• Journal of Cadastre & Land InformatiX
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.19-37
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• 2017

Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite Day-Night Band (VIIRS-DNB) data provides a much higher capability for observing and quantifying nighttime light (NTL) brightness in comparison with Defense Meteorological Satellite-Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) data. In South Korea, there is little research on the detection of NTL brightness change using VIIRS-DNB data. This study analyzed the spatial distribution and change of NTL brightness between 2013 and 2016 using VIIRS-DNB data, and detected its spatial relation with possible influencing factors using regression models. The intra-year seasonality of NTL brightness in 2016 was also studied by analyzing the deviation and change clusters, as well as the influencing factors. Results are as follows: 1) The higher value of NTL brightness in 2013 and 2016 is concentrated in Seoul and its surrounding cities, which positively correlated with population density and residential areas, economic land use, and other factors; 2) There is a decreasing trend of NTL brightness from 2013 to 2016, which is obvious in Seoul, with the change of population density and area of industrial buildings as the main influencing factors; 3) Areas in Seoul, and some surrounding areas have high deviation of the intra-year NTL brightness, and 71% of the total areas have their highest NTL brightness in January, February, October, November and December; and 4) Change of NTL brightness between summer and winter demonstrated a significantly positive relation with snow cover area change, and a slightly and significantly negative relation with albedo change.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.73-86
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• 2016

In this study, an algorithm to estimate Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) over small cities during nighttime has been developed by using the radiance from artificial light sources in small cities measured from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor's Day/Night Band (DNB) aboard the Suomi-National Polar Partnership (Suomi-NPP) satellite. The algorithm is based on Beer's extinction law with the light sources from the artificial lights over small cities. AOT is retrieved for cloud-free pixels over individual cities, and cloud-screening was conducted by using the measurements from M-bands of VIIRS at infrared wavelengths. The retrieved nighttime AOT is compared with the aerosol products from MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard Terra and Aqua satellites. As a result, the correlation coefficients over individual cities range from around 0.6 and 0.7 between the retrieved nighttime AOT and MODIS AOT with Root-Mean-Squared Difference (RMSD) ranged from 0.14 to 0.18. In addition, sensitivity tests were conducted for the factors affecting the nighttime AOT to estimate the range of uncertainty in the nighttime AOT retrievals. The results of this study indicate that it is promising to infer AOT using the DNB measaurements over small cities in Korea at night. After further development and refinement in the future, the developed retrieval algorithm is expected to produce nighttime aerosol information which is not operationally available over Korea.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.484-489
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• 2014

In this paper, we examined factors that influenced light pollution in Korean national parks during peak and off-peak tourist seasons. Cloud-and moonlight-free nighttime satellite images that were collected during October 2012(for peak season) and January 2013(for off-peak season) by the Day and Night Band (DNB) of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor were used to estimate the levels of light pollution in 19 national parks (excluding the Bukhansan and Mudeungsan National Parks). Bootstrapping regression analyses were conducted to examine the effects of socioeconomic and policy factors on light pollution in the study national parks for peak and off-peak tourist seasons, separately. The characteristics of light pollution in the national parks varied by season. During the peak tourist season, light pollution in the national parks were affected more by night lights nearby the parks than those within in the parks, while in the off-peak season, light sources in the parks were more important. Scattering of light emitted from hotels and other recreational facilities outside the parks that led to the sky glow effect can be attributed to the greater impact of night lights nearby the parks during the peak season. This result suggests that regulating light pollution nearby the park areas is needed to mitigate light pollution in the national parks, especially in a peak tourist season.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.37 no.6_1
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• pp.1647-1656
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• 2021

