• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.1051-1061
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• 2007

The impact of midlatitude synoptic system (upper-level trough) on typhoon intensity change was investigated by analyzing the spatial and temporal characteristics of vertical wind shear (VWS), relative eddy momentum flux convergence (REFC), and potential vorticity (PV). These variables were computed over the radial mean $300{\sim}1,000km$ from the typhoon center by using GDAPS (Global Data Assimilation and Prediction System) data provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The selected cases in this study are typhoons Rusa (0215) and Maemi (0314), causing much damage in life and property in Korea. Results show that the threshold value of VWS indicating typhoon intensity change (typhoon to severe tropical storm) is approximately 15 m/s and of REFC ranges 6 to 6.5 $ms^{-1}day^{-1}$ in both cases, respectively. During the period with the intensity of typhoon class, PVs with 3 to 3.5 PVU are present in 360K surface-PV field in the cases. In addition, there is a time-lag of 24 hours between central pressure of typhoon and minimum value of VWS, meaning that the midlatitude upper-level trough interacts with the edge of typhoon with a horizontal distance less than 2,000 km between trough and typhoon. That is, strong midlatitude upper-level divergence above the edge of the typhoon provides a good condition for strengthening the vertical circulation associated with the typhoons. In particular, when the distance between typhoon and midlatitude upper-level trough is less than 1,000 km, the typhoons tend to weaken to STS (Severe Tropical Storm). It might be mentioned that midlatitude synoptic system affects the intensity change of typhoons Rusa (0215) and Maemi (0314) while they moves northward. Thus, these variables are useful for diagnosing the intensity change of typhoon approaching to the Korean peninsula.

• Atmosphere
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.331-346
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• 2013

A case study of mesoscale snowfall with polar low signature during 25~26 December 2010 in South Korea is presented. The data used for analysis include surface and upper level weather charts, rain gauge, sea surface temperature, satellite imagery, sounding, and global $1^{\circ}{\times}1^{\circ}$ reanalysis data. The system initiated with a surface trough near the bay of Bohai but quickly intensified to become a polar low within 12 hours. The polar low moved southeastward bringing snowfall to southwestern Korea. There was strong instability layer beneath 800 hPa but baroclinicty was weak and disappeared as the low progressed onto land. Shortwave at 500 hPa and the surface trough became in-phase which hindered the development of the polar low while it approached Korea. However, there were strong tropopause folding (~500 hPa) and high potential vorticity (PV), which allowed the system to maintain its structure and dump 20.3 cm of snow in Jeonju. Synoptic, thermodynamic, dynamic, and moisture analyses reveal that polar low developed in an area of baroclinicity with strong conditional instability and warm air advection at the lower levels. Further, the development of a surface trough to polar low was aided by tropopause folding with PV advection in the upper level, shortwave trough at 500 hPa, and moisture advection with low-level jet (LLJ) of 15 m $s^{-1}$ or more at 850 hPa. Maximum snowfall was concentrated in this region with convection being sustained by latent heat release.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.560-572
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• 2005

This study investigates the characteristics of atmospheric circulation and the heat source $(Q_1)$ related to the winter cold surge in Korea from 1979 to 1999. The occurrence frequency of cold surge is about one event per year and $60\%$ of the total events occurred during the former period, before 1989. During the cold surge, the pressure pattern shows more dominant east-west dipole circulation pattern in the lower troposphere and the effect of upper level trough is stronger than normal cases. Temperature falling pattern over Korea shows that the pattern opposite to the temperature structure over Lake Baikal and temperature change has opposite signs between the low-middle level and upper level, with the boundary at 400 hPa. The analysis of heat source shows that atmospheric cooling by cold advection during the cold surge is balanced by adiabatic warming due to downward motion, indicating that the movement path of cold core is associated with that of heat sink. Therefore, the movement mechanism of the heat source and sink should be well known for understanding the maintenance mechanism of cold surge and predicting cold surges.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.111-120
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• 2002

