• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.161-177
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• 1993

The Yellow Sand Events observed over the Korean peninsula during 22-24 April, 1993 were examined using the synoptic data and GMS visible image to identify the transport path of the Yellow Sand and the main factor governing the duration of the Yellow Sand phenomenon. The 850 hPa convergence chart and the 700 hPa trajectory analyses of the air mass laden with Yellow Sand particles suggested that the Yellow Sand particles observed over Korea were probably transported from the Gobi Desert and the Loess Plateau. The duration of the Yellow Sand Events was about 35-40 hours rather shorter than normal as the high pressure system centered near the Mongolia region moved rapidly toward the Yellow Sea, which drove away the Yellow Sand particles over the Korean peninsula toward the Japan Islands, furthermore the low-level stratification of the air mass over the Korean penishula showed the unstable atmospheric condition leading to atmospheric diffusion of the particles. The trajectory analyses and the GMS visible image indicated that the long-range transport of the air mass laden with the Yellow Sand particles of this case was more dependent on the 700 hPa air flow than on the 850 hPa air flow.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.94-100
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• 2006

The purpose of this case study is to determine the possibility of Numerical Forecasting of sea fog at West Sea in spring time. For practical method of analyzing the data collected from 24th to 26th March 2003, Numerical Weather Prediction model MM5(Mesoscale Model Version 5) and synoptic field study using synoptic chart, upper level chart, and sea surface temperature were employed. The results of synoptic field analysis summarized that sea fog at West sea in spring is intensified by the inflow of the warm flow from west or southwest, low sea surface temperature to increase the temperature difference between air and sea surface, and inversion layer to disturb the disperse. It appears that the possibility of sea fog forecasting by MM5, in view of the result that the MM5 output is similar to the synoptic fields analysis.

• 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.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.271-281
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• 2009

In order to reduce the uncertainties and improve the air flow field, objective analysis using observational data is chosen as a method that enhances the reality of meteorology. To improve the meteorological components, the radius influence and nudging coefficient of the objective analysis should perform a adequate value on complex area for the objective analysis technique which related to data reliability and error suppression. Several numerical experiments have been undertaken in order to clarify the impacts of the radius influence and nudging coefficient of the objective analysis on meteorological environments. By analyzing practical urban ground conditions, we revealed that there were large differences in the meteorological differences in each case. In order to understand the quantitative impact of each run, the Statistical analysis by estimated by MM5 revealed the differences by the synoptic conditions. The strengthening of the synoptic wind condition tends to be well estimated when using quite a wide radius influence and a small nudging coefficient. On the other hand, the weakening of the synoptic wind is opposite.

• Atmosphere
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.131-151
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• 2010

This study establishes a conceptual model to analyze heavy rainfall events in Korea using multi-functional transport satellite-1R satellite images. Three heavy rainfall episodes in two major synoptic types, such as synoptic low (SL) type and synoptic flow convergence (SC) type, are analyzed through a conceptual model procedure which proceeds on two steps: 1) conveyer belt model analysis to detect convective area, and 2) cloud top temperature analysis from black body temperature (TBB) data to distinguish convective cloud from stratiform cloud, and eventually estimate heavy rainfall area and intensity. Major synoptic patterns causing heavy rainfall are Changma, synoptic low approach, upper level low in the SL type, and upper level low, indirect effect of typhoon, convergence of tropical air in the SC type. The relationship between rainfall and TBBs in overall well resolved areas of heavy rainfall. The SC type tended to underestimate the intensity of heavy rainfall, but the analysis with the use of water vapor channel has improved the performance. The conceptual model improved a concrete utilization of images and data of satellite, as summarizing characteristics of major synoptic type causing heavy rainfall and composing an algorism to assess the area and intensity of heavy rainfall. The further assessment with various cases is required for the operational use.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.289-302
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• 2017

During the research period, error analysis of the amount of daily precipitation was performed with data obtained from 2DVD, Parsivel, and AWS, and from the results, 79 days were selected as research days. According to the results of a synoptic meteorological analysis, these days were classified into 'LP type, CF type, HE type, and TY type'. The dates showing the maximum daily precipitation amount and precipitation intensity were 'HE type and CF type', which were found to be attributed to atmospheric instability causing strong ascending flow, and leading to strong precipitation events. Of the 79 days, most days were found to be of the LP type. On July 27, 2011 the daily precipitation amount in the Korean Peninsula reached over 80 mm (HE type). The leading edge of the Northern Pacific high pressure was located over the Korean Peninsula with unstable atmospheric conditions and inflow of air with high temperature and high humidity caused ascending flow, 120 mm/h with an average precipitation intensity of over 9.57 mm/h. Considering these characteristics, precipitation in these sample dates could be classified into the convective rain type. The results of a precipitation scale distribution analysis showed that most precipitation were between 0.4-5.0 mm, and 'Rain' size precipitation was observed in most areas. On July 9, 2011, the daily precipitation amount was recorded to be over 80 mm (CF type) at the rainy season front (Jangma front) spreading across the middle Korean Peninsular. Inflow of air with high temperature and high humidity created unstable atmospheric conditions under which strong ascending air currents formed and led to convective rain type precipitation.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.1017-1028
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• 2016

