• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.38 no.6_2
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• pp.1691-1707
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• 2022

Cheonji Lake, the caldera of Baekdu Mountain, located on the border of the Korean Peninsula and China, alternates between melting and freezing seasonally. There is a magma chamber beneath Cheonji, and variations in the magma chamber cause volcanic antecedents such as changes in the temperature and water pressure of hot spring water. Consequently, there is an abnormal region in Cheonji where ice melts quicker than in other areas, freezes late even during the freezing period, and has a high-temperature water surface. The abnormal area is a discharge region for hot spring water, and its ice gradient may be used to monitor volcanic activity. However, due to geographical, political and spatial issues, periodic observation of abnormal regions of Cheonji is limited. In this study, the degree of ice change in the optimal region was quantified using a Landsat -5/-7/-8 optical satellite image and a Modified U-Net regression model. From January 22, 1985 to December 8, 2020, the Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR) band of 83 Landsat images including anomalous regions was utilized. Using the relative spectral reflectance of water and ice in the VNIR band, unique data were generated for quantitative ice variability monitoring. To preserve as much information as possible from the visible and near-infrared bands, ice gradient was noticed by applying it to U-Net with two encoders, achieving good prediction accuracy with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 140 and a correlation value of 0.9968. Since the ice change value can be seen with high precision from Landsat images using Modified U-Net in the future may be utilized as one of the methods to monitor Baekdu Mountain's volcanic activity, and a more specific volcano monitoring system can be built.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.600-607
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• 2010

In 2008, multiple episodes of large-scale transport of natural airborne particles and anthropogenically affected particles from different sources in the East Asian continent were identified in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite RGB-composite images and the mass concentrations of ground level particulate matters. To analyze the aerosol size distribution during the large-scale transport of atmospheric aerosols, both aerosol optical depth (AOD; proportional to the aerosol total loading in the vertical column) and fine aerosol weighting (FW; fractional contribution of fine aerosol to the total AOD) of Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol products were used over the East Asian region. The six episodes of massive natural airborne particles were observed at Cheongwon, originating from sandstorms in northern China, Mongolia and the loess plateau of China. The $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ stood at 70% and 16% of the total mass concentration of TSP, respectively. However, the mass concentration of $PM_{2.5}$ among TSP increased as high as 23% in the episode in which they were flowing in by way f the industrial area in east China. In the other five episodes of anthropogenically affected particles that flowed into the Korean Peninsula from east China, the mass concentrations of $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ among TSP reached 82% and 65%, respectively. The average AOD for the large-scale transport of anthropogenically affected particle episodes in the East Asian region was measured at $0.42{\pm}0.17$ compared with AOD ($0.36{\pm}0.13$) for the natural airborne particle episodes. Particularly, the regions covering east China, the Yellow Sea, the Korean Peninsula, and the east Korean sea were characterized by high levels of AOD. The average FW values observed during the event of anthropogenically affected aerosols ($0.63{\pm}0.16$) were moderately higher than those of natural airborne particles ($0.52{\pm}0.13$). This observation suggests that anthropogenically affected particles contribute greatly to the atmospheric aerosols in East Asia.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.276-293
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• 2011

In this study a modeling system consisting of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF), Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE), the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, and the CMAQ-Model of Aerosol Dynamics, Reaction, Ionization, and Dissolution (MADRID) model has been applied to estimate enhancements of $PM_{10}$ during Asian dust events in Korea. In particular, 5 experimental formulas were applied to the WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ (MADRID) model to estimate Asian dust emissions from source locations for major Asian dust events in China and Mongolia: the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) model, the Goddard Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model, and the Dust Entrainment and Deposition (DEAD) model, as well as formulas by Park and In (2003), and Wang et al. (2000). According to the weather map, backward trajectory and satellite image analyses, Asian dust is generated by a strong downwind associated with the upper trough from a stagnation wave due to development of the upper jet stream, and transport of Asian dust to Korea shows up behind a surface front related to the cut-off low (known as comma type cloud) in satellite images. In the WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ modeling to estimate the PM10 concentration, Wang et al.'s experimental formula was depicted well in the temporal and spatial distribution of Asian dusts, and the GOCART model was low in mean bias errors and root mean square errors. Also, in the vertical profile analysis of Asian dusts using Wang et al's experimental formula, strong Asian dust with a concentration of more than $800\;{\mu}g/m^3$ for the period of March 31 to April 1, 2007 was transported under the boundary layer (about 1 km high), and weak Asian dust with a concentration of less than $400\;{\mu}g/m^3$ for the period of 16-17 March 2009 was transported above the boundary layer (about 1-3 km high). Furthermore, the difference between the CMAQ model and the CMAQ-MADRID model for the period of March 31 to April 1, 2007, in terms of PM10 concentration, was seen to be large in the East Asia area: the CMAQ-MADRID model showed the concentration to be about $25\;{\mu}g/m^3$ higher than the CMAQ model. In addition, the $PM_{10}$ concentration removed by the cloud liquid phase mechanism within the CMAQ-MADRID model was shown in the maximum $15\;{\mu}g/m^3$ in the Eastern Asia area.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.79-90
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• 2013

