Objective Classification of Fog Type and Analysis of Fog Characteristics Using Visibility Meter and Satellite Observation Data over South Korea

The classification of fog type and the characteristics of fog based on fog events over South Korea were investigated using a 3-year (2015~2017) visibility meter data. One-minute visibility meter data were used to identify fog with present weather codes and surface observation data. The concept of fog events was adopted for the better definition of fog properties and more objective classification through the detailed investigation of life cycle of fog. Decision tree method was used to classify the fog types and the final fog types were radiation fog, advection fog, precipitation fog, cloud base lowering fog and morning evaporation fog. We enhanced objectivity in classifying the types of fog by adding the satellite and the buoy observations to the conventional usage of AWS and ceilometer data. Radiation fog, the most common type in South Korea, frequently occurs in inland during autumn. A considerable number of advection fogs occur in island area in summer, especially in July. Precipitation fog accounts for more than a quarter of the total fog events and frequently occurs in islands and coastal areas. Cloud base lowering fog, classified using ceilometer, occurs occasionally for all areas but the occurrence rate is relatively high in east and west coastal area. Morning evaporation fog type is rarely observed in inland. The occurrence rate of thick fog with visibility less than 100 meters is amount to 21% of total fog events. Although advection fog develops into thick fog frequently, radiation fog shows the minimum visibility, in some cases.

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