• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.10-27
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• 2014

HAZUS-MH is a GIS-based computer program that estimates potential losses from multi-hazard phenomena: earthquakes, floods and hurricanes. With respect to seismic disaster, characteristics of a hypothetical or actual earthquake are entered into HAZUS. Then HAZUS estimates the intensity of ground shaking and calculates the correspondent losses. In this study, HAZUS was used as a part of the preparations of the future seismic events at a coastal plant facility area. To reliably characterize the target facility area, many geotechnical characteristics data were synthesized from the existing site investigation reports. And the buildings and facilities were sorted by analyzing their material and structural characteristics. In particular, the study area was divided into 17 blocks taking into account the situation of both land development and facility distribution. The ground conditions of blocks were categorized according to the site classification scheme for earthquake-resistant design. Moreover, seismic fragility curves of a main facilities were derived based on the numerical modeling and were incorporated into the database in HAZUS. The results estimated in the study area using HAZUS showed various seismic damage and loss potentials depending on site conditions and structural categories. This case study verified the usefulness of the HAZUS for estimating earthquake losses in coastal facility areas.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.355-373
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• 2015

In this study the factors of fire damage are analyzed through previous research reviews. Local environmental factors as well as those factors attributed to fire damage (number of fire events, number of injured, number of death, economic loss) were selected to compose mutual relationship model. In order to verify this relationship model, official statistics concerning fire damage were collected from 228 local governments and compared with results from previous research. As a result of this comparison four dependent variables and 22 independent variables that affect fire damage were analyzed. Independent variables are divided into human vulnerability factors, physical vulnerability factors, economic vulnerability factors, mitigating factors and local characteristics. To analyze a relationship between selected dependent variables and independent variables, we applied a semi-logarithm model and performed regression analysis. Among the 22 independent variables, the number of the weak to disaster, social welfare service workers, workers in manufacturing industry, and the number of workers in restaurants and bars per 10,000 people show the significant correlation with the number of fire incidence. The number of death from fire is significantly related to two variables which are the number of social welfare service workers per 10,000 and the ratio of commercial area. Damage cost is significantly dependent on the property taxes per 10,000 people. These factors were included in the research model as vulnerability factors (human, physical, economic) and mitigating factors and local characteristics, and the validity of research model was verified. The result could contribute to fire-fighting resource allocation in Korea or they can be utilized in establishing fire prevention policy, which will enhance the national level of fire safety.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.51-59
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• 2014

Shallow landslides and debris flows are a common form of soil slope instability in South Korea. These events may be generally initiated as a result of intense rainfall or lengthening rainfall duration because of the effects of climate change. This paper presents the evaluation of rainfall-induced natural soil slope stability and reinforced soil slope instability under vertical load (railway or highway load) throughout South Korea based on quantitative analysis obtained from 58 sites rainfall observatories for 38 years. The slope stability was performed for infinite and geogrid-reinforced soil slopes by taking an average of maximum rainfall every ten years from 1973 to 2010. Seepage analysis is carried out on unsaturated soil slope using the maximum rainfall at each site, and then the factor of safety was calculated by coupled analysis using saturated and unsaturated strength parameters. The contour map of South Korea shows four stages in 10-year-time for the degree of landslide hazard. The safety factor map based on long term observational data will help prevent rainfall-induced soil slope instability for appropriate design of geotechnical structures regarding disaster protection.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.219-232
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• 2012

The intensive observation (ProbeX-2010) was performed to investigate an urban effect on summer rainfall over the Seoul metropolitan area from 13 August to 3 September 2010. Two kinds of urban effect were detected. First, weak rainfall (${\leq}1\;mm\;hr^{-1}$) was observed more frequently in the downwind area of Seoul than any other area of the country. The high frequency of weak rainfall in the downwind area was also confirmed from the recent five years of observational data (2006-2010). Because the high frequency was more apparent in mountainous regions during nighttime, the weak rainfall seems to be caused by a combined effect of urbanization and topography. Second, sporadically, a convective system was developed rapidly in the downwind area of Seoul, causing heavy rainfall (${\geq}10\;mm\;hr^{-1}$). It can be most clearly seen in series of radar images around 1300-1500 KST 27 August 2010. We investigated in detail the synoptic and local weather and upper air conditions. As a result, not only urban-induced high sensible heat but also conditionally unstable atmosphere (especially unstable in low level) and low level moisture were pointed out as important factors that contributed to urban-induced heavy rainfall.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.117-124
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• 2013