Wind information is one of the major inputs for the prediction of urban air flow using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models. Therefore, the numerical characteristics of the wind data formed at their mother domains should be clarified to predict the urban air flow more precisely. In this study, the formation characteristics of the wind data in the Seoul region were used as the inlet wind information for a CFD based simulation and were analyzed using numerical weather prediction models for weather research and forecasting (WRF). Because air flow over the central part of the Korean peninsula is often controlled not only by synoptic scale westerly winds but also by the westerly sea breeze induced from the Yellow Sea, the westerly wind often dominates the entire Seoul region. Although simulations of wind speed and air temperature gave results that were slightly high and low, respectively, their temporal variation patterns agreed well with the observations. In the analysis of the vertical cross section, the variation of wind speed along the western boundary of Seoul is simpler in a large domain with the highest horizontal resolution as compared to a small domain with the same resolution. A strong convergence of the sea breeze due to precise topography leads to the simplification of the wind pattern. The same tendency was shown in the average vertical profiles of the wind speed. The difference in the simulated wind pattern of two different domains is greater during the night than in the daytime because of atmospheric stability and topographically induced mesoscale forcing.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2009

Wind energy has been recognized as one of the most important and fastest growing energy resources without emission of air pollutant. Thus, it is necessary to predict wind speed and direction accurately both in time and space toward the efficient usage of wind energy. Numerical simulation experiments using the Fifth-Generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) are carried out to clarify the impact of surface observation data assimilation on the estimation of wind energy resources. The EXP_Radius run was designed with respect to the radius of influence in the Four-Dimensional Data Assimilation (FDDA), and the EXP_Impact run was made by changing the nudging coefficient that determines the relative magnitude of the nudging term. The simulation period covers a clear-sky event on 3 - 5 June 2007 and another is on 2 - 4 December 2006. It is found that the simulated results are very sensitive to the radius of influence and nudging parameters in the FDDA. The further analysis of the results shows that the impact of the radius of influence tends to be stronger in weak synoptic flow episode than that in strong synoptic flows episode. The nudging factor is also sensitive to the intensity of the synoptic flows.

• Atmosphere
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.321-336
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• 2016

Damages caused by torrential rain occur every year in Korea and summer time convection can cause strong thunderstorms to develop which bring dangerous weather such as torrential rain, gusts, and flash flooding. On 6 August 2013 a sudden torrential rain concentrated over the inland of Southern Korean Peninsula occurred. This was an event characterized as a mesoscale multicellular convection. The purpose of this study is to analyze the conditions of the multicellular convection and the synoptic and mesoscale nature of the system development. To this end, dynamical and thermodynamic analyses of surface and upper-level weather charts, satellite images, soundings, reanalysis data and WRF model simulations are performed. At the beginning stage there was a cool, dry air intrusion in the upper-level of the Korean Peninsula, and a warm humid air flow from the southwest in the lower-level creating atmospheric instability. This produced a single cell cumulonimbus cloud in the vicinity of Baengnyeongdo, and due to baroclinic instability, shear and cyclonic vorticity the cloud further developed into a multicellular convection. The cloud system moved southeast towards Seoul metropolitan area accompanied by lightning, heavy precipitation and strong wind gusts. In addition, atmospheric instability due to daytime insolation caused new convective cells to develop in the upstream part of the Sobaek Mountain which merged with existing multicellular convection creating a larger system. This case was unusual because the system was affected little by the upper-level jet stream which is typical in Korea. The development and propagation of the multicellular convection showed strong mesoscale characteristics and was not governed by large synoptic-scale dynamics. In particular, the system moved southeast crossing the Peninsula diagonally from northwest to southeast and did not follow the upper-level westerly pattern. The analysis result shows that the movement of the system can be determined by the vertical wind shear.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.553-573
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• 2013

This paper aims to give a summary and review of the research trend about subjects of Asian Dust (AD) storm in the last three decades. The AD research was focused on classification of synoptic scale data and finding inflow pathway in early stage. Recently, new approaches have been made to explain chemical composition, transportation, transboundary movement reaction of AD, using satellite data, 3D modeling, the aerosol time of flight mass spectroscopy, etc. During AD events, a large amount of dust particles flow into Korea and Japan from AD source areas, and they are highly likely to be mixed with toxic substances when air mass contained AD particles pass over seriously polluted areas. We concluded that, considering that AD events were classified into two cases according to the source area and pathway, the concentrations of crustal components did not increase at the initial stage of AD events, Whereas ammonium-sulfate, trace metal element, OC, EC relatively increased in the early stage. This explains AD events have the possibility of being accompanied with polluted air mass or particles. Also, we further need to compare and summarize the results of AD studies which already have been conducted, and prepare strategies for particle management, particularly for Black Carbon (BC) and Brown Carbon (BrC) which are considered to induce climate change effects.