• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.19-31
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• 2002

Precipitation variability around King Sejong Station related with E1 $Ni\~{n}o$/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is evaluated using the gauge-based monthly data of its neighboring stations. Though three Ant-arctic Stations of King Sejong (Korea), Frei (Chile), and Artigas (Uruguay) are all closely located within 10 km, their precipitation data show mostly insignificant positive or rather negative correlations among them in the annual, seasonal and monthly precipitation. This result indicates that there are locally large variations in the distribution of precipitation around King Sejong Station. The monthly data of Frei Station for 31 years (1970-2000) are analyzed for examining the ENSO signal in precipitation because of its longer precipitation record compared to other two stations. From the analysis of seasonal precipitation, it is seen that there is a tendency of less precipitation than the average during E1 $Ni\~{n}o$ events. This dryness is more distinct in fall to spring seasons, in which the precipitation decreases down to about 30% of seasonal mean precipitation. However, the precipitation signal related with La $Ni\~{n}a$ events is not significant. From the analysis of monthly precipitation, it is found that there is a strong negative correlation during 1980s and in the late 1990s, and a weak positive correlation in the early 1990s between normalized monthly precipitation at Frei Station and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies in the $Ni\~{n}o$ 3.4 region. However, this relation may be not applied over the region around King Sejong Station, but at only one station, Frei.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.361-376
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• 2001

The characteristics of SST variability in the East Sea are analyzed using NOAA/AVHRR weekly SST data with about $0.18^{\circ}{\times}0.18^{\circ}$ resolution ($1981{\sim}2000$) and reconstructed historical monthly SST data with $2^{\circ}{\times}2^{\circ}$ resolution $(1950{\sim}1998)$. The distinct feature of wintertime SST is high variability in the western and eastern parts of $38^{\circ}{\sim}40^{\circ}$ latitudinal band, which are the northern boundary of warm current in the East Sea during winter. However, summertime SST exhibits variability with similar magnitude in the entire region of the East Sea. The analysis of remote correlation also shows that SST in the East Sea is closely correlated with that in the region of Kuroshio in winter, but in summer is related with that in the western and eastern regions of the same latitudes. From these results it is postulated that the SST variability in the East Sea may be related with the variations of East Korean Warm Current and Tsushima Warm Current in winter, but in summer probably with the variations of atmospheric components. In the analysis of ENSO related SST anomaly, a significant negative correlation between SST anomalies in the East Sea and SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific is found in the months of August-October (ASO). The SST in the ASO period shows more significant cooling in E1 $Ni\~{n}o$ events than warming in La $Ni\~{n}a$ events. Also, the regional analysis shows by the Student's t-test that the negative SST anomalies in the E1 $Ni\~{n}o$ events are more significant in the southwestern part of the East Sea.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.143-154
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• 2012

As demand of water resources and attentions to changes in climate (e.g., due to ENSO) increase, long/short term prediction of precipitation is getting necessary in water planning. This research evaluated the ability of MM5 to predict precipitation in the Tampa Bay region over 23 year period from 1986 to 2008. Additionally MM5 results were statistically bias-corrected using observation data at 33 stations over the study area using CDF-mapping approach and evaluated comparing to raw results for each ENSO phase (i.e., El Ni$\tilde{n}$o and La Ni$\tilde{n}$a). The bias-corrected model results accurately reproduced the monthly mean point precipitation values. Areal average daily/monthly precipitation predictions estimated using block-kriging algorithm showed fairly high accuracy with mean error of daily precipitation, 0.8 mm and mean error of monthly precipitation, 7.1 mm. The results evaluated according to ENSO phase showed that the accuracy in model output varies with the seasons and ENSO phases. Reasons for low predictions skills and alternatives for simulation improvement are discussed. A comprehensive evaluation including sensitivity to physics schemes, boundary conditions reanalysis products and updating land use maps is suggested to enhance model performance. We believe that the outcome of this research guides to a better implementation of regional climate modeling tools in water management at regional/seasonal scale.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.121-133
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• 2019

