• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.229-235
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• 2000

Characteristics of hail occurred during 1989-1998 is studied. Hail is observed mainly at west coast, southwest inland, and Taegwallyong. Average diameter of hailstone is 0.6 cm, and 70% of the occurrence frequency of hail is observed at west coast. During winter and spring, the wet -bulb zero height (WBZ) is low enough to prevent the melting process of hail. But the lack of available low-level moisture (mean mixing ratio in lowest 100 hPa) makes the size of hail small. As a result, smaller size hail is observed frequently over west coast. On the contrary, WBZ is higher during summer, it means that hail is melted before it reaches ground, but the size of hail is bigger. Thus the larger hail is observed mainly Taegwallyong during summer. Hail is observed from 1100 LST to 1500 LST over west coast and around 1800 LST over Taegwallyong. It suggest that thermally driven mesoscale circulations such as land-sea breeze and mountain ridge-valley circulation aid in the formation of hail. Upper and surface air temperature is related to formation of hailstorm. Before formation of hailstorm in November 1998, the upper air temperature decreases. And hails is observed in the spot of strong temperature and dew point temperature gradient coincidently.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.246-260
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• 2014

A 90-m horizontal-resolution numerical model was configured to study the micrometeorological features of local winds in the valley of Gwangneung KoFlux (Korea Flux network) Sites (GDK: Gwangneung Deciduous forest site in Korea, GCK: Gwangneung Coniferous forest site in Korea) during summer days. The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data were employed for high-resolution model terrain height. Model performance was evaluated by comparing observed and simulated near-surface temperature and winds. Detailed qualitative analysis of the model-simulated wind field was carried out for two selected cases which are a clear day (Case I) and a cloudy day (Case II). Observed winds exhibited that GDK and GCK, as well as Case I and Case II, had differences in timing, duration and strength of daytime and nighttime wind direction and speeds. The model simulation results strongly supported the existence of the drainage flow in the valley of the KoFlux tower sites. Overall, the simulated model fields realistically presented the diurnal cycle of local winds in and around the valley, including the morning drainage-upslope transition and the evening reversal of upslope wind. Also, they indicated the complexity of local winds interactions by presenting that daytime westerly winds in the valley were not always pure mountain winds and were often coupled with larger-scale wind systems, such as synoptic-scale winds or mesoscale sea breezes blowing from the west coast of the peninsula.