• Atmosphere
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2022

The relationship between the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) and the surface air temperature (SAT) in the Korean Peninsula is investigated for the period of 1979~2019. The QBO shows a statistically significant causal relationship with the Korean SAT in early spring when the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)'s effect is relatively weak. In particular, when the QBO wind at 70 hPa is westerly, the Korean SAT becomes colder than normal in March. This relationship in March, which is statistically significant, is valid not only for March QBO but also for February QBO, indicating that the QBO is leading the Korean SAT. The Granger causality test indeed shows a causal relationship between February QBO and March Korean SAT. The QBO-Korean SAT relationship is more pronounced in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. As the QBO-related circulation anomalies are evident in the North Pacific and the eastern Eurasia, they induce the horizontal temperature advection to the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. This result suggests that the QBO could be useful for improving seasonal prediction of the Korean SAT in March.

• Atmosphere
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.223-233
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• 2022

Recent studies have shown that Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is modulated by Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) during the boreal winter; MJO becomes more active and predictable during the easterly phase of QBO (EQBO) than the westerly phase (WQBO). Despite growing evidences, climate models fail to capture the QBO-MJO connection. One of the possible reasons is a weak static stability change in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) by neglecting QBO-induced ozone change in the model. Here, we investigate the possible impact of the ozone-radiative feedback in the tropical UTLS on the QBO-MJO connection by integrating the Global Seasonal Forecasting System 5 (GloSea5) model. A set of experiments is conducted by prescribing either the climatological ozone or the observed ozone at a given year for the EQBO-MJO event in January 2006. The realistic ozone improves the temperature simulation in the UTLS. However, its impacts on the MJO are not evident. The MJO phase and amplitude do not change much when the ozone is prescribed with observation. While it may suggest that the ozone-radiative feedback plays a rather minor role in the QBO-MJO connection, it could also result from model biases in UTLS temperature and not-well organized MJO in the model.

• Atmosphere
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.203-214
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• 2016

This study explores the 6-month lead prediction skill of stratospheric temperature and circulations in the Global Seasonal forecasting model version 5 (GloSea5) hindcast experiment over the period of 1996~2009. Both the tropical and extratropical circulations are considered by analyzing the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) and Northern Hemisphere Polar Vortex (NHPV). Their prediction skills are quantitatively evaluated by computing the Anomaly Correlation Coefficient (ACC) and Mean Squared Skill Score (MSSS), and compared with those of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Arctic Oscillation (AO). Stratospheric temperature is generally better predicted than tropospheric temperature. Such improved prediction skill, however, rapidly disappears in a month, and a reliable prediction skill is observed only in the tropics, indicating a higher prediction skill in the tropics than in the extratropics. Consistent with this finding, QBO is well predicted more than 6 months in advance. Its prediction skill is significant in all seasons although a relatively low prediction skill appears in the spring when QBO phase transition often takes place. This seasonality is qualitatively similar to the spring barrier of ENSO prediction skill. In contrast, NHPV exhibits no prediction skill beyond one month as in AO prediction skill. In terms of MSSS, both QBO and NHPV are better predicted than their counterparts in the troposphere, i.e., ENSO and AO, indicating that the GloSea5 has a higher prediction skill in the stratosphere than in the troposphere.

• Atmosphere
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.559-568
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• 2015

As is evident from its definition, Southern Oscillation Index variability conformed to a combination of the variations of Darwin and Tahiti pressure. Over the El-$Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ Southern Oscillation spectra, the Darwin pressure shared variations associated with the SSN tendency while the Tahiti had a connection with the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation modulating annual cycle. The power peak near the 3.5-year period comprised the third harmonic of the sun and the second of the modulated annual cycle. The derived harmonics came from both sources, so the initiation of El-$Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ could be predicted more successfully when including the effects of the sun and QBO.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.199-217
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• 2005

Using monthly total ozone data obtained from a Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) onboard the Nimbus-7 and Earth Probe satellite, this study examined the trend in the total amount of global ozone during two periods: from 1979-1992 [Early period] and 1997-2002 [Latter period]. The Annual average of total ozone during the Early period was globally reduced by about 10 DU compared to the amount during the Latter, except in some areas between the equator and 20 N. Global trends of total ozone showed a decrease of -6.30 DU/decade during 1979-1992, and an increase of 0.12 DU/decade during 1997-2002. Its enhancement during the Latter period was especially noticeable in tropical areas. The EOF analyses of total ozone from this period indicated signs of temporal/spatial variability, associated with the phenomena of Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO), Quasi-Triennial Oscillation (QTO), El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and volcanic eruption. Seasonal profiles of tropospheric ozone in the tropics obtained from ozonesondes, showed the spatial pattern of zonal wavenumber one. Overall, this study may be useful in analyzing possible causes in the variations of statospheric and tropospheric ozone.

• Atmosphere
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2018

The statistical prediction model for wintertime surface air temperature, that is based on snow cover extent and Arctic sea ice concentration, is updated by considering $El-Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO). These additional factors, representing leading modes of interannual variability in the troposphere and stratosphere, enhance the seasonal prediction over the Northern Hemispheric surface air temperature, even though their impacts are dependent on the predicted month and region. In particular, the prediction of Korean surface air temperature in midwinter is substantially improved. In December, ENSO improved about 10% of prediction skill compared without it. In January, ENSO and QBO jointly helped to enhance prediction skill up to 36%. These results suggest that wintertime surface air temperature in Korea can be better predicted by considering not only high-latitude surface conditions (i.e., Eurasian snow cover extent and Arctic sea ice concentration) but also equatorial sea surface temperature and stratospheric circulation.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.137-158
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• 2000

