• Atmosphere
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.317-338
• /
• 2008

Analyses of observational data and numerical simulations were performed to understand the mechanism of MCSs (Mesoscale Convective Systems) occurred on 13-14 July 2004 over Jindo area of the Korean Peninsula. Observations indicated that synoptic environment was favorable for the occurrence of heavy rainfall. This heavy rainfall appeared to have been enhanced by convergence around the Changma front and synoptic scale lifting. From the analyses of storm environment using Haenam upper-air observation data, it was confirmed that strong convective instability was present around the Jindo area. Instability indices such as K-index, SSI-index showed favorable condition for strong convection. In addition, warm advection in the lower troposphere and cold advection in the middle troposphere were detected from wind profiler data. The size of storm, that produced heavy rainfall over Jindo area, was smaller than $50{\times}50km^2$ according to radar observation. The storm developed more than 10 km in height, but high reflectivity (rain rate 30 mm/hr) was limited under 6 km. It can be judged that convection cells, which form cloud clusters, occurred on the inflow area of the Changma front. In numerical simulation, high CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) was found in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. However, heavy rainfall was restricted to the Jindo area with high CIN (Convective INhibition) and high CAPE. From the observations of vertical drop size distribution from MRR (Micro Rain Radar) and the analyses of numerically simulated hydrometeors such as graupel etc., it can be inferred that melted graupels enhanced collision and coalescence process of heavy precipitation systems.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.89-114
• /
• 2008

Interrelationship between heavy rainfalls and related with low-level jets(LLJ) is analyzed by using fifty cases of heavy rainfall events occurred over the Korean peninsula from 1992 to 2001. Those cases are classified with four synoptical features. There are 32% chances that the low pressure exist in heavy rainfall over than 150 mm per day case by case. Secondly Changma front and front zone account for 28% of all cases. The ratio of marine tropical boundary type and trough type record 22% and 18% respectively. The moist and warm south-westerly winds associated with low-level jets have been induced convective instability and baroclinic instability. Therefore, heavy rainfall due to the approach of a low pressure occurred at September and before Changma. During the period of Changma, this type has been happened heavy rainfall when low pressure and stationary front has vibrated south and north. Changma type has longer the duration time of precipitation than other types. Third type, located with marine Tropical boundary, have mainly rained in August and September. The last trough case locally downpoured in short time with developing cell. The occurrence low-level jets related to heavy rainfall has increased over 12.5 m/s wind speed. The result is that 43 heavy rainfalls out of 50 cases reach peak at the time of maximum precipitation intensity. Also, the variation of wet number and K-index corresponded with the variation of wind speed. It is found that the number of frequency of low-level jets with southwestward direction has been increased and these jets are mainly passed from the southwest toward to the northeast of the Korean peninsula in that time.

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.401-413
• /
• 2012

In this study, an investigation has been carried out to understand 1) temporal variation of rainfall amount in summer over south Korea during the 30-year period of 1979-2008 and 2) the relationship between the variation of rainfall amount and the change of large-scale monsoon circulation around 1993/1994 over East Asia. The analysis of rainfall amount is carried out separately for whole summer (June-August), climatological Changma period of 23 June-23 July, and August to consider variations within summer. To relate the variation of rainfall amount with the change of large-scale circulation, we have considered two 15-year periods of 1979-1993 and 1994-2008. This study has used observations at 58 stations in South Korea and NCEP-NCAR $2.5^{\circ}{\times}2.5^{\circ}$ reanalysis data. The major change in synoptic environment for the Changma period is characterized by the intensified anticyclone over Mongolia during 1994-2008, which results in a weak meridional oscillation of Changma front. As a result, rainfall amount for the Changma period and the frequency of extreme events have significantly increased after 1993/1994. A major change of synoptic environment for August is the significant westward extension of the western Pacific subtropical high, which allows not only more moisture transports but also stronger cyclonic circulation over the Korean peninsula. Rainfall amount for August and frequency of extreme events have also increased after 1993/1994. However, variability of rainfall amount is larger for August than that for the Changma period, with some years showing very dry August (monthly rainfall amount less than 150 mm).

