• Title/Summary/Keyword: Polar environment

Search Result 450, Processing Time 0.026 seconds

Functioning of the Geoecosystem for the West Side of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Antarctica): Outline of Research at Arctowski Station

  • Rakusa-Suszczewski, Stanislaw
    • Ocean and Polar Research
    • /
    • v.25 no.4
    • /
    • pp.653-662
    • /
    • 2003
  • Changes in the area of geo-ecosystem $(62^{\circ}09'S,\;58^{\circ}31'w)$ reflect climatic changes in the South Shetland Islands. Air temperature and deglaciation will increase. The ice-free space area at the SSSS 8- (ASPA 121) site has enlarged threefold during the last 21 years, thus creating conditions for inhabitation and succession. Wind, water and snow play important roles in transportation of geochemical components. They distribute nutrients, mineral substances, seeds, fragments of plants and animals, etc. Plant and animal colonization is patchy and it happens at random in an 'island' - like manner. The colonization pattern is dependant, to a high degree on physical factors. The newly uncovered ice-free areas are at first inhabited by a vascular plant known as the Deschampsia antarctica. The border of the land-oasis with Admiralty Bay is the place where the processes related to animal feeding at the sea and reproduction on the land take place. Bird colonies and pinniped lairs form centers of fertilization surrounded by high chemical gradients dependent on the direction of the flow of nutrients $(e.g.\;NH_4)$. During the last 25 years, the numbers of penguins in this region have decreased, and thus the amount of materials excreted on land has diminished. The numbers of fur seals change in multi-annual cycles, and their migration into this area is related to the E1 $Ni\~{n}o$ phenomenon. The numbers of elephant seals in the area did not change. Organic matter deposited by the sea onto the shore are a source of nutrients and deficient chemical elements on land. Mineral matter is washed out into the waters of Admiralty Bay. These processes change seasonally, and multi annually. Negative effects on the environment at Arctowski Station induced by man are slight, but noticeable nevertheless. Physical processes have the largest influence on the living conditions and distribution of plants and animals, and as a consequence, on the functioning of the geo-ecosystem in the coastal-shore zone of the Maritime Antarctic.

A Study on the Application of the Mitigation System for Efficient Management of Coastal Wetlands in Korea -Enhancement of Legal Regime- (연안습지의 효율적 관리를 위한 Mitigation 개념의 한국적 적용방안에 관한 연구 -법제도 개선방안을 중심으로-)

  • Park Seong-Wook;Kwon Moon-Sang;Lee Yong-Hee;Lee Charity Mi-Jin
    • Ocean and Polar Research
    • /
    • v.25 no.4
    • /
    • pp.545-555
    • /
    • 2003
  • It is widely known that compare to many other countries, the U.S.A. has a strong framework for efficient implementation of mitigation policy to protect wetlands. As indicated in many strong mitigation initiatives, mitigation policy primary requires avoidance rule for wetland damage and if a developer inevitability damages wetlands, the development should be minimize, and as a last resort, the policy impose legal duty that a developer should compensate wetland corresponding to the damaged wetlands. However, the legal system fur Korea's mitigation system does not provide any legal duty for the compensatory mitigation, although the possibility of creation of tidal flat is casually expressed in several Korean legal systems. Therefore, without any strong and enforceable legal system, Korean mitigation system cannot efficiently protect Korea's vast and productive wetlands. To introduce mitigation policy similar to the U.S.A. in Korea, we suggest that there (a) should be a strongly policy which regulate legal duty for the compensatory mitigation, (b) should be an improve management system for actively corresponding to special knowledge relating to environment, and lastly, (c) should be a system which consider a class action introduced in environmental regime for a long term protection of tidal wetlands for future generation.

Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on Marine Ecosystem in the South Sea of Korea (기후변화가 남해 해양생태계에 미치는 영향평가)

  • Ju, Se-Jong;Kim, Se-Joo
    • Ocean and Polar Research
    • /
    • v.34 no.2
    • /
    • pp.197-199
    • /
    • 2012
  • According to the IPCC climate change scenario (A1B scenario), the surface seawater temperature of the South Sea of Korea by 2100 may be $2-3.5^{\circ}C$ higher than at present, and seawater pH may decrease from 8.1 to 7.8, due to the increase in atmospheric $CO_2$, which is predicted to increase in concentration from 380 to 750 ppm. These changes may not only intensify the strength of typhoons/storm surges but also affect the function and structure the marine ecosystem. In order to assess the impact of climate change on the marine ecosystem in Korean waters, the project named the 'Assessment of the impact of climate change on marine ecosystem in the South Sea of Korea' has been supported by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, from 2008. The goal of this project is to enhance our ability to adapt and prepare for the future environmental changes through the reliable predictions based on the knowledge obtained from projects like this. In this respect, this project is being conducted to investigate the effects of climate/marine environment changes (ocean warming and acidification), and to predict future changes of the structure and function of the ecosystem in the South Sea of Korea. This special issue contains 6 research articles, which are the highlights of the studies carried out through this project.

Kuroshio Observation Program: Towards Real-Time Monitoring the Japanese Coastal Waters

  • Ostrovskii, Alexander;Kaneko, Arata;Stuart-Menteth, Alice;Takeuchi, Kensuke;Yamagata, Toshio;Park, Jae-Hun;Zhu, Xiao Hua;Gohda, Noriaki;Ichikawa, Hiroshi;Ichikawa, Kaoru;Isobe, Atsuhiko;Konda, Masanori;Umatani, Shin-Ichiro
    • Ocean and Polar Research
    • /
    • v.23 no.2
    • /
    • pp.141-160
    • /
    • 2001
  • The challenge of predicting the Japanese coastal ocean motivated Frontier Observational Research System for Global Change (FORSGC) and the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) to start a multiyear observational programme in the upstream Kuroshio in November 2000. This field effort, the Kuroshio Observation Program (KOP), should enable us to determine the barotropic and baroclinic components of the western boundary current system, thus, to better understand interactions of the currents with mesoscale eddies, the Kuroshio instabilities, and path bimodality. We, then, will be able to improve modeling predictability of the mesoscale, seasonal, and inter-annual processes in the midstream Kuroshio near the Japanese main islands by using this knowledge. The KOP is focused on an enhanced regional coverage of the sea surface height variability and the baroclinic structure of the mainstream Kuroshio in the East China Sea, the Ryukyu Current east of the Ryukyu's, and the Kuroshio recirculation. An attractive approach of the KOP is a development of a new data acquisition system via acoustic telemetry of the observational data. The monitoring system will provide observations for assimilation into extensive numerical models of the ocean circulation, targeting the real-time monitoring of the Japanese coastal waters.

  • PDF

A Study on Meiofauna Community in the Subtidal Sediment outside of the Saemangeum Seadike in the West Coast of Korea (새만금 외해역 조하대 퇴적물에 서식하는 중형저서동물 군집에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Kwang-Soo;Lee, Seunghan;Hong, Jung-Ho;Lee, Wonchoel;Park, Eun-Ok
    • Ocean and Polar Research
    • /
    • v.36 no.3
    • /
    • pp.209-223
    • /
    • 2014
  • The community structure of benthic meiofauna was investigated from seasonal surveys at seventeen stations off the Saemangeum area, in 2007. Ten meiofaunal taxa were identified. Nematodes were the dominant faunal group in all seasons and harpacticoids were dominant only at a few stations. The mean density of meiofauna was 383 indiv. $10cm^{-2}$, highest in May and November (434 indiv. $10cm^{-2}$), lowest in February (284 indiv. $10cm^{-2}$). Meiofaunal mean biomass was $80.49{\mu}gC{\cdot}10cm^{-2}$, highest in November ($99.54{\mu}gC{\cdot}10cm^{-2}$), lowest in February ($51.56{\mu}gC{\cdot}10cm^{-2}$). Cluster analysis revealed that the study area was composed of three benthic meiofaunal communities. There were significant correlations between major meiofaunal groups and sediment composition and the concentrations of heavy metals. The abundance of harpacticoids are positively correlated with silt (0.559, p < 0.01) and clay (0.340, p < 0.01), and negatively correlated with sand (-0.548, p < 0.01). Harpacticoids also showed positive correlations with heavy metals. The community structure of meiofauna in the study area varied seasonally in response to the change of sediment composition.

