• Title/Summary/Keyword: Middle troposphere

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MTSAT Satellite Image Features on the Sever Storm Events in Yeongdong Region (영동지역 악기상 사례에 대한 MTSAT 위성 영상의 특징)

  • Kim, In-Hye;Kwon, Tae-Yong;Kim, Deok-Rae
    • Atmosphere
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    • v.22 no.1
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    • pp.29-45
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    • 2012
  • An unusual autumn storm developed rapidly in the western part of the East sea on the early morning of 23 October 2006. This storm produced a record-breaking heavy rain and strong wind in the northern and middle part of the Yeong-dong region; 24-h rainfall of 304 mm over Gangneung and wind speed exceeding 63.7 m $s^{-1}$ over Sokcho. In this study, MTSAT-1R (Multi-fuctional Transport Satellite) water vapor and infrared channel imagery are examined to find out some features which are dynamically associated with the development of the storm. These features may be the precursor signals of the rapidly developing storm and can be employed for very short range forecast and nowcasting of severe storm. The satellite features are summarized: 1) MTSAT-1R Water Vapor imagery exhibited that distinct dark region develops over the Yellow sea at about 12 hours before the occurrence of maximum rainfall about 1100 KST on 23 October 2006. After then, it changes gradually into dry intrusion. This dark region in the water vapor image is closely related with the positive anomaly in 500 hPa Potential Vorticity field. 2) In the Infrared imagery, low stratus (brightness temperature: $0{\sim}5^{\circ}C$) develops from near Bo-Hai bay and Shanfung peninsula and then dissipates partially on the western coast of Korean peninsula. These features are found at 10~12 hours before the maximum rainfall occurrence, which are associated with the cold and warm advection in the lower troposphere. 3) The IR imagery reveals that two convective cloud cells (brightness temperature below $-50^{\circ}C$) merge each other and after merging it grows up rapidly over the western part of East sea at about 5 hours before the maximum rainfall occurrence. These features remind that there must be the upward flow in the upper troposphere and the low-layer convergence over the same region of East sea. The time of maximum growth of the convective cloud agrees well with the time of the maximum rainfall.

Radioactivity Originating from the Chinese Nuclear Test Explosions Observed in Seoul District in 1964-1967 (中共 核實驗에 의한 서울地區의 放射線 汚染度 評價)

  • Kang, Man-Sik
    • The Korean Journal of Zoology
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    • v.11 no.3
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    • pp.85-91
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    • 1968
  • Artificial and natural radioactivity in airborne, rain-out and fallout dusts in Seoul district in the period of 1963-1967 were studied by measuring gross-activity and by analyzing nuclides by means of $\\gamma$-spectrometry. Short-lived radium and thorium decay products give rise to most of the airborne activity unless the fission product concentration is extremely high and it is likely to be said activity remaining after a few days is attributable to fission products. Of seven Chinese nuclear explosions performed at Lop Nor, Sinkiang Province, two exhibited the activity of extremely high concentration of fission product and reached Seoul district around 30 hours after the explosion. The activity was followed by a sudden decrease in less than a week, in contrast to the long-lasted activity of low concentration originating from the huge tests performed by the United States and the USSR in 1956-1962. The radioactive environmental contamination in Seoul district, due to the Chiness nuclear test explosions, largely depends on the height above the earth at which the nuclear explosion is performed and the type of nuclear device as well as the weather system at the time and immediately after the explosion, especially the jet stream in middle latitude in the upper troposphere.

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Characteristics of Atmospheric Circulation and Heat Source related to Winter Cold Surge in Korea (한반도 겨울철 한파와 관련된 대기 순환과 열원의 특성)

  • Kim Maeng-Ki;Shin Sung-Chul;Lee Woo-Seop
    • Journal of the Korean earth science society
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    • v.26 no.6
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    • pp.560-572
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    • 2005
  • This study investigates the characteristics of atmospheric circulation and the heat source $(Q_1)$ related to the winter cold surge in Korea from 1979 to 1999. The occurrence frequency of cold surge is about one event per year and $60\%$ of the total events occurred during the former period, before 1989. During the cold surge, the pressure pattern shows more dominant east-west dipole circulation pattern in the lower troposphere and the effect of upper level trough is stronger than normal cases. Temperature falling pattern over Korea shows that the pattern opposite to the temperature structure over Lake Baikal and temperature change has opposite signs between the low-middle level and upper level, with the boundary at 400 hPa. The analysis of heat source shows that atmospheric cooling by cold advection during the cold surge is balanced by adiabatic warming due to downward motion, indicating that the movement path of cold core is associated with that of heat sink. Therefore, the movement mechanism of the heat source and sink should be well known for understanding the maintenance mechanism of cold surge and predicting cold surges.