Asian dust(or yellow sand) occurs mainly in spring and occasionally in winter in east Asia, when the weather conditions are under an upper trough/cut-off low and surface high/low pressure system during blocking episode days associated with the stationary patterns of the upper level jet stream. The transport mechanism for Asian dust during the blocking episode days in spring 2001 was analyzed using the TOMS aerosol index and meteorological mesoscale model 5(MM5). Based on the E vector, an extension of an Eliassen-Palm flux, the blocking episode days were found to be associated with the development of an upper cut-off low and surface cyclones. Concurrently, the occurrence of dust storms was also determined by strong cold advection at the rear of a jet streak, which exhibited a maximum wind speed within the upper jet stream. As such, the transport mechanism for Asian dust from China was due to advection of the isentropic potential vorticity(IPV) and isentropic surfaces associated with tropopause folding. The transport heights for Asian dust during the blocking episode days were found to be associated with the distribution of the isentropes below the IPV At the same time, lee waves propagated by topography affected the downward motion and blocking of Asian dust in China. The Asian dust transported from the dust source regions was deposited by fallout and rain-out with a reinforcing frontogenesis within a surface cyclone, as determined from satellite images using TOMS and GMS5. Accordingly, these results emphasize the importance of forecasting jet streaks, the IPV, and isentropes with geopotential heights in east Asia.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.10 no.S_4
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• pp.197-206
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• 2001

The long-range transport mechanisms of Asian dust were analyzed based on the synoptic weather system and numerical simulation by using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and TOMS data during the periods of 1996-2001. We classified the whole weather types of eastern Asia during spring and created the representative weather types during the yellow sand events using cluster analysis and weather charts for the last 6 years(1996~2001). These long-range transport mechanisms were related to various pressure patterns including high and low, trough and ridge, and upper-level fronts. Case studies of the yellow sand events have performed by the simulation of MM5 with meteorological elements such as the horizontal wind of u and v component, potential temperature, potential vorticity, and vertical circulation during the episodic days(2~8 March 2001). In addition, the origin of the long-range transport was examined with the estimation of backward trajectory using HYSPLIT4 Model. In this paper, we concluded that three weather types at 1000 hPa, 850 hPa, 500 hPa, and 300 hPa levels were classified respectively. The dominant features were the extending continental outflow from China to Korea at 1000 hPa and 850 hPa levels, the deep trough passage and cold advection at 500 hPa and 300 hPa levels during the yellow sand events. And also, we confirmed the existence of pola $r_tropical jets in the upper-level, the behavior of potential vorticity over Korea, the estimation of potential vorticity through vertical cross section, and the transport of yellow sand through backward trajectories.es.

• Atmosphere
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.187-204
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• 2013

This study analyzed the synoptic distribution and vertical structure about four cases of precipitation occurrences using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and upper level data of winter intensive observation to be performed by National Institute of Meteorological Research at Bukgangneung, Incheon, Boseong during 63days from 4 JAN to 6 MAR in 2012, and Observing System Experiment (OSE) using 3DVAR-WRF system was conducted to examine the precipitation predictability of upper level data at western and southern coastal regions. The synoptic characteristics of selected precipitation occurrences were investigated as causes for 1) rainfall events with effect of moisture convergence owing to low pressure passing through south sea on 19 JAN, 2) snowfall events due to moisture inflowing from yellow sea with propagation of Siberian high pressure after low pressure passage over middle northern region on 31 JAN, 3) rainfall event with effect of weak pressure trough in west low and east high pressure system on 25 FEB, 4) rainfall event due to moisture inflow according to low pressures over Bohai bay and south eastern sea on 5 MAR. However, it is identified that vertical structure of atmosphere had different characteristics with heavy rainfall system in summer. Firstly, depth of convection was narrow due to absence of moisture convergence and strong ascending air current in middle layer. Secondly, warm air advection by veering wind with height only existed in low layer. Thirdly, unstable layer was limited in the narrow depth due to low surface temperature although it formed, and also values of instability indices were not high. Fourthly, total water vapor amounts containing into atmosphere was small due to low temperature distribution so that precipitable water vapor could be little amounts. As result of OSE conducting with upper level data of Incheon and Boseong station, 12 hours accumulated precipitation distributions of control experiment and experiments with additional upper level data were similar with ones of observation data at 610 stations. Although Equitable Threat Scores (ETS) were different according to cases and thresholds, it was verified positive influence of upper level data for precipitation predictability as resulting with high improvement rates of 33.3% in experiment with upper level data of Incheon (INC_EXP), 85.7% in experiment with upper level data of Boseong (BOS_EXP), and 142.9% in experiment with upper level data of both Incheon and Boseong (INC_BOS_EXP) about accumulated precipitation more than 5 mm / 12 hours on 31 January 2012.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.322-334
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• 2010