In order to reduce the spread of infection due to COVID-19, South Korea has established a four-step social distancing standard and implemented it by changing the steps based on the rate of confirmed cases. The implementation of social distancing brought about a change in the amount of activity of citizens by limiting social contact such as movement and gathering of people. One of the data that can intuitively confirm this is Night Time Light (NTL). NTL is a variable that can measure the size of the national economy measured using lights captured by satellites, and can be used to understand people's social activities during the night. The NTL visible data is obtained via the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day-Night Band (DNB) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite. 1023 of Suomi data from 1 January 2019 until 26 October 2021 were collected to generate time series of NTL radiance change over Seoul to analyze the correlation with social distancing policy. The results show that implementing the level of social distancing generally decreased the NTL radiance both in spatial disparities and temporal patterns. The higher level of policy, limiting human activities combined with the low number of people who have been vaccinated and the closure of various facilities. Because of social distancing, the differences in human activities affected the nighttime light during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in Seoul, South Korea. Therefore, this study can be used as a reference for the government in evaluating and improving policies related to efforts reducing the transmission of COVID-19.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.433-441
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• 2022

Light pollution is one of the factors that disturb coastal and island ecosystems. This study examined the factors causing light pollution in the islands in Daedohaehaesang National Park using nighttime satellite images. This study selected 101 islands with an area of 100,000 m² or more in Daedohaehaesang National Park, and measured the levels of light pollution of the selected islands by calculating mean nighttime radiance recorded in VIIRS DNB monthly images for January, April, August, and October 2019. Of seven districts of the park, The highest mean nighttime radiance was recorded in Geumodo district (17,666nW/m²/sr), followed by Geonumdo·Baekdo, Narodo, Soando·Cheongsando districts. By season, mean nighttime radiance in October was the highest at 9,509nW/m²/sr, followed by August, January, and April. Regression analyses show that the total floor area and the number of lighthouses in a 5 km buffer area had a statistically significant effect on mean nighttime radiance at all times, but those within the island did not, indicating that light pollution in islands in a national park where land development is strictly restricted is influenced by artificial lights in nearby areas. However, the total floor area of an island significantly affected mean nighttime radiance only in August, which appears to be attributed to the impact of intensive use of artificial light by visitors during summer vacation. The size of an island had a negative (-) effect on nighttime radiance. This negative effect suggests that light pollution is a type of ecological edge effect, i.e., the smaller island is more likely to have a relatively larger proportion of edge area that is affected by light emitted from the neighboring areas. The results of this study indicate that managing artificial lights in nearby areas is necessary to mitigate light pollution in islands in marine and coastal national parks.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2020

This study characterized the spatial and seasonal patterns of light pollution in the Deogyusan National Park and examined the potential effects of light pollution on ecosystems in the park using light intensities derived from VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) DNB (Day and Night Band) nightlight images collected in January and August 2018. Results showed that the Muju Deogyusan resort had the greatest light intensity than other sources of light pollution in the park, and light intensity of the resort was much higher in January than in August, suggesting that artificial lights in ski slopes and facilities were the major source of light pollution in the park. An analysis of an urban-natural light pollution gradient along a neighboring urban area through the inside of the park indicated that light radiated from a light pollution source permeated for up to 1km into the adjacent area and contaminated the edge area of the park. Of the legally protected species whose distributions were reported in literature, four mammals (Martes flavigula, Mustela nivalis, Prionailurus bengalensis, Pteromys volans aluco), two birds (Falco subbuteo, Falco tinnunculus), and nine amphibians and reptiles (Onychodactylus koreanus, Hynobius leechii, Karsenia koreana, Rana dybowskii, Rana huanrenensis, Elaphe dione, Rhabdophis tigrinus, Gloydius ussuriensis, Gloydius saxatilis) inhabited light-polluted areas. Of those species inhabiting light-polluted areas, nocturnal species, such as Prionailurus bengalensis and Pteromys volans aluco, in particular, were vulnerable to light pollution. These results implied that protecting ecosystems from light pollution in national parks requires managing nighttime light in the parks and surrounding areas and making a plan to manage nighttime light pollution by taking into account ecological characteristics of wild animals in the parks.