• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.581-588
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• 2019

A long-term trend analysis of cold water masses along eastern coast of South Korea was performed during summer, based on wind speed, wind direction, and sea surface temperature (SST) data. Wind data collected over a 22-year period (1997-2011) were compared with another set of data collected over the successive 7-year (2012-2018), highlighting a general decrease in the frequency and speed of south winds. However, both the frequency and speed of these winds have been higher in June between 2012-2018, rather than between 1997-2011. The cold water season between July and August was faster during the 7-year period; moreover, the SSTs registered around Gangneung (EN) rose by $0.5^{\circ}C- 1.8^{\circ}C$, while those around Yeongdeok (EC) and Gijang (ES) increased by only $0.1^{\circ}C-0.3^{\circ}C$. The number of cold water days during the 7-year period, compared to those recorded during previous years (1990-2011, satellite SST data by NOAA/AVHRR), decreased in the proximity of Yeongdeok and Gijang, but increased in the proximity of Kangneung. Additionally, the number of cold water days around Kangneung, Yeongdeok, and Gijang increased in June highlighting a geographical and temporal change in the occurrence of cold waters. These observation can be explained by variations in the pressure distribution that should have weakened the East Asian monsoon, affecting the direction and speed of winds that regulate the flow of cold waters.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.68-81
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• 2015

In this study, the correlation between the frequency of summer tropical cyclones (TC) affecting areas around Korea over the last 37 years and the western North Pacific monsoon index (WNPMI) was analyzed. A clear positive correlation existed between the two variables, and this high positive correlation remained unchanged even when excluding El Ni$\tilde{n}$o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) years. To investigate the causes of the positive correlation between these two variables, ENSO years were excluded, after which the 8 years with the highest WNPMI (positive WNPMI phase) and the 8 years with the lowest WNPMI (negative WNPMI phase) were selected, and the average difference between the two phases was analyzed. In the positive WNPMI phase, TCs usually occurred in the eastern waters of the tropical and subtropical western North Pacific, and tended to pass the East China Sea on their way north toward Korea and Japan. In the negative WNPMI phase, TCs usually occurred in the western waters of the tropical and subtropical western North Pacific, and tended to pass the South China Sea on their way west toward the southeastern Chinese coast and the Indochina peninsula. Therefore, TC intensity was higher in the positive WNPMI phase, during which TCs are able to gain sufficient energy from the sea while moving a long distance to areas nearby Korea. TCs also tended to occur more often in the positive WNPMI phase. In the difference between the two phases regarding 850 and 500 hPa streamline, anomalous cyclones were reinforced in the tropical and subtropical western North Pacific, while anomalous anticyclones were reinforced in mid-latitude East Asian areas. Due to these two anomalous pressure systems, anomalous southeasterlies developed in areas near Korea, with these anomalous southeasterlies playing the role of anomalous steering flows making the TCs head toward areas near Korea. Also, due to the anomalous cyclones developed in the tropical and subtropical western North Pacific, more TCs could occur in the positive WNPMI phase.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.6_1
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• pp.953-968
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• 2018

In order to understand the change of surface water temperature in the East China Sea (ECS), this study analyzed the relationship between sea surface temperature (SST), air temperature (AT) and heat flux using satellite and model reanalysis data from 2003 to 2017. SST in the ECS showed the lowest (average : $13.72^{\circ}C$) in March and the highest (average : $28.12^{\circ}C$) in August. AT is highly correlated with SST and shows a similar seasonal change. In August, SST is higher than AT and then continuously higher than AT until winter. To analyze the change of the summer SST in the ECS, we used the SST anomaly value in August to classify the periods with positive (04', 06', 07', 13', 16', 17') and negative (03', 05', 08', 09', 10', 11', 12', 14', 15') values. Spatial similarity between the two periods indicates that SSTs are relatively larger variations in the northern part than in the southern part, and in the western part than in the eastern part in the study area. AT and net heat flux values also show similar changes with SST. However, the periods of the positive SST anomaly have the relatively increasing SST, AT and heat flux values compared to the periods of the negative SST anomaly in the summer season of the ECS. Although the change of SST in the summer season generally well correlates with AT, there were the periods when it was different from general trends between SST and AT (10', 12', 15', 16'). SST in August 2010 and 2012 decreased by $0.5^{\circ}C$ from AT. It suggests that the decreasing SST was considered to be caused by the effects of the typhoon passing through the study area. In August 2015, AT was relatively lower than SST (> $0.5^{\circ}C$), which is might be weakening of the East Asian Summer Monsoon. In August 2016, SST and AT show the highest values during the whole study periods, but SST is higher than AT (> $1^{\circ}C$). From satellite and heat flux data, the variations of SST have been shown to be relatively higher in the area of the expansion Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW) originated from the China coast. More research is needed to analyze this phenomenon, it is believed as not only the effect of rising AT but also the expansion of the low-salinity water.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.269-279
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• 2012

Satellite-retrieved data on Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and ${\AA}$ngstr$\ddot{o}$m exponent (AE) using a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) were used to analyze large-scale distributions of atmospheric aerosols in East Asia. AOD was relatively high in March ($0.44{\pm}0.25$) and low in September ($0.24{\pm}0.21$) in the East Asian region in 2009. Sandstorms originating from the deserts and dry areas in Northern China and Mongolia were transported on a massive scale during the springtime, thus contributing to the high AOD in East Asia. Although $PM_{10}$ with diameters ${\leq}10{\mu}m$ was the highest in February at Anmyon, Cheongwon and Ulleung, which is located leeward about half-way through the Korean Peninsula, AOD rose to a high in May. The growth of hygroscopic aerosols moving with increases in relative humidity prior to the Asian monsoon season contributed to a high AOD level in May. AE typically reaches its highest value ($1.30{\pm}0.37$) in August due to anthropogenic aerosols originating from industrial areas in Eastern China, while AOD stays low in summer due to the removal process caused by rainfall. The linear correlation coefficients of the MODIS AOD and ground-based mass concentrations of $PM_{10}$ at Anmyon, Cheongwon and Ulleung were 0.4-0.6. Four cases (six days) of mineral dustfall from sandstorms and six cases (twelve days) of anthropogenically polluted particles were observed in the central area of the Korean Peninsula in 2009. $PM_{10}$ mass concentrations increased at both Anmyon and Cheongwon in the cases of mineral dustfall and anthropogenically polluted particles. Cases of dustfall from sandstorms and anthropogenic polluted particles, with increasing $PM_{10}$ mass concentrations, exhibited higher AOD values in the Yellow Sea region.