Spatiotemporal characteristics of precipitation in Korea, associated with the weakening of Tropical Cyclones (TCs) around the Korean Peninsula ($32-36^{\circ}N$, $122-132^{\circ}E$) over the last 30 years (1979-2008), were investigated. Weakened TCs are classified as WEC (Weakened to Extratropical Cyclone) and WTD (Weakened to Tropical Depression). In WEC, precipitation was evenly distributed all over the Korean Peninsula and the greater precipitation was recorded in the southern coast. In WTD, the most precipitation was recorded in the southern coast but low precipitation was recorded in the central and inland areas of Korea. The difference of precipitation between WEC and WTD was not statistically significant in Region 2 (Jeollanam-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, southeastern part of Gyeongsangbuk-do, Jeju-do); however, the precipitation resulting from WEC was greater than that resulting from WTD in Region 1 (central area of Korea, Jeollabuk-do, inland of Gyeongsangbuk-do). In WEC, the developed upper-level potential vorticity (PV) and low-level temperature trough shifted to the northwest of TCs approaching Korea. In addition, an upper-level jet stream and strong divergence field were observed to the northeast of the TCs. It was assumed that these meteorological factors had induced baroclinic instability and diabatic process, which created a large precipitation area around the TCs. However, the intense PV, temperature trough, jet stream were not observed in WTD, which created a small precipitation area around the TCs.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.765-784
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• 2019

The synoptic structural characteristics associated with heavy snowfall (Bukgangneung: 31.3 cm) that occurred in the Yeongdong area on 20 January 2017 was investigated using surface and upper-level weather charts, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis data, radiosonde data, and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud product. The cold dome and warm trough of approximately 500 hPa appeared with tropopause folding. As a result, cold and dry air penetrated into the middle and upper levels. At this time, the enhanced cyclonic potential vorticity caused strong baroclinicity, resulting in the sudden development of low pressure at the surface. Under the synoptic structure, localized heavy snowfall occurred in the Yeongdong area within a short time. These results can be confirmed from the vertical analysis of radiosonde data and the characteristics of the MODIS cloud product.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.10 no.S_1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2001

A numerical simulation was carried out to investigate the mechanism of snowfall around the Seoul region during a cold air-outbreak in the winter season. A particular case was selected for this study(Dec. 19, 1999). The inflow directions of the synoptic flow in the upper and lower levels were westerly and north-westerly, respectively. Plus, there was a deep trough and thermal ridge at a level of 500/700/850 hPa over the Bal-Hae region, in the northern part of the Korean peninsula. According to the model results, snowfall occurred around the Seoul region with the simultaneous existence of a strong static instability in the lower atmosphere, northerly or westerly dry air advection, and strong thermal advection toward the Seoul region. There was a strong convergence thereby indicating the existence of convective rolls in the clouds. The main energy source of convection over the Yellow sea was a sensible heat flux. The main moisture source was convection. Radiative cooling in the cloud layer intensified the static instability in the lower atmosphere.

• Atmosphere
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.45-60
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• 2021

The synoptic structures and precipitation impact of extratropical cyclones (ETCs) influencing on the three adjacent megacities in East Asia, i.e., Beijing (Beijing ETCs), Seoul (Seoul ETCs) and Tokyo (Tokyo ETCs), are analyzed using ERA-interim reanalysis data from 1979 to 2018. Individual ETC tracks are identified with the automated tracking algorithm applied to 850-hPa relative vorticity field. Among four seasons, ETCs are the most frequent in spring. In this season, Beijing ETCs are mainly generated at the leeside of Altai-Sayan Mountains and primarily develop through interaction between the upper-level trough and lower-level cyclonic circulation. For Seoul ETCs, the leesides of Altai-Sayan Mountains (Seoul-N ETCs) and Tibetan Plateau (Seoul-S ETCs) are main genesis regions and the features of ETCs are different according to the genesis regions. While Seoul-N ETCs mainly develope by the same mechanism of Beijing ETCs, strong diabatic heating due to vapor transport is responsible for the genesis of Seoul-S ETCs. Tokyo ETCs are originated from the leesides of Tibetan Plateau and Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension regions, and strong diabatic heating as well as interaction between upper and lower levels determines the genesis of these ETCs. The precipitation impact resulting from ETCs become strong in the order of Beijing ETCs, Seoul-N ETCs, Seoul-S ETCs, and Tokyo ETCs and accounts for up to 40%, 27%, 52%, and 70% of regional precipitation, respectively.