Retrieval of Thermal Tropopause Height using Temperature Profile Derived from AMSU-A of Aqua Satellite and its Application (Aqua 위성 AMSU-A 고도별 온도자료를 이용한 열적 대류권계면 고도 산출 및 활용)

  • Cho, Young-Jun;Shin, Dong-Bin;Kwon, Tae-Yong;Ha, Jong-Chul;Cho, Chun-Ho
    • Atmosphere
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.523-532
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    • 2014
  • In this study, thermal tropopause height defined from WMO (World Meteorological Organization) using temperature profile derived from Advance Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A; hereafter named AMSU) onboard EOS (Earth Observing System) Aqua satellite is retrieved. The temperature profile of AMSU was validated by comparison with the radiosonde data observed at Osan weather station. The validation in the upper atmosphere from 500 to 100 hPa pressure level showed that correlation coefficients were in the range of 0.85~0.97 and the bias was less than 1 K with Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of ~3 K. Thermal tropopause height was retrieved by using AMSU temperature profile. The bias and RMSE were found to be -5~ -37 hPa and 45~67 hPa, respectively. Correlation coefficients were in the range of 0.5 to 0.7. We also analyzed the change of tropopause height and temperature in middle troposphere in the extreme heavy rain event (23 October, 2003) associated with tropopause folding. As a result, the distinct descent of tropopause height and temperature decrease of ~8 K at 500 hPa altitude were observed at the hour that maximum precipitation and maximum wind speed occurred. These results were consistent with ERA (ECMWF Reanalysis)-Interim data (potential vorticity, temperature) in time and space.

Analysis of Long-term Changes of Days with 25℃ or Higher Air Temperatures in Jeju (제주의 여름철 기온이 25℃ 이상인 날수의 장기변화 분석)

  • Choi, Jae-Won;Cha, Yumi;Kim, Jeoung-Yun;Park, Cheol-Hong
    • Journal of Climate Change Research
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    • v.7 no.1
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    • pp.31-39
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    • 2016
  • In this study, the time series of the number of days with $25^{\circ}C$ or higher temperatures in the Jeju region were analyzed and they showed a strong trend of increase until recently. To determine the existence of a climate regime shift in this time series, the statistical change-point analysis was applied and it was found that the number of days with $25^{\circ}C$ or higher temperatures in the Jeju region increased sharply since 1993. Therefore, in order to examine the cause of the sharp increase of the days with $25^{\circ}C$ or higher temperatures in the Jeju region, the differences between the averages of 1994~2013 and the averages of 1974~1993 were analyzed for the large-scale environment. In the Korean Peninsula including the Jeju region, precipitable water and total cloud cover decreased recently due to the intensification of strong anomalous anticyclones near the Korean Peninsula in the top, middle and bottom layers of the troposphere. As a result of this, the number of days with $25^{\circ}C$ or higher temperatures in the Jeju region could increase sharply in recent years. Furthermore, in the analysis of sensible heat net flux and daily maximum temperatures at 2 m, which is the height that can be felt by people, the Korean Peninsula was included in the positive anomaly region. In addition, the frequency of typhoons affecting the Korean Peninsula decreased recently, which reduced the opportunities for air temperature drops in the Jeju region.

Characteristics of Vertical Ozone Distributions in the Pohang Area, Korea (포항지역 오존의 수직분포 특성)

