• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.281-288
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• 2018

The transmission of solar light according to the distribution of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) was measured in the Pacific Arctic Ocean. The Research Vessel Araon visited the ice-covered East Siberian and Chukchi Seas in August 2016. In the Arctic, solar [ultraviolet-A (UV-A), ultraviolet-B (UV-B), and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)] radiation reaching the surface of the ocean is primarily protected by the distribution of sea ice. The transmission of solar light in the ocean is controlled by sea ice and dissolved organic matter, such as CDOM. The concentration of CDOM is the major factor controlling the penetration depth of UV radiation into the ocean. The relative CDOM concentration of surface sea water was higher in the East Siberian Sea than in the Chukchi Sea. Due to the distribution of CDOM, the penetration depth of solar light in the East Siberian Sea (UV-B, $9{\pm}2m$; UV-A, $13{\pm}2m$; PAR, $36{\pm}4m$) was lower than in the Chukchi Sea (UV-B, $15{\pm}3m$; UV-A, $22{\pm}3m$; PAR, $49{\pm}3m$). Accelerated global warming and the rapid decrease of sea ice in the Arctic have resulted in marine organisms being exposed to increased harmful UV radiation. With changes in sea ice covered areas and concentrations of dissolved organic matter in the Arctic Ocean, marine ecosystems that consist of a variety of species from primary producers to high-trophic-level organisms will be directly or indirectly affected by solar UV radiation.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.282-291
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• 2022

Background: The Arctic permafrost stores enormous amount of carbon (C), about one third of global C stocks. However, drastically increasing temperature in the Arctic makes the stable frozen C stock vulnerable to microbial decomposition. The released carbon dioxide from permafrost can cause accelerating C feedback to the atmosphere. Soil organic matter (SOM) composition would be the basic information to project the trajectory of C under rapidly changing climate. However, not many studies on SOM characterization have been done compared to quantification of SOM stocks. Thus, the purpose of our study is to determine soil properties and molecular compositions of SOM in four different Arctic regions. We collected soils in different soil layers from 1) Cambridge Bay, Canada, 2) Council, Alaska, USA, 3) Svalbard, Norway, and 4) Zackenberg, Greenland. The basic soil properties were measured, and the molecular composition of SOM was analyzed through pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS). Results: The Oi layer of soil in Council, Alaska showed the lowest soil pH and the highest electrical conductivity (EC) and SOM content. All soils in each site showed increasing pH and decreasing SOC and EC values with soil depth. Since the Council site was moist acidic tundra compared to other three dry tundra sites, soil properties were distinct from the others: high SOM and EC, and low pH. Through the py-GC/MS analysis, a total of 117 pyrolysis products were detected from 32 soil samples of four different Arctic soils. The first two-axis of the PCA explained 38% of sample variation. While short- and mid-hydrocarbons were associated with mineral layers, lignins and polysaccharides were linked to organic layers of Alaska and Cambridge Bay soil. Conclusions: We conclude that the py-GC/MS results separated soil samples mainly based on the origin of SOM (plants- or microbially-derived). This molecular characteristics of SOM can play a role of controlling SOM degradation to warming. Thus, it should be further investigated how the SOM molecular characteristics have impacts on SOM dynamics through additional laboratory incubation studies and microbial decomposition measurements in the field.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.6_2
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• pp.1193-1202
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• 2018

It is important to quantitatively analyze the energy budget for understanding of long-term climate change in Arctic. High-quality and long-term radiative parameters are needed to understand the energy budget. Since most of radiative flux components based on satellite are provide for a short period, several data must be used together. It is important to acquaint differences between data to link for conjunction with several data. In this study, we investigated the comparative analysis of Arctic radiative flux product such as CERES and GEWEX to provide basic information for data linkage and analysis of changes in Arctic climate. As a result, GEWEX was underestimated the radiative variables, and it difference between the two data was about $3{\sim}25W/m^2$. In addition, the difference in high-latitude and sea ice regions have increased. In case of comparing with monthly means, the other variables except for longwave downward flux represent high difference of $9.26{\sim}26.71W/m^2$ in spring-summer season. The results of this study can be used standard data for blending and selecting GEWEX and CERES radiative flux data due to recognition of characteristics according to ice-ocean area, season, and regions.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.6_2
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• pp.1203-1213
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• 2018

