• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.30 no.11
• /
• pp.925-936
• /
• 2021

The study was aimed to investigate the correlation between tidal effects and fog occurrence in Incheon and Mokpo, which are located in the middle and southern coasts of the West Sea of Korea, respectively. The investigation used meteorological data obtained from the automated synoptic observing systems and automatic weather stations and ocean data from tide stations from 2010 to 2019. Fog occurrence frequency was highest at high tide (Incheon, 41%; Mokpo, 45%). During fog event days at high tide, the dew-point depression was low (Incheon, 0.5℃; Mokpo, 0.4℃) and the relative humidity was high (Incheon, 97%; Mokpo, 98%). The wind speed was 2.4 m/s in Incheon and 2.0 m/s in Mokpo, and the main wind directions were west-southwesterly from Incheon and southwesterly from Mokpo. In the fog case study, tidal flats were covered with water before and after the fog started. During the fog period, both stations experienced negative air-sea temperature differences, low dew-point depression, and high relative humidity were maintained, with weak winds forming from the tidal flats to the shore.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.256-271
• /
• 2016

The source and transport of the severe Asian dust event (ADE) recently observed in the Korean peninsula were analyzed based on observations (surface weather charts and satellite data) and modeling study (WRF-CMAQ modeling systems). The ADE occurred on 20-21 March 2010 in South Korea with very high $PM_{10}$ concentrations (up to approximately $3,000{\mu}g/m^3$ in Daegu and Jeju). The dominant meteorological conditions affecting the dust outbreak and transport processes were found to be associated with the two synoptic features: (1) strong airflows (i.e., westerlies) induced by a strong pressure gradient resulting from a dense isobar pattern (west-high and east-low) between Tuva Republic and Mongolia and (2) a rapid movement of the strong westerlies merged with airflows generated near Gobi Desert and Inner Mongolia. The merged strong westerlies with a low pressure played a pivotal role in the huge amount of AD and its transport height of 5-8 km. The time and location of dust emissions calculated in the source regions were similar to those observed in the weather charts and satellite image. The ADE simulation mostly showed agreement in the patterns and the concentration levels of modeled dust (including $PM_{10}$) with those of the observations.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.377-394
• /
• 2012

To elucidate the mechanism associated with the development of heavy precipitation system, a field experiment was carried out in Jejudo (or Jeju Island) and Marado, Korea from 22 June to 12 July 2006. The synoptic atmospheric conditions were analyzed using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research's (NCEP/NCAR) reanalyzed data, weather maps, and sounding data. The kinematic characteristics of each precipitation system were investigated by dual Doppler radar analysis. During the field experiment, data of four precipitation events with more than 20 mm rainfall were collected. In F case (frontal precipitation), a typical Changma front was dominant and the observation field was fully saturated. However there was no convective instability near the surface. LF case (low pressure accompanied with Changma front) showed strong convective instability near the surface, while a strong convergence corresponded to the low pressure from China accompanied with Changma front. In FT case (Changma front indirectly influenced by typhoon), the presence of a convective instability indicated the transport of near surface, strong additional moisture from the typhoon 'EWINIAR'. The convergence wind field was ground to be located at a low level. The convective instability was not significant in T case (precipitation of the typhoon 'EWINIAR'), since the typhoon passed through Jejudo and the Changma front was disappeared toward the northeastern region of the Korean peninsula. The kinematic (convergence and divergence) characteristics of wind fields, convective instability, and additional moisture inflow played important roles in the formation and development of heavy precipitation.

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.301-319
• /
• 2016

The evolutionary process of the polar low, which caused the heavy snowfall in the East Coast area on 11~12 February 2011, was investigated to describe in detail using synoptic weather charts, satellite imageries, and ERA (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Re-Analysis) -Interim reanalysis data. It was revealed that 1) the polar low was generated over the sea near Busan where a large cyclonic shear in the inverted trough branched from the parent low existed, 2) during the developing and mature stages, there was a convectively unstable region in the lower layer around the polar low and its south side, 3) the polar low was developed in the region where the static stability in the 500~850 hPa layer was the lowest, 4) the result from the budget analysis of the vorticity equation indicated that the increase in the vorticity at the lower atmosphere, where the polar low was located, was dominated mainly by the stretching term, 5) the warm core structure of the polar low was identified in the surface-700 hPa layer during the mature stage, 6) there was a close inverse relationship between a development of the polar low and the height of the dynamic tropopause over the polar low, and 7) for generation and development of the polar low, large-scale circulation systems, such as upper cold low and its combined short wave trough, major low (parent low), and polar air outbreak, should be presented, indicating that the polar low has the nature of the baroclinic disturbance.

