (AUC), the 20 best diagnostics are combined with the weighting scores into a single ensemble-averaged index by season. Compared with the current operational-KTG system that is based on the diagnostics applying all seasons, the performances of the seasonal-KTG system are better in all seasons, except in fall.

• Atmosphere
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.269-287
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• 2009

CAT (clear-air turbulence) forecasting algorithm, the Graphical Turbulence Guidance (GTG) system developed at NCAR (national center for atmospheric research), is evaluated with available observations (e.g., pilot reports; PIREPs) reported in South Korea during the recent 5 years (2003-2008, excluding 2005). The GTG system includes several steps. First, 44 CAT indices are calculated in the domain of the Regional Data Assimilation and Prediction System (RDAPS) analysis data with 30 km horizontal grid spacing provided by KMA (Korean Meteorological Administration). Second, 10 indices that performed ten best forecasting scores are selected. Finally, 10 indices are combined by measuring the score based on the probability of detection, which is calculated using PIREPs exclusively of moderate-or-greater intensity. In order to investigate the best performance of the GTG system in Korea, various statistical examinations and sensitivity tests of the GTG system are performed by yearly and seasonally classified PIREPs. Performances of the GTG system based on yearly distributed PIREPs have annual variations because the compositions of indices are different from each year. Seasonal forecasting is generally better than yearly forecasting, because selected CAT indices in each season represent meteorological condition much more properly than applying the selected CAT indices to all seasons. Wintertime forecasting is the best among the four seasonal forecastings. This is likely due to that the GTG system consists of many CAT indices related to the jet stream, and turbulence associated with the jet stream can be activated mostly in wintertime under strong jet magnitude. On the other hand, summertime forecasting skill is much less than other seasons. Compared with current operational CAT prediction system (KITFA; Korean Integrated Turbulence Forecasting System), overall performance of the GTG system is better when CAT indices are selected seasonally.

• Atmosphere
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.129-140
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• 2015

The statistical analysis of aviation turbulence occurred over South Korea and East Asia regions is performed, using pilot reports (PIREPs) during December 2002~November 2012 that were provided by the Korea Aviation Meteorological Agency (KAMA) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). In South Korea, the light (LGT)- and moderate or greater (MOG)-level turbulence events occurred most frequently in spring and winter due to strong vertical wind shear below or above jet stream in these seasons. Spatially, the LGT- and MOG-level events occurred mainly along domestic flight routes. The higher occurrences of the LGT- and MOG-level convectively induced turbulence (CIT) events show in spring and summer when convective systems frequently affect the Korean peninsula. The results are generally similar to a previous study on the aviation turbulence over South Korea during 2003~2008, except that MOG-level CIT events occurred more in February, June, and October. Over East Asia region, the LGT- and MOG-level events appeared mostly in summer and spring, respectively, and the highest occurrence is over the southeast region of Japan and Kamchatka peninsula near Russia.

• Atmosphere
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.119-131
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• 2017

We present and discuss the Tropopause Folding Turbulence Detection (TFTD) algorithm for the Korean Communication, Ocean, Meteorological Satellite (COMS) which is originally developed for the Tropopause Folding Turbulence Product (TFTP) from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R. The TFTD algorithm assumes that the tropopause folding is linked to the Clear Air Turbulence (CAT), and thereby the tropopause folding areas are detected from the rapid spatial gradients of the upper tropospheric specific humidity. The Layer Averaged Specific Humidity (LASH) is used to represent the upper tropospheric specific humidity calculated using COMS $6.7{\mu}m$ water vapor channel and ERA-interim reanalysis temperature at 300, 400, and 500 hPa. The comparison of LASH with the numerical model specific humidity shows a strong negative correlation of 80% or more. We apply the single threshold, which is determined from sensitivity analysis, for cloud-clearing to overcome strong gradient of LASH at the edge of clouds. The tropopause break lines are detected from the location of strong LASH-gradient using the Canny edge detection based on the image processing technique. The tropopause folding area is defined by expanding the break lines by 2-degree positive gradient direction. The validations of COMS TFTD is performed with Pilot Reports (PIREPs) filtered out Convective Induced Turbulence (CIT) from Dec 2013 to Nov 2014 over the South Korea. The score test shows 0.49 PODy (Probability of Detection 'Yes') and 0.64 PODn (Probability of Detection 'No'). Low POD results from various kinds of CAT reported from PIREPs and the characteristics of high sensitivity in edge detection algorithm.

• Atmosphere
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.69-83
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• 2011

The synoptic condition of clear-air turbulence (CAT) events occurred over South Korea is investigated, using the Regional Data Assimilation and Prediction System (RDAPS) data obtained from the Korea Meteorological Agency (KMA) and pilot reports (PIREPs) collected by Korea Aviation Meteorological Agency (KAMA) from 1 Dec. 2003 to 30 Nov. 2008. Throughout the years, strong subtropical jet stream exists over the South Korea, and the CAT events frequently occur in the upper-level frontal zone and subtropical jet stream regions where strong vertical wind shears locate. The probability of the moderate or greater (MOG)-level turbulence occurrence is higher in wintertime than in summertime, and high probability region is shifted northward across the jet stream in wintertime. We categorize the CAT events into three types according to their generation mechanisms: i) upper-level front and jet stream, ii) anticyclonically sheared and curved flows, and iii) breaking of mountain waves. Among 240 MOG-level CAT events reported during 2003-2008, 103 cases are related to jet stream while 73 cases and 25 cases are related to the anticyclonic shear flow and breaking of mountain wave, respectively.