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.393-408
• /
• 2014

In this study, the spatio-temporal characteristics of summer extreme precipitation events in the Republic of Korea are examined based on the daily precipitation data observed at approximately 360 sites of both Automatic Weather Station (AWS) and Automated Synoptic Observation System (ASOS) networks by the Korea Meteorological Administration for the recent decade(2002~2011). During the summer Changma period(late June~mid July), both the frequency of extreme precipitation events exceeding 80mm of daily precipitation and their decadal maximum values are greatest at most of weather stations. In contrast, during the Changma pause period (late July~early August), these patterns are observed only in the northern regions of Geyeonggi province and western Kangwon province as such patterns are detected around Mt. Sobaek and Mt. Halla as well as in the southern regions of Geyeonggi province and western Kangwon province during the late Changma period (mid August~early September) due to north-south oscillation of the Changma front. Investigation of their regional patterns confirms that not only migration of the Changma front but also topological components in response to the advection of moistures such as elevation and aspect of major mountain ridges are detrimental to spatio-temporal patterns of extreme precipitation events. These results indicate that each local administration needs differentiated strategies to mitigate the potential damages by extreme precipitation events due to the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of their frequency and intensity during each Changma period.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.324-336
• /
• 2008

This paper examines the recent changes of summer precipitation in the aspect of temporal and spatial features using long-term($1958{\sim}2007$) observed station data over South Korea. tong-term mean summer precipitation has revealed two precipitation peaks during summer(June to September); one is the Changma as the first peak, and the other is the post-Changma as the second peak. During the Changma period, the spatial distribution of the maximum precipitation areas is determined by the prevailing southwesterlies and the quasi-stationary front, which results in large amount of precipitation at the windward side of mountain regions over South Korea. However during the post-Changma period, the spatial distribution of the maximum precipitation areas is determined by the lower tropospheric circulation flows from the west and the southeast around the Korean peninsula, and the weather phenomena such as Typhoons, convective instability, and cyclones which are originated from the Yangtze river. The larger amount of precipitation is founded on the southern coastal region and mountain and coastal areas in Korea during the second peak. Time series of total summer precipitation shows a steady increase and the increasing trend is more obvious during the recent 10 years. Decadal variation in summer precipitation indicates a large increase of precipitation, especially in the recent 10 years both in the Changma and the post-Changma period. However, the magnitude of change and the period of the maximum peak presents remarkable contrasts among stations. The most distinct decadal change occurs at Seoul, Busan, and Gangnueng. The precipitation amount is increasing significantly during the post-Changma period at Gangnueng, while the precipitation increases in the period between two maximum precipitation peaks during summer at Seoul and Busan.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.150-166
• /
• 2011

This study aims to investigate the differences of synoptic characteristics and frontal structures over East Asia according to the main path types of water vapor flux (WVF) of 850hPa surface in cases of the heavy rainfall in the south coastal region of Korea during the Changma season (June and July), In the cases of type A in which the main path of WVF is running from the South china Sea via the South china to the South Sea of Korea, the North Pacific subtropical anticyclone (NPSA) expands to the South China and strong cyclones appear in the Yellow Sea. In cases of type B and C in those the main paths of WVF are running from the South China Sea via the Western Pacific Ocean near Taiwan to the South Sea and from the Western North Pacific Ocean to the South Sea respectively, tropical cyclones appear frequently near Taiwan and the NPSA shifts northward. In the case of type D in which the main path of WVF appear only near the South Sea, strong cyclones appear near the Yellow Sea. In all cases upper jets are intensified in the northern part of the heavy rainfall region and low-level jets appear near the main paths of WVF. In the view of frontal structure, deep active-type of the Changma front is identified in most cases of all types. In this point the Changma season is different from the Baiu season in Western Japan where many cases of shallow active-type of the Baiu front appear.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.531-538
• /
• 2010

This study presents the development of an elevated subsidence inversion over a surface low pressure system, which was formed along the Changma front or Meiu-Baiu front. The results of our analysis strongly suggest that the inversion is dissimilar to those formed in anticyclonic situations but is instead similar to the onion-shaped sounding found in wake low. The present analysis indicates that the observed elevated inversion resulted from the intrusion of stratospheric air associated with tropopause folding.