In Arctic and Antarctic ocean, remote sensing is the most effective observation for environmental changes due to the inaccessibility of the regions. Even though satellite, UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehical) are well known remote sensing platforms, and research vessel also used for automatic measurement on the regions, varied environment of Polar regions require time series and wide coverage of data. Especially, in high latitude, apply an optical satellite remote sensing is not easy due to low sun altitude. In this paper, we introduce an operation of hyper-spectrometer (HyperSAS/Satlantic inc.) which is mounted on Ice Breaker Research Vessel ARAON of Korea Polar Research Institute since 2010, to acquire an above water reflectance atomatically through every research cruise on Arctic and Antarctic ocean and transit both regions. In addition to, auxiliary data for the remotely acquired data, in situ water sampling were also obtained. The above water reflectance and in situ water sampling data are continuously acquired since 2010 will contribute to improve an Ocean Color algorithm in the high latitude and help to understand ocean reflectances over from high latitude through low latitude. Preliminary result from above water reflectance showed characteristics of Arctic ocean and Antarctic Ocean and used to develop algorithms for estimating various ocean factors such as chlorophyll and suspended sediment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.333-338
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• 2012

Lichens are a symbiosis between fungi, algae and cyanobacteria. Our group recently studied the antioxidant properties of some bacterial species isolated from Arctic lichens and we confirmed that they possess high antioxidant activities. In this paper, we investigated the antioxidant capacity of 5 microorganisms newly isolated from 4 Arctic lichen species, Cladonia sp., Sterocaulon sp., Umbilicaria sp. and Cetraria sp., using various solvent extractions. We carried out 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) free radical scavenging activity test and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Also total phenolic and flavonoid content assays were performed. Among the bacterial culture extracts of the tested lichen-microorganisms, ethyl acetate extracts of Burkholderia sordidicola S5-B(T) had not only a high antioxidant activity (72.9%) when compared with the ascorbic acid used as the control (51.3%) in the DPPH assay, but also a high amount of phenolic content as well as flavonoid content. As a result, these lichen-microorganisms may be potentially useful sources of natural antioxidants.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

Background: Abandoned coal piles after the closure of mines have a potential negative influence on the environment, such as soil acidification and heavy metal contamination. Therefore, revegetation by efficient species is required. For this, we wanted to identify the role of Silene acaulis in the succession of coal piles as a pioneer and a nurse plant. S. acaulis is a well-studied cushion plant living in the Arctic and alpine environments in the northern hemisphere. It has a highly compact cushion-like form and hosts more plant species under its canopy by ameliorating stressful microhabitats. In this research, we surveyed vegetation cover on open plots and co-occurring species within S. acaulis cushions in coal piles with different slope aspects and a control site where no coal was found. The plant cover and the similarity of communities among sites were compared. Also, the interaction effects of S. acaulis were assessed by rarefaction curves. Results: S. acaulis was a dominant species with the highest cover (6.7%) on the coal piles and occurred with other well-known pioneer species. Plant communities on the coal piles were significantly different from the control site. We found that the pioneer species S. acaulis showed facilitation, neutral, and competition effect in the north-east facing slope, the south-east facing slope, and the flat ground, respectively. This result was consistent with the stress gradient hypothesis because the facilitation only occurred on the north-east facing slope, which was the most stressed condition, although all the interactions observed were not statistically significant. Conclusions: S. acaulis was a dominant pioneer plant in the succession of coal piles. The interaction effect of S. acaulis on other species depended on the slope and its direction on the coal piles. Overall, it plays an important role in the succession of coal piles in the High Arctic, Svalbard.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.819-826
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• 2004

In order to elucidate the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentration and its origin in arctic area, four arctic brown algae (Laminaria saccharina, L. digita, Alaria esculenta, Desmarestia aculeata), one marine invertebrate (Echinoidea) and sediments were collected from Kongsfjorden in Spitsbergen from the late July to early August, 2003. In case of macroalgae, the young blade part above growth point and the old stipes and blades beneath growth point were separated and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in an attempt to check the mechanism of uptake in macroalgae to accumulate PAH. There was no difference in PAH concentrations between sampling sites (Stations B and C), species, and blades beneath and above growth point. PAH concentrations in all samples collected in this study were relatively higher than those reported in other areas of arctic. Especially, station C, which is known as an unpolluted area, showed 10 times higher PAH concentration (8,765 ng/g) in sediment than station A (694 ng/g) around harbor. In addition high PAH concentration, station C had very higher proportion of methylated PAH to parent PAH in sediment than station A. Source analysis using PAH isomer pair ratios as indicators showed that Kongsfjorden area seemed to be relatively contaminated with PAH derived from direct petroleum input.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.73-84
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• 2021

