• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.143-156
• /
• 2020

Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) installed an ionospheric sounding radar system called Vertical Incidence Pulsed Ionospheric Radar (VIPIR) at Jang Bogo Station (JBS) in 2015 in order to routinely monitor the state of the ionosphere in the auroral oval and polar cap regions. Since 2017, after two-year test operation, it has been continuously operated to produce various ionospheric parameters. In this article, we will introduce the characteristics of the JBS-VIPIR observations and possible applications of the data for the study on the polar ionosphere. The JBS-VIPIR utilizes a log periodic transmit antenna that transmits 0.5-25 MHz radio waves, and a receiving array of 8 dipole antennas. It is operated in the Dynasonde B-mode pulse scheme and utilizes the 3-D inversion program, called NeXtYZ, for the data acquisition and processing, instead of the conventional 1-D inversion procedure as used in the most of digisonde observations. The JBS-VIPIR outputs include the height profiles of the electron density, ionospheric tilts, and ion drifts with a 2-minute temporal resolution in the bottomside ionosphere. With these observations, possible research applications will be briefly described in combination with other observations for the aurora, the neutral atmosphere and the magnetosphere simultaneously conducted at JBS.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.407-418
• /
• 2008

Seawater samples were collected at discrete depths from five stations across the polar front in the Drake Passage (Antarctic Ocean) by the $20^{th}$ Korea Antarctic Research Program in December, 2006. Nitrate concentrations of seawater increase with depth within the photic zone above the depth of Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW). In contrast, ${\delta}^{15}N$ values of seawater nitrate decrease with depth, showing a mirror image to the nitrate variation. Such a distinct vertical variation is mainly attributed to the degree of nitrate assimilation by phytoplankton as well as organic matter degradation of sinking particles within the surface layer. The preferential $^{14}{NO_3}^-$ assimilation by the phytoplankton causes $^{15}{NO_3}^-$ concentration to become high in a closedsystem surface-water environment during the primary production, whereas more $^{14}{NO_3}^-$ is added to the seawater during the degradation of sinking organic particles. The water-mass mixing seems to play an important role in the alteration of ${\delta}^{15}N$ values in the deep layer below the UCDW. Across the polar front, nitrate concentrations of surface seawater decrease and corresponding ${\delta}^{15}N$ values increase northward, which is likely due to the degree of nitrate utilization during the primary production. Based on the Rayleigh model, the calculated ${\varepsilon}$ (isotope effect of nitrate uptake) values between 4.0%o and 5.8%o were validated by the previously reported data, although the preformed ${\delta}^{15}{{NO_3}^-}_{initial}$ value of UCDW is important in the calculation of ${\varepsilon}$ values.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.1094-1099
• /
• 2005

Photosynthetic dinoflagellates contain a water-soluble, light-harvesting antenna called the peridinin-chlorophyll-protein (PCP) complex, which has an apoprotein with no sequence similarity to other known proteins. There are two forms of PCP apoproteins; the 15-kDa short form and the 32- to 35­kDa long form. The present study describes the PCP protein and its cDNA from Alexandrium tamarense. A cDNA library was constructed from mRNA isolated from A. tamarense. The complete PCP cDNA was generated by reverse-transcription coupled to polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), together with rapid-amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The A. tamarense PCP cDNA encoded a 55-amino acid signal peptide and a 313-amino acid mature protein with a calculated mass of 32 kDa, which corresponded to that of the long form of PCP. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the sequence of A. tamarense PCP did not cluster with the short-form PCPs, to which it was only about $55\%$ identical, but which were $79-83\%$ identical to other long-form PCPs. The deduced amino acid sequence of A. tamarense PCP contains an internal duplication, which suggests the possibility that long-form PCPs arose by gene duplication or by the fusion of genes encoding the short form. The abundance of PCP mRNA changed substantially in response to different light conditions, indicating the possible existence of a photo-acclimation response in A. tamarense.

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

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2009.10a
• /
• pp.119-123
• /
• 2009

Gravity changes due to variations of groundwater level were measured at a ground water monitoring well, which is located at Kum-san, Korea, from November 2008 to September 2009 using Portable Earth Tide (PET) gravimeter. Groundwater level was monitored simultaneously with gravity observations. To extract gravity information from groundwater, we reduced gravity effect from atmospheric surface pressure, earth tides and its loading effect, polar motion and meter drift. In addition, in June 4, 2009, there was a pumping test at he observation well, and groundwater level and gravity variations were observed together successfully. Observation of gravity along with groundwater level is potentially useful for monitoring of aquifer water mass balance and water resources.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.237-247
• /
• 2003

The temporal dynamics of the meiofauna community in Marian Cove, King George Island were observed from January 22 to October 29 1996. Generally, 14 taxa of metazoan meiofauna were found. Nematodes were dominant comprising 90.12% of the community, harpacticoid 6.55%, and Kinorhynchs 1.54%. Meiofauna abundance increased monthly from January to May 1996, while varying in abundance after August 1996. Overall mean abundance of metazoan meiofauna was $2634ind./10cm^2$ during the study periods, which is about as high as that found in temperate regions. Nematodes were most abundant representing $2399ind./10cm^2$. Mean abundance of harpacticoids, including copepodite and nauplius was $131ind./10cm^2$ by kinorhynchs $(26ind./10cm^2)$. The overall abundance of other identified organisms was $31ind./10cm^2$ Other organisms consisted of a total of 11 taxa including Ostracoda $(6ind./10cm^2)$, Polycheata $(7ind./10cm^2)$, Oligochaeta $(8ind./10cm^2)$, and Bivalvia $(6ind./10cm^2)$. Additionally, protozoan Foraminifera occurred at the study area with a mean abundance of $263ind./10cm^2$. Foraminiferans were second in dominance to nematodes. The dominant taxa such as nematodes, harpacticoids, kinorhynchs and the other tua were trained and extensively scattered in the map through the Kohonen network. The temporal pattern of the community composition was most affected by the abundance dynamics of kinorhynchs and harpacticoids. The neural network model also allowed for simulation of data that was missing during two months of inclement weather. The lowest meiofauna abundance was found in August 1996 during winter. The seasonal changes were likely caused by temperature and salinity changes as a result of meltwater runoff, and the physical impact by passing icebergs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.9
• /
• pp.1483-1490
• /
• 2007

