• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.139-153
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• 2018

The sea surface wind field has long been obtained from satellite scatterometers or passive microwave radiometers. However, the importance of satellite altimeter-derived wind speed has seldom been addressed because of the outstanding capability of the scatterometers. Satellite altimeter requires the accurate wind speed data, measured simultaneously with sea surface height observations, to enhance the accuracy of sea surface height through the correction of sea state bias. This study validates the wind speeds from the satellite altimeters (GFO, Jason-1, Envisat, Jason-2, Cryosat-2, SARAL) and analyzes characteristics of errors. In total, 1504 matchup points were produced using the wind speed data of Ieodo Ocean Research Station (IORS) and of Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) buoys at Marado and Oeyeondo stations for 10 years from December 2007 to May 2016. The altimeter wind speed showed a root mean square error (RMSE) of about $1.59m\;s^{-1}$ and a negative bias of $-0.35m\;s^{-1}$ with respect to the in-situ wind speed. Altimeter wind speeds showed characteristic biases that they were higher (lower) than in-situ wind speeds at low (high) wind speed ranges. Some tendency was found that the difference between the maximum and minimum value gradually increased with distance from the buoy stations. For the improvement of the accuracy of altimeter wind speed, an equation for correction was derived based on the characteristics of errors. In addition, the significance of altimeter wind speed on the estimation of sea surface height was addressed by presenting the effect of the corrected wind speeds on the sea state bias values of Jason-1.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.5_1
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• pp.467-479
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• 2023

Satellite altimeters have continuously observed sea surface height (SSH) in the global ocean for the past 30 years, providing clear evidence of the rise in global mean sea level based on observational data. Accurate altimeter-observed SSH is essential to study the spatial and temporal variability of SSH in regional seas. In this study, we used measurements from the Ieodo Ocean Research Station (IORS) and validate SSHs observed by satellite altimeters (Envisat, Jason-1, Jason-2, SARAL, Jason-3, and Sentinel-3A/B). Bias and root mean square error of SSH for each satellite ranged from 1.58 to 4.69 cm and 6.33 to 9.67 cm, respectively. As the matchup distance between satellite ground tracks and the IORS increased, the error of satellite SSHs significantly amplified. In order to validate the correction of the tide and atmospheric effect of the satellite data, the tide was estimated using harmonic analysis, and inverse barometer effect was calculated using atmospheric pressure data at the IORS. To achieve accurate tidal corrections for satellite SSH data in the seas around the Korean Peninsula, it was confirmed that improving the accuracy of tide data used in satellites is necessary.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.255-261
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• 2002

We investigated the distribution of sea ice using Topex/Poseidon (T/P) and ERS-1 .ada. altimeter data in the northwest Weddell Sea, Antarctica, between the area $45-75^{\circ}W\;and\;55-66^{\circ}S$. Using the Geo_Bad_1 flag of the Merged GDR of the T/P, we classified the surface into ocean, land, and sea. Total 257 cycles of altimeter measurements between Oct. 1992 and Sep. 1999 (for nearly 2570 days) were used to analyze the distribution of the Antarctic sea ice. We then calculated the surface area of ice coverage using SUTM20 map projection to monitor the periodic variations. Each year, the maximum and minimum coverage of the sea ice were found in late August and February in the study area, respectively. We also studied the sea ice distribution using ERS-1 altimeter data between $45-75^{\circ}W\;and\;55-81.5^{\circ}S$ to compare with the T/P Using the Valid/Invalid flag of the Ocean Product, we analyzed the sea ice distribution between March and August of 1995, which showed very good coherence with the T/P measurements. Our preliminary results showed that the altimeter measurements can be effectively used to monitor the distribution of the sea ice in the polar region. However, the size of radar footprint, typically 2-6km depending on the roughness of the sea surface, may be too big to monitor the sharp boundary between ice and water/land. If more other altimeter mission data with dense coverage such as Geosat GM are analyzed together, this limitation can be significantly improved. If we also combine other microwave remote sensing data such as radiometer, and SSM/I, the result will be significantly enhanced.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Fisheries Technology Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.380.2-381
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• 1998

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2003

We investigated the distribution of sea ice using various microwave remote sensing techniques including radar altimeter, radiometer, and scatterometer data in the part of Drake passage, Antarctica, between the area 45$^{\circ}$-75$^{\circ}$W and 55$^{\circ}$-66$^{\circ}$S. Topex/poseidon radar altimeter data were used to analyze the monthly distribution of sea ice surface area between 1992 and 1999 by using Geo_bad_1 flag or MGDR. From satellite radiometer measurements of DMSP's SSM/I, sea ice concentration was extracted during the period from 1993 to 1996. To select a value of ice concentration, normally ranging from 0 to 100%, that can be used as a critical value of judging the existence for ice, sea ice areas estimated from various ice concentrations of radiometer measurements were correlated with the area estimated from the radar altimeter measurements. As a result, 20% of ice concentration was selected, and, then this value was used to integrate radiometer data with radar altimeter and ERS-1/2 scatterometer data. To indirectly verify the result, the last 20 year's sea ice concentration was correlated with surface temperature data near Esper-anza Observation Station. The two data showed a high correlation coefficient of 0.86. The amount of sea ice and temperature variation were found to be closely related in the study area, and this indirectly verifies the result of this study. We provided a method to judge the existence of sea ice from ice concentration of satellite radiometer data and suggested a method to monitor more detailed temporal and spatial variation of sea ice distribution by integra-tion of various microwave remote sensing techniques.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.879-881
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• 2003