Recently, interest in environmental issues is increasing worldwide due to abnormal climate phenomena caused by global warming. Global efforts are continuing to actively respond to climate change, but the dependence on fossil fuels is still high. In particular, a huge amount of fossil fuels and mineral resources are buried in the Arctic Circle, so development and construction projects are being actively pursued. Participation and cooperation in the development of Arctic resources (oil and gas resources) is one of the alternatives to domestic energy supply. Resource development in the Arctic Circle requires close review(Poor development environment and technical limitations due to extreme climate, environmental problems due to resource development, social impact, etc.) in advance compared to general resource development. In this pater, the laws and guidelines related to climate change to be considered were reviewed. when developing Arctic resources. In addition, the countermeasures against climate change applied in large-scale resource development projects in the Arctic were reviewed. It is expected that the results of the research and analysis of this study will be used to establish strategies to respond to new risk factors that influence the successful promotion and operation of the Arctic region resource development project.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.121-135
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• 2024

This study examined the influence of near-surface atmospheric warming in the Arctic-East Asia region during spring (March-May) from 1991 to 2020 on the synoptic-scale meteorology of dust storm-induced dust days in Seoul, Korea, in response to the Arctic Oscillation. Increased springtime warming in the Arctic-East Asia region correlated with a reduction of six days in the occurrence of dust storm-induced dust days in Seoul, Korea, along with a decline in the intensity of these days by -1.6 ㎍ m^-3yr^-1 in PM₁₀ mass concentration. The declining number of dust storm-induced dust days in Korea during the 2010s was the result of synoptic-scale meteorological analysis, which showed increased high-pressure activity as indicated by the negative potential vorticity unit. Moreover, a distinct pattern emerged in the distribution of dust storm-induced dust days in Korea based on the Arctic Oscillation Index (AOI), showing an increase in negative AOI and a decrease in positive AOI. Although the northward shift of the polar jet weakened the southerly low-pressure system activity over Mongolia and northern China, a reinforced high-pressure system formed over the Chinese continent during dust-storm-induced dust days with a negative AOI. This resulted in both a decrease in the frequency of dust-storm-induced dust days and reduction in wind speeds, facilitating their transport from source regions to Korea. Conversely, on days with positive AOIs, an extensive warm and stagnant high-pressure system dominated mainland China, accompanied by further cooling of the northern segment of the polar jet. A notable decline in wind speed in the lower troposphere across the Mongolia-northern China-Korea region diminished the occurrence of dust storm-induced dust days and also weakened their long-range transport.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.95-104
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• 2015

To discuss whether we have credible estimations about historical surface temperature evolution since industrial revolution or not, present study investigates consistencies and differences of averaged surface air temperature since 1900 between the multiple data sources: Hadley Center Climate Research Unit (HadCRU4) surface air temperature data, ECMWF 20 Century Reanalysis data (ERA20CR), and NCEP 20 Century Reanalysis data (NCEP20CR). Averaged surface temperatures are obtained for the global, polar (90S~60S, 60N~0N), midlatitude (60S~30S, 30N~60N), tropical (30S~30N) region, separately. From the analysis, we show that: 1) spatio-temporal inhomogenity and scarcity of HadCRU4 data are not major obstacles in the reliable estimation of global surface air temperature. 2) Globally averaged temperature variability is largely contributed by those of tropical and midlatitude, which occupy more than 70% of earth surface in area. 3) Both data show consistent temperature variability in tropical region. 4) ERA20CR does not capture warm period over Arctic region in early 1900s, which is obvious feature in HadCRU4 data. Discrepancies among datasets suggest that high-level caution is needed especially in the interpretation of large Arctic warming in the early 1900s, which is often regarded as a natural variability in the Arctic region.