Seasonal and Interannual Variability of the North Korean Cold Current in the East Sea Reanalysis Data (동해 재분석 자료에 나타난 북한한류의 계절 및 경년변동성)

  • Kim, Young-Ho;Min, Hong-Sik
    • Ocean and Polar Research
    • /
    • v.30 no.1
    • /
    • pp.21-31
    • /
    • 2008
  • Analyzing the results of East Sea Regional Ocean Model using a 3-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme, we investigated spatial and temporal variability of the North Korean Cold Current (NKCC) in the East Sea. The climatological monthly mean transport of the NKCC clearly shows seasonal variation of the NKCC within the range of about 0.35 Sv ($=0^6m^3/s$), which increases from its minimum (about 0.45 Sv) through December-January to March, decreases during March and May, and then increases again to the maximum (about 0.8 Sv) in August-September. The volume transport of the NKCC shows interannual variation of the NKCC with the range of about 1.0 Sv that is larger than seasonal variation. The southward current of the NKCC appears often not only in summer but in winter as well. The width of the NKCC is about 35 km near the Korean coast and its core is located under the East Korea Warm Current. The North Korean Cold Water (NKCW), characterized by low salinity and low temperature, is located both under the Tsushima Warm Water and in the western side of the maximum southward current of the NKCC that means the NKCC advects the NKCW southward along the Korean coast. It is revealed that the intermediate low salinity water, formed off the Vladivostok in winter, flows southward to the south of $37^{\circ}N$ through $2{\sim}3$ paths; one path along the Korean coast, another one along $132^{\circ}E$, and the middle path along $130^{\circ}E$. The path of the intermediate low salinity varies with years. The reanalysis fields suggest that the NKCW is advected through the paths along the Korean coast and along $130^{\circ}E$.

Changes in the Spawning Ground Environment of the Common Squid, Todarodes pacificus due to Climate Change (기후변화에 따른 살오징어(Todarodes pacificus) 산란장 환경 변화)

  • Kim, Yoon-ha;Jung, Hae Kun;Lee, Chung Il
    • Ocean and Polar Research
    • /
    • v.40 no.3
    • /
    • pp.127-143
    • /
    • 2018
  • This study analyzed the influence of climate change on the spawning ground area of the common squid, Todarodes pacificus. To estimate long term changes in the area of the spawning ground of the common squid, water temperature at 50 m deep that can be inferred from sea surface temperature (SST) based on both NOAA/AVHRR (1981.07-2002.12) and MODIS/AQUA (2003.01-2009.12) ocean color data was analyzed. In addition, five climate indices, Arctic Oscillation Index (AO), Siberian High Index (SH), Aleutian Low Pressure Index (ALP), East Asia Winter Monsoon Index (EAWM) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) which are the main indicators of climate changes in the northwestern Pacific were used to study the relationship between the magnitude of the estimated spawning ground and climate indices. The area of the estimated spawning ground was highly correlated with the total catch of common squid throughout four decades. The area of the estimated spawning ground was negatively correlated with SH and EAWM. Especially, PDO was negatively correlated with the area of the spawning ground in the northwestern Pacific (r = -0.39) and in the southern part of the East Sea (r = -0.38). There was a positive relationship between the AO and the area of the spawning ground in the northwestern Pacific (r = 0.46) as well as in the southern part of the East Sea (r = 0.32). Temporally, the area of the winter spawning ground in the southern part of the East Sea in the 1980s was smaller than those areas in the 1990s and 2000s, because the area was disconnected with the western coastal spawning ground of Japan in the 1980s, while the area had been made wider and more continuous from the Korea strait to the western coastal water of Honshu in the 1990s and 2000s.

Conceptual Design of a Solid State Telescope for Small scale magNetospheric Ionospheric Plasma Experiments