Natural variability associated with a variety of large-scale climate modes causes regional differences in sea level rise (SLR), which is particularly remarkable in the Pacific Ocean. Because the superposition of the natural variability and the background anthropogenic trend in sea level can potentially threaten to inundate low-lying and heavily populated coastal regions, it is important to quantify sea level variability associated with internal climate variability and understand their interaction when projecting future SLR impacts. This study seeks to identify the dominant modes of sea level variability in the tropical Pacific and quantify how these modes contribute to regional sea level changes, particularly on the two strong El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ events that occurred in the winter of 1997/1998 and 2015/2016. To do so, an adaptive data analysis approach, Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD), was undertaken with regard to two datasets of altimetry-based and in situ-based steric sea levels. Using this EEMD analysis, we identified distinct internal modes associated with El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) varying from 1.5 to 7 years and low-frequency variability with a period of ~12 years that were clearly distinct from the secular trend. The ENSO-scale frequencies strongly impact on an east-west dipole of sea levels across the tropical Pacific, while the low-frequency (i.e., decadal) mode is predominant in the North Pacific with a horseshoe shape connecting tropical and extratropical sea levels. Of particular interest is that the low-frequency mode resulted in different responses in regional SLR to ENSO events. The low-frequency mode contributed to a sharp increase (decrease) of sea level in the eastern (western) tropical Pacific in the 2015/2016 El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ but made a negative contribution to the sea level signals in the 1997/1998 El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$. This indicates that the SLR signals of the ENSO can be amplified or depressed at times of transition in the low-frequency mode in the tropical Pacific.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.33 no.6_1
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• pp.917-930
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• 2017

To understand the temporal and spatial variations of surface chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) distribution in the Indian Ocean ($30^{\circ}E{\sim}120^{\circ}E$, $30^{\circ}S{\sim}30^{\circ}N$) by the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), we conducted EOF and K means analyses of monthly satellite-derived Chl-a data in the region during 1998~2016 periods. Chl-a showed low values in the central region of the Indian Ocean and relatively high values in the upwelling region and around the marginal regions of the Indian Ocean. It also had a strong seasonal variation of Chl-a, showing the lowest value in the spring and the highest value in summer due to the change of the monsoon and current system. The EOF analysis showed that Chl-a variation in EOF mode 1 is related to ENSO (El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$/Southern Oscillation) and that of mode 2 is linked to IOD. Both modes explained spatially opposite trends of Chl-a in the east and west Indian Ocean. From K means analysis, the Chl-a variation in the east and west Indian Ocean, and around India have relatively good relationship with IOD while that in the tropical and middle Indian Ocean closely associated with ENSO. The spatial and temporal distribution of Chl-a also showed distinct spatial and temporal variations depend on the different types of IOD events. IOD classifies two patterns, which occurred during the developing ENSO (First Type IOD) and the year following ENSO event (Second Type IOD). Chl-a variation in the First Type IOD started in summer and peaked in fall around the east and west Indian Ocean. Chl-a variation in the Second Type IOD occurred started in spring, peaked in summer and fall, and disappeared in winter. In the Chl-a variation related to IOD, developing process appearing in the Chl-a difference between the east and west Indian ocean was similar. Chl-a variation in the northern Indian Ocean were opposite trend with changing developing phase of IOD.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.267-278
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• 2002

This study investigated the spatial characteristics of warming trends and the dipole-like pattern of temperature field in the Antarctic Peninsula using surface air temperature (SAT) of 10 stations in the vicinity of the Antarctic Peninsula. SAT data for the 1962-2001 period at 6 stations (Rothera, Faraday/Vernadsky, Bellingshausen, Orcadas, Esperanza, Halley) revealed in general the larger warming trends in autumn and winter except for Halley. The largest warming was shown for August in the west side of the Peninsula (more than $0.9^{\circ}C/decade$). On the other hand, the recent 14-year SAT data showed the strong warming trends at 9 stations except for Halley in the earlier period (April-June) than August for the 1962-2001 period. The largest warming appeared in May at Esperanza and Butler Island. SAT of the two sides showed significant positive correlations over most of the period except for the mid- and the late 1970s, in which significant negative correlations were found. In the correlation analysis between SAT and sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the NINO 3.4 region, strong negative correlation was found in the west side of the Peninsula. Details of the correlation analysis exhibited that the negative correlation was significantly strong from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s. However, it was difficult to find significant correlations of ENSO with SAT in the east side of the Peninsula. So, in this study it failed to find out clearly the out-of-phase relationship of SAT across the Antarctic Peninsula.

