• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.275-291
• /
• 2023

Global warming has made the polar regions more accessible, leading to increased demand for the construction of new resource-development plants in oil-rich permafrost regions. The selection of locations of resource-development plants in permafrost regions should consider the surface displacement resulting from thawing and freezing of the active layer of permafrost. However, few studies have considered surface displacement in the selection of optimal locations of resource-development plants in permafrost region. In this study, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis using a range of geospatial information variables was performed to select optimal locations for the construction of oil-sands development plants in the permafrost region of southern Athabasca, Alberta, Canada, including consideration of surface displacement. The surface displacement velocity was estimated by applying the Small BAseline Subset Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar technique to time-series Advanced Land Observing Satellite Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar images acquired from February 2007 to March 2011. ERA5 reanalysis data were used to generate geospatial data for air temperature, surface temperature, and soil temperature averaged for the period 2000~2010. Geospatial data for roads and railways provided by Statistics Canada and land cover maps distributed by the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation were also used in the AHP analysis. The suitability of sites analyzed using land cover, surface displacement, and road accessibility as the three most important geospatial factors was validated using the locations of oil-sand plants built since 2010. The sensitivity of surface displacement to the determination of location suitability was found to be very high. We confirm that surface displacement should be considered in the selection of optimal locations for the construction of new resource-development plants in permafrost regions.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.1-20
• /
• 2000

There are increasing evidences of climate change in the Antarctic and Arctic Oceans, especially elevated temperature due to the continuous burning of the fossil fuels and ultraviolet B(UV-B) flux within the ozone hole. Light-dependent, temperature-sensitive, and fast-growing organisms respond to these physical and biogeochemical changes. Polar marine phytoplankton, which are pioneer endemic species and important carbon contributors in the polar waters, are therefore highly suitable biological indicators of such changes. By virtue of light requirement, the primary producers are exposed to extreme seasonal fluctuations in temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, and UV radiation. Local environmental warming and increased UV-B radiation during ozone depletion may have profound effects on the primary producers that are primary carbon producers in the polar water. Small changes in climate temperature and solar radiation may have profound effects on the activity threshold of the polar phytoplanktion. To demonstrate biological response to the environmental changes, standardized representative natural and biological parameters are needed so that replicate samples (including controls) can be taken over extended periods of time. In this paper, we review general characteristics of polar phytoplankton, their environment, environmental changes in the polar waters, the effects on the environmental changes to the polar phytoplankton, and the importance of the polar phytoplankton to understand the global environmental changes. [Biological indicators, Global environmental change, Polar phytoplankton, UV].

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
• /
• v.41 no.4 s.115
• /
• pp.435-456
• /
• 2006

This study examines the long-term spatial patterns and recent trends of seasonal onsets and durations defined by daily temperatures in South Korea for the period 1973-2004. Spatially, spring and winter onset dates show approximately 44 day and 63 day maximum difference respectively between south and north (Seongsanpo to Daegwallryeong) attributable to the impacts of latitudes and altitudes. In contrast, summer onset, which is more affected by proximity to oceans and altitudes than by latitudes, begins earlier in interior low elevated areas than in the coastal areas but earliest at higher latitudes than Jeiu Island. Five climatic types regarding the seasonal cycles in South Korea are spatially clustered according to the combination of longer seasonal durations. As a reflection of recent climate changes on seasonal cycles in South Korea, winter duration was shortened by 10 days during the post-1988 period due to a late winter onset of 4 days and an early spring onset of 6 days. The winter reduction began in the southern regions of the Korean Peninsula in the mid-1980s and spread northward during the 1990s period, ultimately appearing everywhere. In urbanized cities, where much of the surface is covered with asphalt or concrete, the winter reduction was intensified and summer duration was locally incremented. The reduced winter duration in recent decades shows significant teleconnections with variations of geopotential height (925hPa) in the eastern Arctic region ($0-90^{\circ}E$, $65-85^{\circ}N$) during the cold season. The reduction in winter duration in South Korea agrees with results in overall global warming trends as a climate change signal.