• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1079-1087
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• 2022

This study investigated the effect of volcanic materials that erupted from the Nishinoshima volcano, Japan, 1,300 km southeast of the Busan area at the end of July 2020, on the fine particle concentration in the Busan area. Backward trajectory analysis from the HYSPLIT model showed that the air parcel from the Nishinoshima volcano turned clockwise along the edge of the North Pacific high pressure and reached the Busan area. From August 4 to August 5, 2020, the concentration of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 in Busan started to increase rapidly from 1000 LST on August 4, and showed a high concentration for approximately 13 hours until 2400 LST. The PM_2.5/PM₁₀ ratio showed a relatively high value of 0.7 or more, and the SO₂ concentration also showed a high value at the time when the PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations were relatively high. The SO₄^2- concentration in PM_2.5 in Busan showed a similar trend to the change in PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations. It rose sharply from 1300 LST on August 4, at the time where it was expected to have been affected by the Nishinoshima Volcano. This study has shown that the occurrence of high concentration fine particle in Busan in summer has the potential to affect Korea not only due to anthropogenic factors but also from natural causes such as volcanic eruptions in Japan.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.196-209
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• 2023

The Nishinoshima volcano, located 940 km south of Tokyo, experienced an eruption from June to August 2020. The volcanic gas and ash from the eruption of Nishinoshima that occurred at the end of July 2020 was reported to have the potential to affect the Korean Peninsula. In this study, we used Ash3D, a numerical simulation program for volcanic ash dispersion, to investigate the eruption that occurred at 0:00 local time on July 28, 2020, with a volcanic explosivity index of three. The results showed that the volcanic ash cloud reached Okinawa on the morning of July 30, carried by an east wind. It then moved northward and reached Jeju Island on August 1, eventually circulating in a clockwise direction and reaching southern part of the Korean Peninsula on August 2. The concentration of Particulate Matter 10 (PM₁₀), measured at the Jeju Gosan Meteorological Observatory in Jeju Island, increase from August 1. A similar increase in PM₁₀ concentration was observed at the Gudeok Mountain Weather Station in Busan from August 2. These findings suggested that eruption of the Nishinoshima volcano had an impact on the fine dust concentrations at Jeju Island and southern part of the Korean Peninsula.