Objective: This paper presents additional considerations related to organization and safety culture extracted from recent human error incidents in Korea, such as station blackout(i.e., SBO) in Kori#1. Background: Safety culture has been already highlighted as a major cause of human errors after 1986 Chernobyl accident. After Fukushima accident in Japan, the public acceptance for nuclear energy has taken its toll. Organizational characteristics and culture became elucidated as a major contributor again. Therefore many nuclear countries are re-evaluating their safety culture, and discussing any preparedness and its improvement. On top of that, there was an SBO in 2012 in the Kori#1. Korean public feels frustrated due to the similar human errors causing to a catastrophe like Fukushima accident. Method: This paper reassesses Japan's incidents, and revisits Korea's recent incidents. It focuses on the analysis of the hazards rather than the causes of human errors, the derivation of countermeasures, and their implementation. The preceding incidents and conclusions from Japanese experience are also re-analyzed. The Fukushima accident was an SBO due to the natural disaster such as earthquakes and a successive tsunami. Unlike the Fukushima accident, the Kori#1 incident itself was simple and restored without any loss and radioactive release. However, the fact that the incident was deliberately concealed led to massive distrust. Moreover, the continued violation of rules and organized concealment of the accident are serious signs of a new distorted type of human errors, blatantly revealing the cultural and fundamental weakness of the current organization. Result: We should learn from Japanese experiences who had taken pride in its safety technology and fairly high confidence in safety culture. Japan's first criticality accident in JCO facility splashed cold water on that confidence. It has turned out to be a typical case revealing the problems in the organization and safety culture. Since Japan has failed to gain lessons and countermeasure, the issue persists to the Fukushima incident. Conclusion: Safety culture is not a specific independent element, which makes it difficult to either evaluate it properly or establish countermeasures from the lessons. It may continue to expose similar human errors such as concealment of incident and manipulation of bad data. Application: Not only will this work establish the course of research for organization and safety culture, but this work will also contribute to the revitalization of Korea's nuclear industry from the disappointment after the export contract to UAE.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.296-306
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• 2016

There is a growing interest in establishing a regional climate change adaptation policy as the climate change impact in the region and local scale increases. This study focused on the analysis of 32 regions on its characteristics of local climate change adaptation plans. First, statistic program R was used for conducting cluster analysis based on the frequency and budgets of adaptation plan. Further, we analyzed damage frequency from newspapers regarding climate change impacts in eight categories which were caused by extreme weather events on 2,565 cases for 24 years. Lastly, the characteristics of climate change adaptation plan was compared with damage frequency patterns for evaluating the adequacy of climate change adaptation plan on each cluster. Four different clusters were created by cluster analysis. Most clusters clearly have their own characteristics on certain sectors. There was a high frequency of damage in 'disaster' and 'health' sectors. Climate change adaptation plan and budget also invested a lot on those sectors. However, when comparing the relative rate among regional governments, there was a difference between types of damage and climate change adaptation plan. We assumed that the difference could come from that each region established their adaptation plans based on not only the frequency of damage, but vulnerability assessment, and expert opinions as well. The result of study could contribute to policy making of climate change adaptation plan.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.67-73
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• 2017