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.611-622
• /
• 2015

Heavy rainfall ($>30mm\;hr^{-1}$) over the Korean Peninsula is examined in order to understand thermo-dynamic characteristics of the atmosphere, using radiosonde observational data from seven upper-air observation stations during the last 17 years (1997~2013). A total of 82 heavy rainfall cases during the summer season (June-August) were selected for this study. The average values of thermo-dynamic indices of heavy rainfall events are Total Precipitable Water (TPW) = 60 mm, Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) = $850J\;kg^{-1}$, Convective Inhibition (CIN) = $15J\;kg^{-1}$, Storm Relative Helicity (SRH) = $160m^2s^{-2}$, and 0~3 km bulk wind shear = $5s^{-1}$. About 34% of the cases were associated with a Changma front; this pattern is more significant than other synoptic pressure patterns such as troughs (22%), migratory cyclones (15%), edges of high-pressure (12%), typhoons (11%), and low-pressure originating from Changma fronts (6%). The spatial distribution of thermo-dynamic conditions (CAPE and SRH) is similar to the range of thunderstorms over the United States, but extreme conditions (supercell thunderstorms and tornadoes) did not appear in the Korean Peninsula. Synoptic conditions, vertical buoyancy (CAPE, CIN), and wind parameters (SRH, shear) are shown to discriminate among the environments of the three types. The first type occurred with high CAPE and low wind shear by the edge of the high pressure pattern, but Second type is related to Changma front and typhoon, exhibiting low CAPE and high wind shear. The last type exhibited characteristics intermediate between the first and second types, such as moderate CAPE and wind shear near the migratory cyclone and trough.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.465-474
• /
• 2009

Convective/stratiform radar echo classification schemes by Steiner et al. (1995) and Biggerstaff and Listemaa (2000) are examined on a monsoonal front during the summer monsoon-Changma period, which is organized as a cloud cluster with mesoscale convective complex. Target radar is S-band with wavelength of 10cm, spatial resolution of 1km, elevation angle interval of 0.5-1.0 degree, and minimum elevation angle of 0.19 degree at Jindo over the Korean Peninsula. For verification of rainfall amount retrieved from the echo classification, ground-based rain gauge observations (Automatic Weather Stations) are examined, converting the radar echo grid data to the station values using the inverse distance weighted method. Improvement from the echo classification is evaluated based on the correlation coefficient and the scattered diagram. Additionally, an optimal use method was designed to produce combined rainfalls from the radar echo and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Precipitation Radar (TRMM/PR) data. Optimal values for the radar rain and TRMM/PR rain are inversely weighted according to the error variance statistics for each single station. It is noted how the rainfall distribution during the summer monsoon frontal system is improved from the classification of convective/stratiform echo and the use of the optimal use technique.

• 한국지구과학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2010.04a
• /
• pp.92-94
• /
• 2010

최근 대류권과 성층권 사이에서 매우 빠른 속도로 부는 제트류(jet stream)가 장마 전선에 유입되면서 다량의 수증기 공급으로 인한 집중호우의 발생빈도가 증가하고 있다. 집중 호우는 상, 하층 제트류 사이에서 주로 발생하며, 상층 제트류는 제트류의 남쪽과 하층에서 상승기류를 유발하는 역할을 하고 하층 제트류는 남쪽 및 남서쪽에서 따뜻하고 습윤한 공기를 북쪽 및 북동쪽으로 수송하는 중요한 역할을 한다. 상, 하층 제트류가 교차되거나 근접할수록 상하층의 온위차가 커지고, 연직시어도 증가되며, 또한 두 제트류가 중첩되는 경우에는 2차 순환이 강화되어 호우가능성이 높아진다. 한반도의 경우는 지리적으로 경압성이 강한 동아시아에 위치하여 전반적으로 잘 구조화된 하층제트를 형성하여 호우의 제반 여건을 형성하므로, 하층제트의 영향에 직접적으로 관계한 집중호우의 사례를 분석하였다.