A Gram-negative, motile by tuft flagella, obligately aerobic chemoorganoheterotrophic, sphere-form bacterium, designated $IMCC3135^T$, was isolated from the Antarctic surface seawater of King George Island, West Antarctica. The strain was mesophilic, neutrophilic, and requiring NaCl for growth, but neither halophilic nor halotolerant. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the strain was most closely related to genera of the order Chromatiales in the class Gammaproteobacteria. The most closely related genera showed less than 90% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and included Thioalkalispira (89.9%), Thioalkalivibrio (88.0%-89.5%), Ectothiorhodospira (87.9%-89.3%), Chromatium (88.3%-88.9%), and Lamprocystis (87.7%-88.9%), which represent three different families of the order Chromatiales. Phylogenetic analyses showed that this Antarctic strain represented a distinct phylogenetic lineage in the order Chromatiales and could not be assigned to any of the defined families in the order. Phenotypic characteristics, including primarily non-phototrophic, non-alkaliphilic, non-halophilic, and obligately aerobic chemoheterotrophic properties, differentiated the strain from other related genera. The very low sequence similarities (<90%) and distant relationships between the strain and members of the order suggested that the strain merited classification as a novel genus within a novel family in the order Chromatiales. On the basis of these taxonomic traits, a novel genus and species is proposed, Granulosicoccus antarcticus gen. nov., sp. nov., in a new family Granulosicoccaceae fam. nov. Strain $IMCC3135^T\;(=KCCM42676^T=NBRC\;102684^T)$ is the type strain of Granulosicoccus antarcticus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.18 no.12
• /
• pp.1919-1926
• /
• 2008

Statistical experimental designs; involving (i) a fractional factorial design (FFD) and (ii) a central composite design (CCD) were applied to optimize the culture medium constituents for production of a unique antifreeze protein by the Antartic micro algae Chaetoceros neogracile. The results of the FFD suggested that NaCl, KCl, $MgCl_2$, and ${Na}_{2}{SiO}_{3}$ were significant variables that highly influenced the growth rate and biomass production. The optimum culture medium for the production of an antifreeze protein from C. neogracile was found to be Kalle's artificial seawater, pH of $7.0{\pm}0.5$, consisting of 28.566 g/l of NaCl, 3.887 g/l of $MgCl_2$, 1.787 g/l of $MgSO_4$, 1.308 g/l of $CaSO_4$, 0.832 g/l of ${K_2}{SO_4}$, 0.124 g/l of $CaCO_3$, 0.103 g/l of KBr, 0.0288 g/l of $SrSO_4$, and 0.0282 g/l of ${H_3}{BO_3}$. The antifreeze activity significantly increased after cells were treated with cold shock (at $-5^{\circ}C$) for 14 h. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating an antifreeze-like protein of C. neogracile.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.185-193
• /
• 2018

Jang Bogo Station (JBS), the second Korean Antarctic research station, was established in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica ($74.62^{\circ}S$ $164.22^{\circ}E$) in February 2014 in order to expand the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) research capabilities. One of the main research areas at JBS is space environmental research. The goal of the research is to better understand the general characteristics of the polar region ionosphere and thermosphere and their responses to solar wind and the magnetosphere. Ground-based observations at JBS for upper atmospheric wind and temperature measurements using the Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI) began in March 2014. Ionospheric radar (VIPIR) measurements have been collected since 2015 to monitor the state of the polar ionosphere for electron density height profiles, horizontal density gradients, and ion drifts. To investigate the magnetosphere and geomagnetic field variations, a search-coil magnetometer and vector magnetometer were installed in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Since JBS is positioned in an ideal location for auroral observations, we installed an auroral all-sky imager with a color sensor in January 2018 to study substorms as well as auroras. In addition to these observations, we are also operating a proton auroral imager, airglow imager, global positioning system total electron content (GPS TEC)/scintillation monitor, and neutron monitor in collaboration with other institutes. In this article, we briefly introduce the observational activities performed at JBS and the preliminary results of these observations.

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.221-236
• /
• 2020

The Gangneung region has the complicated geographical characteristics being adjacent to East Sea and Taeback mountains, and thus sea breeze could play an important role in local weather in various aspects. This study aims to understand overall characteristics of sea breeze largely based on long-term (2009~2018) ground-based observation data. We also propose a selection criteria of sea breeze occurrence day; 1) daily precipitation is less than 10 mm, 2) surface wind direction is 0~110° (northerly to easterly) for more than 3 hours during the daytime, 3) wind direction is 110~360° for more than 3 hours during the nighttime, and 4) land and sea temperature difference is positive during the daytime, 5) sea and land sea-level pressure difference is more than 0.5 hPa. As a result, a total of 595 days was selected for the past 10 years. The occurrence of sea breeze is the highest in late Spring to early Summer (May to June). The passage time of sea breeze at the inland station (1.6 km farther inland) is one hour later than the coastal station. On the typical sea breeze event of April 12, 2019, the passage speed and duration of sea breeze was 15 km hr^-1 and about 9 hours, respectively, with its depth of about 500 m and its head swelling. The current results emphasize the critical role of sea breeze in forecasting surface temperature and wind, and contribute to relieve heat wave especially in summer in the Yeongdong region.