Sea level variations and sea surface circulations in the Korean seas were observed by Topex/Poseidon altimeter data from 1993 through 1997. In sea level variations, the West and South Sea showed relatively high variations with comparison to the East Sea. Then, the northern and southern area in the West Sea showed the range of 20${\sim}$30cm and 18${\sim}$24cm, and the northern west of Jeju island and the southern west of Tsushima island in the South Sea showed the range of 15${\sim}$20cm and 10${\sim}$15cm, respectively. High variations in the West Sea was results to the inflow in sea surface of Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) and bottom topography. Sea level variations in the South Sea was due to two branch currents(Jeju Warm Current and East Korea Warm Current) originated from Kuroshio Current (KC). In sea surface circulations, there existed remarkably three eddies circulations in the East Sea that are mainly connected with North Korea Cold Current (NKCC), East Korea Warm Current (EKWC) and Tushima Warm Current(TWC). Their eddies are caused basically to the influence of currents in sea surface circulations; Cyclone (0.03 cm/sec) in the Wonsan bay off shore with NKCC, and anticyclone (0.06 cm/sec) in the southwestern area of Ulleung island with EKWC, and cyclone (0.01 cm/sec) in the northeastern area of Tushima island with TWC, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.507-520
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• 2011

Conventional radar altimeter system measured directly the distance between the satellite and the ocean surface and frequently used by aircraft for approach and landing. The radar altimeter is good at flat surface like sea whereas it is difficult to determine precise three dimensional ground coordinates because the ground surface, unlike ocean, is very indented. To overcome this drawback of the radar altimeter, we have developed and validated the interferometric radar altimeter signal processing which is combined with new synthetic aperture and interferometric signal processing algorithm to extract precise three-dimensional ground coordinates. The proposed algorithm can accurately measure the three dimensional ground coordinates using three antennas. In a set of 70 simulations, the averages of errors in x, y and z directions were approximately -0.40 m, -0.02 m and 4.22 m, respectively and the RMSEs were about 3.40 m, 0.30 m and 6.20 m, respectively. The overall results represent that the proposed algorithm is effective for accurate three dimensional ground positioning.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.225-242
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• 2012

This is the first attempt to produce simultaneous surface current field from satellite altimeter data for the entire East Sea and to provide surface current information to users with formal description. It is possible to estimate surface geostrophic current field in near real-time because satellite altimeters and coastal tide gauges supply sea level data for the whole East Sea. Strength and location of the major currents and meso-scale eddies can be identified from the estimated surface geostrophic current field. The mean locations of major surface currents were explicated relative to topographic, ocean-surface and undersea features with schematic representation of surface circulation. In order to demonstrate the practical use of this surface current information, exemplary descriptions of annual, seasonal and monthly mean surface geostrophic current distributions were presented. In order to objectively classify surface circulation patterns in the East Sea, empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis was performed on the estimated 16-year (1993-2008) surface current data. The first mode was associated with intensification or weakening of the East Korea Warm Current (EKWC) flowing northward along the east coast of Korea and of the anti-cyclonic circulation southwest of Yamato Basin. The second mode was associated with meandering paths of the EKWC in the southern East Sea with wavelength of 300 km. The first and second modes had inter-annual variations. The East Sea surface circulation was classified as inertial boundary current pattern, Tsushima Warm Current pattern, meandering pattern, and Offshore Branch pattern by the time coefficient of the first two EOF modes.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• v.2
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• pp.880-883
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• 2006

Altimeter(Topex/Poseidon) and AVHRR(NOAA) data were used to study the variations and correlations of Sea Level(SL) and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the North East Asian Seas from November 1993 to May 1998. This region is influenced simultaneously to continental and oceanic climate as the border of the East Sea(Japan Sea). SL and SST have increased gradually every year because the global warming, and presented usually a strong annual variations in Kuroshio extension region with the influence of bottom topography.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.337-340
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• 2002

Monitoring of wave height is important primarily to reduce storm risks at sea and along the coast. Wave heights in recent years have increased 50% for the last 40 years, thus requiring intensive monitoring. Satellite altimetry offers a powerful tool for regular and extensive monitoring of the wave height. We extracted significant wave height (SWH) using several altimeter missions from 1987-1995 over the Northwest Pacific and compared with ECMWF reanalysis (ERA) products. For large wave heights > 2.5 m, the ERA wave heights are smaller than the altimetric ones, while for small wave heights the ERA wave heights are larger. Comparison in SWH between altimetric derivations and ERA model products shows the discrepancy of 0.46-0.21$\times$SWH(m).