An aircraft maintenance hangar is a building that stores, maintains, and inspects expensive aircraft. The frequency of fire occurrence is low, but the resulting human and material damage can be very serious. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a qualitative analysis of the fire safety of the currently operating fire suppression systems for aircraft maintenance hangars using the Fault Tree method, and then performed a quantitative analysis using the failure rate data for the derived basic events and analyzed the importance of the minimal cut sets. As a result of the qualitative analysis by the minimal cut set, it was found that there were 14 accident paths that could be expanded to a large fire, due to the fire control failure of the aircraft hangar fire suppression system. The quantitative analysis revealed that, the probability of the fire expanding into a large one is $2.08{\times}E-05/day$. The analysis of the importance of the minimal cut set shows that four minimal cut sets, namely the fire detector and foam head action according to the zone and blocking of the foam by the aircraft wing and the fire plume, had the same likelihood of causing the fire to develop into a large one, viz. 24.95% each, which together forms the majority of the likelihood. It was confirmed for the first time by fault tree method that the fire suppression system of aircraft maintenance hangars is not suitable for fires under the aircraft wings and needs to be improved.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.995-1009
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• 2010

Accelerated soil erosion due to extreme climate change, such as increased rainfall intensity, and human-induced environmental changes, is a widely recognized problem. Existing soil erosion models are generally based on the gross erosion concept to compute annual upland soil loss in tons per acre per year. However, such models are not suitable for event-based simulations of erosion and deposition in time and space. Recent advances in computer geographic information system (GIS) technologies have allowed hydrologists to develop physically based models, and the trend in erosion prediction is towards process-based models, instead of conceptually lumped models. This study aims to propose an effective and robust distributed rainfall-sediment yield-runoff model consisting of basic element modules: a rainfall-runoff module based on the kinematic wave method for subsurface and surface flow, and a runoff-sediment yield-runoff model based on the unit stream power method. The model was tested on the Cheoncheon catchment, upstream of the Yongdam dam using hydrological data for three extreme flood events due to typhoons. The model provided acceptable simulation results with respect to both discharge and sediment discharge even though the simulated sedigraphs were underestimated, compared to observations. The spatial distribution of erosion and deposition demonstrated that eroded sediment loads were deposited in the cells along the channel network, which have a short overland flow length and a gentle local slope while the erosion rate increased as rainfall became larger. Additionally, spatially heterogeneous rainfall intensity, dependant on Thiessen polygons, led to spatially-distinct erosion and deposition patterns.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.463-477
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• 2015

The recent unusual climate and extreme weather events have frequently given unexpected disaster and damages, facing difficulties in the management of water resources. In particular, climate change could result in intensified typhoons, and this would be the worst case scenario that can happen. The primary objective of this study is to identify the patterns of typhoon-induced precipitation and the associated synoptic pattern. This study focused on analyzing precipitation patterns over the South Korea using historic records as opposed to a specified season or duration, and further investigates the potential connection with heavy rainfall to synoptic patterns. In this study, we used the best track data provided by the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center of Japan for 40 years from 1973 to 2012. The patterns of the typhoon-induced precipitation were categorized into four groups according to a given typhoon track information, and then the associated synoptic climatology patterns were further investigated. The results demonstrate that the typhoon-induced precipitation patterns could be grouped and potentially simulated according to the identified synoptic patterns. Our future work will focus on developing a short-term forecasting model of typhoon-induced precipitation considering the identified climate patterns as inputs.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.1025-1037
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• 2020

This study attempted to evaluate the spatial characteristics and applicability of the predicted ensemble rainfall data used for heavy rain alarms. Limited area ENsemble prediction System (LENS) has 13 rainfall ensemble members, so it is possible to use a probabilistic method in issuing heavy rain warnings. However, the accessibility of LENS data is very low, so studies on the applicability of rainfall prediction data are insufficient. In this study, the evaluation index was calculated by comparing one point value and the area average value with the observed value according to the heavy rain warning system used for each administrative district. In addition, the accuracy of each ensemble member according to the LENS issuance time was evaluated. LENS showed the uncertainty of over or under prediction by member. Area-based prediction showed higher predictability than point-based prediction. In addition, the LENS data that predicts the upcoming 72-hour rainfall showed good predictive performance for rainfall events that may have an impact on a water disaster. In the future, the predicted rainfall data from LENS are expected to be used as basic data to prepare for floods in administrative districts or watersheds.