Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.5141/JEFB.2010.33.1.047

Simulation of Daily Soil Moisture Content and Reconstruction of Drought Events from the Early 20th Century in Seoul, Korea, using a Hydrological Simulation Model, BROOK  

Kim, Eun-Shik (Department of Forest Resources, Kookmin University)
Publication Information
Journal of Ecology and Environment / v.33, no.1, 2010 , pp. 47-57 More about this Journal
Abstract
To understand day-to-day fluctuations in soil moisture content in Seoul, I simulated daily soil moisture content from 1908 to 2009 using long-term climatic precipitation and temperature data collected at the Surface Synoptic Meteorological Station in Seoul for the last 98 years with a hydrological simulation model, BROOK. The output data set from the BROOK model allowed me to examine day-to-day fluctuations and the severity and duration of droughts in the Seoul area. Although the soil moisture content is highly dependent on the occurrence of precipitation, the pattern of changes in daily soil moisture content was clearly quite different from that of precipitation. Generally, there were several phases in the dynamics of daily soil moisture content. The period from mid-May to late June can be categorized as the initial period of decreasing soil moisture content. With the initiation of the monsoon season in late June, soil moisture content sharply increases until mid-July. From the termination of the rainy season in mid-July, daily soil moisture content decreases again. Highly stochastic events of typhoons from late June to October bring large amount of rain to the Korean peninsula, culminating in late August, and increase the soil moisture content again from late August to early September. From early September until early October, another sharp decrease in soil moisture content was observed. The period from early October to mid-May of the next year can be categorized as a recharging period when soil moisture content shows an increasing trend. It is interesting to note that no statistically significant increase in mean annual soil moisture content in Seoul, Korea was observed over the last 98 years. By simulating daily soil moisture content, I was also able to reconstruct drought phenomena to understand the severity and duration of droughts in Seoul area. During the period from 1908 to 2009, droughts in the years 1913, 1979, 1939, and 2006 were categorized as 'severe' and those in 1988 and 1982 were categorized as 'extreme'. This information provides ecologists with further potential to interpret natural phenomenon, including tree growth and the decline of tree species in Korea.
Keywords
BROOK model; daily soil moisture content; drought duration; drought severity; fluctuation of soil moisture content; hydrological simulation model; Seoul;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 2  (Citation Analysis)
Times Cited By SCOPUS : 1
연도 인용수 순위
1 Bormann FH, Likens GE. 1979. Pattern and process in aforested ecosystem. Springer-Verlag, New York, NewYork.
2 Choi Y. 2004. Trends on temperature and precipitation extreme events in Korea. J Korean Geograph Soc 39(5): 711-721.   과학기술학회마을
3 Federer CA. 1980. Frequency of agricultural and forestdrought in New Hampshire: 1926-1975. Research ReportNo. 26. Water Resource Research Center, University ofNew Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA.
4 Federer CA. 1992. BROOK90: a simulation model forevapotranspiration, soil water, and streamflow. USDAForest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station,Durham, New Hampshire. (an unpublished manual forthe simulation model).
5 Federer CA, Lash D. 1978. BROOK: a hydrologic simulation model for eastern forests. Research Report No. 19. Water Resource Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire.
6 Kim ES, Kim YS. 2000. Possibility of climate change and simulation of soil moisture content on Mt. Hallasan National Park, Chejudo Island, Korea. Korean J Ecol 23(2): 117-123.   과학기술학회마을
7 Kim ES, Son Y, Park GS, Oh CH, Lee SH, Kim YS. 2009. Reforestation of degraded forests by Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and its impact on biodiversity and forest health in Korea, In: Proceedings of the 10th INTECOL International Congress of Ecology. International Association for Ecology (INTECOL).Brisbane, Australia, August 16-21, 2009.
8 Kimmins JP. 2004. Forest Ecology (Third ed.). Prentice Hall,Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
9 Korea Meteorological Administration. 2008. AnnualClimatological Report.
10 Lee DR. 2006. Drought: A dilemma in water supply anddemand planning. Water & Future 39(3): 19-23. (writtenin Korean)
11 Lee SH. 2009. A study on the relationships between radial growth of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and climatic factors on Mt. Namsan, Seoul, Korea. Unpublished MS Thesis, Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea. (written in Korean with an English Abstract)
12 Kim ES. 2010. Statistical interpretation of climate changein Seoul, Korea, over the last 98 years. J Ecol Field Biol33(1): 37-45.   DOI
13 Ha KJ, Ha E. 2006. Climatic change and interannual fluctuationsin the long-term record of monthly precipitationfor Seoul. Int J Climatol 26: 607-618.   DOI
14 Kim E. 1988. Radial growth patterns of tree species inrelation to environmental factors. Unpublished Ph.D.Dissertation, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut,USA.
15 Kim ES. 1993. Dynamics of climate and soil moisture contentin forests of Seoul area. For Humanity 5: 47-62. Instituteof Forest Science, Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea.
16 Likens, GE, Bormann FH, Pierce RS, Eaton JS, Johnson NM.1977. Biogeochemistry of a forested ecosystem. Springer-Verlag, New York, New York.
17 McMaster GS, Wilhelm WW. 1997. Growing degree-days: oneequation, two interpretations. Agricultural and ForestMeteorology 87: 291-300.   DOI
18 Min SK, Kwon WT, Park EH, Choi Y. 2003. Spatial andtemporal comparisons of droughts over Korea with EastAsia. Int J Climatol 23: 223-233.   DOI