• Atmosphere
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.183-197
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to summarize tropical cyclone activity in 2007. 24 tropical cyclones of tropical storm (TS) intensity or higher formed in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea in 2007. The total number is less than the thirty-year (1971~2000) average frequency of 26.7. Out of twenty four tropical cyclones, 14 TCs reached typhoon (TY) intensity, while the rest 10 only reached severe tropical storm (STS) and tropical storm (TS) intensity - four STS and six TS storms. The tropical cyclone season in 2007 began in April with the formation of KONG-REY (0701). From April to May, two TCs formed in the western North Pacific in response to enhanced convective activity there. From June to July, convective activity turned inactive over the sea around the Philippines and in the South China Sea, and the subtropical high was weak over the south of Japan. MAN-YI (0704) and USAGI (0705) moved northwestward and hit Japan, bringing serious damage to the country. After August, convective activity became enhanced over the sea east of the Philippines, and the subtropical high turned strong over the sea south of Japan. Many TCs, which formed over the sea east of the Philippines and in the South China Sea, moved westward and hit China and Vietnam. PABUK (0706), WUTIP (0707), SEPAT (0708), WIPHA (0712), LEKIMA (0714) and KROSA (0715) brought serious damage to some countries including China, the Philippines and Vietnam. On the other hand, FITOW (0709) and NARI (0711) moved northward, bringing serious damage to Japan and Korea. After HAIYAN (0716), all four TCs except FAXAI (0720) formed over the sea east of $140^{\circ}E$. Three typhoons among them affected Republic of Korea, MAN-YI (0704), USAGI (0705) and NARI (0711). Particularly, NARI (0711) moved northward and made landfall at Goheng Peninsula ($34.5^{\circ}N$, $127.4^{\circ}E$) in 1815 KST 16 September. Due to $11^{th}$ typhoon NARI, strong wind and record-breaking rainfall amount was observed in Jeju Island. It was reported that the daily precipitation was 420.0 mm at Jeju city, Jeju Island on 16 September the highest daily rainfall since Jeju began keeping records in 1927. This typhoon hit the southern part of the Korean peninsula and Jeju Island. 18 people lost their lives, 14,170 people were evacuated and US$ 1.6 billion property damage was occurred.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2018

Previous studies have indicated a great regional difference in Sea Level Rise (SLR) in the Pacific and it has been suggested that this is linked to climate variability over the past two decades. In this study, we seek to identify the possible linkage between regional sea level and Pacific climate variability from altimetry-based sea level data (1993-2012) and further investigate how the Pacific sea level has changed spatially and temporally over the past 60 years from long-term sea level reconstruction data (1953-2008). Based on the same method as Zhang and Church (2012), the Inter-annual Climate Index (ICI) associated with the El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o-Southern$ Oscillation (ENSO) and the Decadal Climate Index (DCI) associated with Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) are defined and then the multiple variable linear regression is used to analyze quantitatively the impact of inter-annual and decadal climate variability on the regional sea levels in the Pacific. During the altimeter period, the ICI that represents ENSO influence on inter-annual time scales strongly impacts in a striking east-west "see-saw mode" on sea levels across the tropical Pacific. On the other hand, the decadal sea level pattern that is linked to the DCI has a broad meridional structure that is roughly symmetric in the equator with its North Pacific expression being similar to the PDO, which largely contributes to a positive SLR trend in the western Pacific and a negative trend in the eastern Pacific over the two most recent decades. Using long-term sea level reconstruction data, we found that the Pacific sea levels have fluctuated in the past over inter-annual and decadal time scales and that strong regional differences are presented. Of particular interest is that the SLR reveals a decadal shift and presents an opposite trend before and after the mid-1980s; i.e., a declining (rising) trend in the western (eastern) Pacific before the mid-1980s, followed by a rising (declining) trend from the mid-1980s onward in the western (eastern) Pacific. This result indicates that the recent SLR patterns revealed from the altimeters have been persistent at least since the mid-1980s.