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.277-295
• /
• 2022

The global weather prediction model, Korean Integrated Model (KIM), has been in operation since April 2020 by the Korea Meteorological Administration. This study assessed the performance of heat waves (HWs) in Korea in 2020. Case experiments during 2018-2020 were conducted to support the reliability of assessment, and the factors which affect predictability of the HWs were analyzed. Simulated expansion and retreat of the Tibetan High and North Pacific High during the 2020 HW had a good agreement with the analysis. However, the model showed significant cold biases in the maximum surface temperature. It was found that the temperature bias was highly related to underestimation of downward shortwave radiation at surface, which was linked to cloudiness. KIM tended to overestimate nighttime clouds that delayed the dissipation of cloud in the morning, which affected the shortage of downward solar radiation. The vertical profiles of temperature and moisture showed that cold bias and trapped moisture in the lower atmosphere produce favorable conditions for cloud formation over the Yellow Sea, which affected overestimation of cloud in downwind land. Sensitivity test was performed to reduce model bias, which was done by modulating moisture mixing parameter in the boundary layer scheme. Results indicated that the daytime temperature errors were reduced by increase in surface solar irradiance with enhanced cloud dissipation. This study suggested that not only the synoptic features but also the accuracy of low-level temperature and moisture condition played an important role in predicting the maximum temperature during the HWs in medium-range forecasts.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.149-155
• /
• 2021

Early warning systems for weather risk management in the agricultural sector have been developed to predict potential wind damage to crops. These systems take into account the daily maximum wind speed to determine the critical wind speed that causes fruit drops and provide the weather risk information to farmers. In an effort to increase the accuracy of wind risk predictions, an artificial neural network for binary classification was implemented. In the present study, the daily wind speed and other weather data, which were measured at weather stations at sites of interest in Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do as well as Gyeongsangbuk- do and part of Gyeongsangnam- do provinces in 2019, were used for training the neural network. These weather stations include 210 synoptic and automated weather stations operated by the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA). The wind speed data collected at the same locations between January 1 and December 12, 2020 were used to validate the neural network model. The data collected from December 13, 2020 to February 18, 2021 were used to evaluate the wind risk prediction performance before and after the use of the artificial neural network. The critical wind speed of damage risk was determined to be 11 m/s, which is the wind speed reported to cause fruit drops and damages. Furthermore, the maximum wind speeds were expressed using Weibull distribution probability density function for warning of wind damage. It was found that the accuracy of wind damage risk prediction was improved from 65.36% to 93.62% after re-classification using the artificial neural network. Nevertheless, the error rate also increased from 13.46% to 37.64%, as well. It is likely that the machine learning approach used in the present study would benefit case studies where no prediction by risk warning systems becomes a relatively serious issue.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.117-123
• /
• 2000

This study examined the spatial distribution of precipitation in Sokcho area. The hourly, daily and monthly precipitation on the 2 stations, 5 AWS in Sokcho area were analyzed by daily, monthly, altitudinal distribution and synoptic environment. The results of the Study are as follows. The amount of Yearly precipitation, 1970~1999 in Sokcho area is gradually increasing. The amount of monthly precipitation 1970~1999 at Sorak weather observation station (altitude 148m), Compared with that in 7 Stations is greatest in spring, Summer and autumn. Because the valleys near Ssangcheon river are funnels for sea wind into Sorak weather observation station. The amount of Summerly precipitation at Mishiryong(1993~1999), the highest altitude in 7 weather observations stations is more 95.2mm than that of Sokcho airport, the lowest altitude, but the amount of winterly precipitation at Sokcho airport is more 89.6mm than that of Mishiryong. When the heavy rainfall and the heavy Snowfall occured in Sokcho area, wind systems were mainly a sea wind (north-north-eastly wind, north-westly wind) and daily mean wind speed was respectively 4.4㎧, 3.6㎧. The amount of the heavy rainfall and heavy snow fall in Sokcho area is closely associated with the north-eastly stream at the lower and the upper level toward the coast of East sea(Sokcho area).