  • Kim, Ji-Young;Youn, Yong-Hoon;Song, Ki-Bum;Kim, Ki-Hyun
    • Journal of the Korean earth science society
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    • v.21 no.3
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    • pp.287-301
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    • 2000
  • In order to investigate the factors and processes affecting the vertical distributions of ozone, we analyzed the ozone profile data measured using ozonesonde from 1995 to 1997 at Pohang city, Korea. In the course of our study, we analyzed temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of ozone at four different heights: surface (100m), troposphere (10km), lower stratosphere (20km), and middle stratosphere (30km). Despite its proximity to a local, but major, industrial complex known as Pohang Iron and Steel Co. (POSCO), the concentrations of surface ozone in the study area were comparable to those typically observed from rural and/or unpolluted area. In addition, the findings of relative enhancement of ozone at this height, especially between spring and summer may be accounted for by the prevalence of photochemical reactions during that period of year. The temporal distribution patterns for both 10 and 20km heights were quite compatible despite large differences in their altitudes with such consistency as spring maxima and summer minima. Explanations for these phenomena may be sought by the mixed effects of various processes including: ozone transport across two heights, photochemical reaction, the formation of inversion layer, and so on. However, the temporal distribution pattern for the middle stratosphere (30km) was rather comparable to that of the surface. We also evaluated total ozone concentration of the study area using Brewer spectrophotometer. The total ozone concentration data were compared with those derived by combining the data representing stratospheric layers via Umkehr method. The results of correlation analysis showed that total ozone is negatively correlated with cloud cover but not with such parameter as UV-B. Based on our study, we conclude that areal characteristics of Pohang which represents a typical coastal area may be quite important in explaining the distribution patterns of ozone not only from surface but also from upper atmosphere.

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The Variations of Stratospheric Ozone over the Korean Peninsula 1985~2009 (한반도 상공의 오존층 변화 1985~2009)

  • Park, Sang Seo;Kim, Jhoon;Cho, Nayeong;Lee, Yun Gon;Cho, Hi Ku
    • Atmosphere
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.349-359
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    • 2011
  • The climatology in stratospheric ozone over the Korean Peninsula, presented in previous studies (e.g., Cho et al., 2003; Kim et al., 2005), is updated by using daily and monthly data from satellite and ground-based data through December 2009. In addition, long-term satellite data [Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), 1979~2009] have been also analyzed in order to deduce the spatial distributions and temporal variations of the global total ozone. The global average of total ozone (1979~2009) is 298 DU which shows a minimum of about 244 DU in equatorial latitudes and increases poleward in both hemispheres to a maximum of about 391 DU in Okhotsk region. The recent period, from 2006 to 2009, shows reduction in total ozone by 6% relative to the values for the pre-1980s (1979~1982). The long-term trends were estimated by using a multiple linear regression model (e.g., WMO, 1999; Cho et al., 2003) including explanatory variables for the seasonal variation, Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) and solar cycle over three different time intervals: a whole interval from 1979 to 2009, the former interval from 1979 to 1992, and the later interval from 1993 to 2009 with a turnaround point of deep minimum in 1993 is related to the effect of Mt. Pinatubo eruption. The global trend shows -0.93% $decade^{-1}$ for the whole interval, whereas the former and the later interval trends amount to -2.59% $decade^{-1}$ and +0.95% $decade^{-1}$, respectively. Therefore, the long-term total ozone variations indicate that there are positive trends showing a recovery sign of the ozone layer in both North/South hemispheres since around 1993. Annual mean total ozone (1985~2009) is distributed from 298 DU for Jeju ($33.52^{\circ}N$) to 352 DU for Unggi ($42.32^{\circ}N$) in almost zonally symmetric pattern over the Korean Peninsula, with the latitudinal gradient of 6 DU $degree^{-1}$. It is apparent that seasonal variability of total ozone increases from Jeju toward Unggi. The annual mean total ozone for Seoul shows 323 DU, with the maximum of 359 DU in March and the minimum of 291 DU in October. It is found that the day to day variability in total ozone exhibits annual mean of 5.7% in increase and -5.2% in decrease. The variability as large as 38.4% in increase and 30.3% in decrease has been observed, respectively. The long-term trend analysis (e.g., WMO, 1999) of monthly total ozone data (1985~2009) merged by satellite and ground-based measurements over the Korean Peninsula shows increase of 1.27% $decade^{-1}$ to 0.80% $decade^{-1}$ from Jeju to Unggi, respectively, showing systematic decrease of the trend magnitude with latitude. This study also presents a new analysis of ozone density and trends in the vertical distribution of ozone for Seoul with data up to the end of 2009. The mean vertical distributions of ozone show that the maximum value of the ozone density is 16.5 DU $km^{-1}$ in the middle stratospheric layer between 24 km and 28 km. About 90.0% and 71.5% of total ozone are found in the troposphere and in the stratosphere between 15 and 33 km, respectively. The trend analysis reconfirms the previous results of significant positive ozone trend, of up to 5% $decade^{-1}$, in the troposphere and the lower stratosphere (0~24 km), with negative trend, of up to -5% $decade^{-1}$, in the stratosphere (24~38 km). In addition, the Umkehr data show a positive trend of about 3% $decade^{-1}$ in the upper stratosphere (38~48 km).