The correlation and Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analyses over the globe have been applied to intercompare lower-stratospheric (${\sim}$70hPa) temperature obtained from satellite data and two model reanalyses. The data is the19 years (1980-98) Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) channel 4 (Ch4) brightness temperature, and the reanalyses are GCM (NCEP, 1980-97; GEOS, 1981-94) outputs. In MSU monthly climatological anomaly, the temperature substantially decreases by ${\sim}$21k in winter over southern polar regions, and its annual cycle over tropics is weak. In October the temperature and total ozone over the area south of Australia remarkably increase together. High correlations (r${\ge}$0.95) between MSU and reanalyses occur in most global areas, but they are lower (r${\sim}$O.75) over the 20-3ON latitudes, northern America and southern Andes mountains. The first mode of MSU and reanalyses for monthly-mean Ch4 temperature shows annual cycle, and the lower-stratospheric warming due to volcanic eruptions. The analyses near the Korean peninsula show that lower-stratospheric temperature, out of phase with that for troposphere, increases in winter and decreases in summer. In the first mode for anomaly over the tropical Pacific, MSU and reanalyses indicate lower-stratospheric warming due to volcanic eruptions. In the second mode MSU and GEOS present Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) while NCEP, El Ni${\tilde{n}}$o. Volcanic eruption and QBO have more impact on lower-stratospheric thermal state than El Ni${\tilde{n}}$o. The EOF over the tropical Atlantic is similar to that over the Pacific, except a negligible effect of El Ni${\tilde{n}}$o. This study suggests that intercomparison of satellite data with model reanalyses may estimate relative accuracy of both data.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.415-422
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• 2001

Studies of atmospheric general circulation in the troposphere and stratosphere are very important to understand the influence of human activities on the global climate and its change. Recently, the existence of an annual cycle in the circulation has been reported by a number of studies. In this study, the residual mean meridional circulation is calculated by the TEM momentum and continuity equations for the period from December 1985 to November 1995 (10 years), and the long-term variations of the circulation and mass fluxes across the 100hPa surface are examined. The multiple regression statistical model is used to obtain quantitatively the long-term variations. This study is focused especially on mean meridional circulation in the troposphere and stratosphere associated with ENSO (El Ni${\tilde{n}}$o-Southern Oscillation) which is known as a cause of the unusual weather, global climate, and its change. The results show that the global scale troposphere-stratosphere mean meridional circulation is intensified during El Ni${\tilde{n}}$o event and QBO (quasi-biennal oscillation) easterly phase and weakened during La Ni${\tilde{n}}$o event and QBO westerly phase. The signal of Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption in June 1991 is obtained. Due to the volcanic eruption the global scale troposphere-stratosphere mean meridional circulation is abruptly intensified.

• Atmosphere
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.101-118
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• 2005

Atmospheric ozone changes temporally and spatially according to both anthropogenic and natural causes. It is essential to quantify the natural contributions to total ozone variations for the estimation of trend caused by anthropogenic processes. The aims of this study are to understand the intrinsic natural variability of long-term total ozone changes and to estimate more reliable ozone trend caused by anthropogenic ozone-depleting materials. For doing that, long-term time series for Seoul of monthly total ozone which were measured from both ground-based Dobson Spectrophotometer (Beck #124)(1985-2004) and satellite TOMS (1979-1984) are analyzed for selected period, after dividing the whole period (1979~2004) into two periods; the former period (1979~1991) and the latter period (1992~2004). In this study, ozone trends for the time series are calculated using multiple regression models with explanatory natural oscillations for the Arctic Oscillation(AO), North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO), North Pacific Oscillation(NPO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO), Quasi Biennial Oscillation(QBO), Southern Oscillation(SO), and Solar Cycle(SC) including tropopause pressure(TROPP). Using the developed models, more reliable anthropogenic ozone trend is estimated than previous studies that considered only QBO and SC as natural oscillations (eg; WMO, 1999). The quasi-anthropogenic ozone trend in Seoul is estimated to -0.12 %/decade during the whole period, -2.39 %/decade during the former period, and +0.10 %/decade during the latter period, respectively. Consequently, the net forcing mechanism of the natural oscillations on the ozone variability might be noticeably different in two time intervals with positive forcing for the former period (1979-1991) and negative forcing for the latter period (1992-2004). These results are also found to be consistent with those analyzed from the data observed at ground stations (Sapporo, Tateno) of Japan. In addition, the recent trend analyses for Seoul show positive change-in-trend estimates of +0.75 %/decade since 1997 relative to negative trend of -1.49 %/decade existing prior to 1997, showing -0.74 %/decade for the recent 8-year period since 1997. Also, additional supporting evidence for a slowdown in ozone depletion in the upper stratosphere has been obtained by Newchurch et al.(2003).

• Atmosphere
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.69-90
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• 2002

The infrared and microwave satellite observations have been used to derive the information of hydrometeors (i.e., cloud and precipitation) and atmospheric temperature. The observations were made by the Nimbus-4 Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS) in 1970, and by the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) during the period 1980-99, which had channel 1~4 (Chl~4). The IRIS, which has a field of view of ~100 km, has been utilized to examine the cirrus and marine stratus clouds. The cirrus and stratus distributions were obtained, respectively, based on the spectral difference in the infrared window region, and the absorption of water vapor and $CO_2$ in the spectral region $870-980cm^{-1}$. The MSU Ch1 data has been used for low tropospheric temperature and hydrometeors, while the Ch2, Ch3 and Ch4, respectively, for the thermal state of midtroposphere, tropopause, and lower stratosphere. The climatic aspects of El Ni$\tilde{n}$o, Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) and temperature trends over the globe are discussed with the MSU data. This study suggests that the IRIS and MSU data are useful for monitoring the hydrometeors and atmospheric thermal state in climate system.