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.93-102
• /
• 1996

The Korean Peninsula is located on the east coast of monsoon Asia of the midlatitude, where the Pacific polar front moves. As a result variations of spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation occur. A great variation of precipitation during the summer months created frequent droughts and floods. The purpose of this study is to identify distributional characteristics and to analyze synopic characteristics of summer droughts in Korea. The research methods used are ; (1) to identify droughts based on the anomaly of monthly precipitation during summer of 1994. (2) to analyze correlations between drought and weather systems by using the calender of rain days. (3) to compare a synoptic mechanism of summer droughts with that of typical normal summer. The characteristics of summer droughts of 1994 may be summarized as follows ; 1) While most regions were affected by the droughts some regions displayed specific characteristics. The southern part of the Korean Peninsula was severely affected during the month of June. August droughts severely affected east part of the Sobek Mountains, thus showing that the droughts of June and August are highly localized. 2) In the pressure anomaly of surface field. the positive anomaly appears in June around Korean Peninsula, but in July when all parts of the South Korea were under severe droughts, the anomaly changes and becomes negative. 3) Extracyclones occurred less frequently in the summer of 1994. Those that did occur were located in areas far off the Korean Peninsula having little consequences on the drought patterns. 4) The trough of westerly wave at 500hPa height patterns in June is located far from the eastern sea of Korean Peninsula, but in July and August Korean Peninsula belongs to ridge of westerly wave. 5) In June the positive height anomaly at 500hPa surface appears zonally from Siberia to the western Parts of North Pacific Ocean, and in July and August, the strong positive anomaly appears around Korean Peninsula. As a result the zonal index of westerlies at during each month of summer in Korean sector has a large value, which in turn implies that drought will prevails when zonal flow is strong.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.95-106
• /
• 1997

The characteristics on the transtion probabilities and periodicity for the daily precipitation occurrence in Korean peninsula are investigated by applying the Markov chain properties to daily precipitation occurrence. In order to examine the responses of Markov Chain properties to the applied period and their magnitudes, three cases (Case A: 1956~ 1985 at 14 stations, Case B: 1965~ 1994 at 14 stations, and Case C: 1985~ 1994 at 63 stations) are considered In this study. The transition probabilities from wet day to wet day for all cases are about 0.50 and in summer, especially July, are higher. In addition, considering them in each station we can find that they are the highest at Ullung-do and lowest at Inchon for all cases. The annual equilibrium probabilities of a wet day appear 0.31 In Case A, 0.30 Case B, and 0. 29 Case C, respectively. This may explain that as the data-period used becomes shorter, the higher the equilibrium probability is. The seasonal distributions of equilibrium probabilities are appeared the lowest(0.23~0.28) in winter and the highest(more than 0.39) in spring and monthly in .truly and in October, repectively. The annual mean wet duration for all cases is 2.04 days in Case A, 1.99 Case B, and 1.89 Case C, repectively. The weather cycle obtained from the annual mean wet and dry duration is 6.54~6.59 days, which are closely associated with the movement of synoptic systems. And the statistical tests show that the transitions of daily precipitation occurrence for all cases may have two-state first Markov chain property, being the stationarity in time and heterogeneity in space.

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.1-15
• /
• 2021

High-resolution wind resources maps (maps, here after) with spatial and temporal resolutions of 100 m and 3-hours, respectively, over South Korea have been produced and evaluated for the period from July 2016 to June 2017 using Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) Post Processing (KMAPP). Evaluation of the 10 m- and 80 m-level wind speed in the new maps (KMAPP-Wind) and the 1.5 km-resolution KMA NWP model, Local Data Assimilation and Prediction System (LDAPS), shows that the new high-resolution maps improves of the LDAPS winds in estimating the 10m wind speed as the new data reduces the mean bias (MBE) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) by 33.3% and 14.3%, respectively. In particular, the result of evaluation of the wind at 80 m which is directly related with power turbine shows that the new maps has significantly smaller error compared to the LDAPS wind. Analyses of the new maps for the seasonal average, maximum wind speed, and the prevailing wind direction shows that the wind resources over South Korea are most abundant during winter, and that the prevailing wind direction is strongly affected by synoptic weather systems except over mountainous regions. Wind speed generally increases with altitude and the proximity to the coast. In conclusion, the evaluation results show that the new maps provides significantly more accurate wind speeds than the lower resolution NWP model output, especially over complex terrains, coastal areas, and the Jeju island where wind-energy resources are most abundant.