  • Sohn, Jongdae;Lee, Jaejin;Jo, Gyeongbok;Lee, Jongkil;Hwang, Junga;Park, Jaeheung;Kwak, Young-Sil;Park, Won-Kee;Nam, Uk-Won;Dokgo, Kyunghwan
    • Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
    • /
    • v.35 no.3
    • /
    • pp.195-200
    • /
    • 2018
  • The present paper describes the design of a Solid State Telescope (SST) on board the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute satellite-1 (KASISat-1) consisting of four [TBD] nanosatellites. The SST will measure these radiation belt electrons from a low-Earth polar orbit satellite to study mechanisms related to the spatial resolution of electron precipitation, such as electron microbursts, and those related to the measurement of energy dispersion with a high temporal resolution in the sub-auroral regions. We performed a simulation to determine the sensor design of the SST using GEometry ANd Tracking 4 (GEANT4) simulations and the Bethe formula. The simulation was performed in the range of 100 ~ 400 keV considering that the electron, which is to be detected in the space environment. The SST is based on a silicon barrier detector and consists of two telescopes mounted on a satellite to observe the electrons moving along the geomagnetic field (pitch angle $0^{\circ}$) and the quasi-trapped electrons (pitch angle $90^{\circ}$) during observations. We determined the telescope design of the SST in view of previous measurements and the geometrical factor in the cylindrical geometry of Sullivan (1971). With a high spectral resolution of 16 channels over the 100 keV ~ 400 keV energy range, together with the pitch angle information, the designed SST will answer questions regarding the occurrence of microbursts and the interaction with energetic particles. The KASISat-1 is expected to be launched in the latter half of 2020.

Preparation of Organic-inorganic Hybrid PES Membranes using Fe(II) Clathrochelate (Fe(II) clathrochelate을 이용한 유.무기 PES 복합막의 제조)

  • Jung, Bo Ram;Son, Yeji;Lee, Yong Taek;Kim, Nowon
    • Membrane Journal
    • /
    • v.23 no.1
    • /
    • pp.80-91
    • /
    • 2013
  • Metal-templated condensation of cyclohexanedione dioxime and phenylboronic acid in the presence of Fe(II) sulfate heptahydrate proceeds cleanly in methanol to furnish the Fe(II) clathrochelate. An organic/inorganic hybrid membranes composed of Fe(II) clathrochelate and polyethersulfone was prepared by using phase inversion method. For membrane preparation, the Fe(II) clathrochelate was highly soluble (3~5 g/L) in DMF, NMP, and DMAc, which meets the requirements for the solubility of metal complexes in polar aprotic solvent used in membrane preparation. It was stable even in the presence of strong acids, such as trifluorosactic acid (pKa = 0.3). It was characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, and their stability in solution phase studied in the presence of (i) strong acids or (ii) competing chelates. Organic/inorganic hybrid membranes were prepared with polyethersulfone, polyvinylpyrrolidone, p-toluenesulfonic acid, Fe(II) clathrochelate and DMF by using nonsolvent induced phase inversion method. The addition of Fe(II) clathrochelate leads increase of surface pore density, mean pore size and flux. We can obtain highly asymmetric membranes by addition of Fe(II) clathrochelate.

Effects of Mixed Characteristics of Oily Soil on Detergency of PET Fabric in Oily/Particulate Soil Mixed System (지용성/고형오구의 혼합오염계에서 지용성오구의 혼합특성에 따른 PET직물의 세척성)

  • Kang, In-Sook
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
    • /
    • v.35 no.10
    • /
    • pp.1242-1251
    • /
    • 2011
  • This study investigates the effect of mixed characteristics of oily soil such as mixed ratio, polarity of oily soil on contact angle of fabric, removal of oily and particulate soil from PET fabric in oily/particulate soil mixed system. The contact angle of fabric in the surfactant solution with suspended oily soil was examined as a fundamental environment of detergency of soil from fabrics. Detergency was investigated as function of mixed ratios of oily/ particulate soil, type of oily soil, surfactants concentration, surfactant type and temperature of detergency in surfactant solution. The contact angle of fabric in surfactant solution sharply increased with mixing nonpolar oily soil; in addition, the contact angle slightly increased with increasing contents of oily soil and decreased with increasing surfactant concentration. The removal of oily and particulate soil from fabric was higher in the solution mixed with polar versus nonpolar oily soil. The detergency increased with increasing surfactant concentration and the increased temperature of surfactants solution that were relatively improved in NPE compared to DBS solutions, The results indicated that the detergency of oily and particulate soil showed a similar trend in oily/ particulate mixed soil systems. The general contact angle of fabric was well related with the detergency of oily and particulate soil in oily/particulate mixed soil system, therefore, the primary factor determining the detergency of soil in oily/particulate mixed soil system may be the contact angle of fabric caused by wettability.