The altitude range of habitats in which Fairy Pitta inhabited in 1960s is different from the present in Jeju Island. We studied on the habitat environment to understand the causes of difference through the comparison of satellite image data(Landsat) between 1975 and 2002, the literature review in relation to habitats, vegetations, and forest landscapes. The area of below 600m asl.(above sea level) where is mainly Fairy Pitta inhabited at the present with a lot of forests, was massive pasture with small isolated forests nearby valley. The forests were broad-leaved evergreen forests, and second forests with poor condition in the size and forest structure. The forests around 700m asl. were also second forests with approximately 3m height trees. The forests from 800m to 1300m asl. were also disturbed by mushroom cultivation by local people. The authors believe that Fairy Pitta could not inhabited in the area above 1300m because of the poor forest conditions in the size and structure in which consist of Ilex crenata, Rhododendron mucronulatum var. ciliatum and coppice forests. Therefore it might be possible that the best forests for the Fairy Pitta habitat were located in the area of 1,000m to 1,300m above sea level in 1960s. Compared to present habitats, forests at 100m up to 800m above sea level, the authors believe that the size of habitats were smaller with less population of Fairy Pitta. Since 1960s the forest landscape of Jeju Island has been improved successfully, and because of that the population of Fairy Pitta also has been increased. To protect the Fairy Pitta and habitats in Jeju Island, it is suggested that sustainable forest management focusing on the species composition and stand structure maintain or enhance the biodiversity.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.37 no.5_1
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• pp.989-998
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• 2021

In the utilization of optical satellite imagery, which is greatly affected by clouds, periodic composite technique is a useful method to minimize the influence of clouds. Recently, a technique for selecting the optimal pixel that is least affected by the cloud and shadow during a certain period by directly inputting cloud and cloud shadow information during period compositing has been proposed. Accurate extraction of clouds and cloud shadowsis essential in order to derive optimal composite results. Also, in the case of an surface targets where spectral information is important, such as crops, the loss of spectral information should be minimized during cloud-free compositing. In thisstudy, clouds using two spectral indicators (Haze Optimized Tranformation and MeanVis) were used to derive a detection technique with low loss ofspectral information while maintaining high detection accuracy of clouds and cloud shadowsfor cabbage fieldsin the highlands of Gangwon-do. These detection results were compared and analyzed with cloud and cloud shadow information provided by Sentinel-2A/B. As a result of analyzing data from 2019 to 2021, cloud information from Sentinel-2A/B satellites showed detection accuracy with an F1 value of 0.91, but bright artifacts were falsely detected as clouds. On the other hand, the cloud detection result obtained by applying the threshold (=0.05) to the HOT showed relatively low detection accuracy (F1=0.72), but the loss ofspectral information was minimized due to the small number of false positives. In the case of cloud shadows, only minimal shadows were detected in the Sentinel-2A/B additional layer, but when a threshold (= 0.015) was applied to MeanVis, cloud shadowsthat could be distinguished from the topographically generated shadows could be detected. By inputting spectral indicators-based cloud and shadow information,stable monthly cloud-free composited vegetation index results were obtained, and in the future, high-accuracy cloud information of Sentinel-2A/B will be input to periodic cloud-free composite for comparison.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.264-277
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• 2021

This study analyzed the relationship between the total precipitable water vapor in the atmosphere and the moving speed of recent typhoons. This study used ground observation data of air temperature, precipitation, and wind speed from the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) as well as total rainfall data and Red-Green-Blue (RGB) composite images from the U.S. Meteorological and Satellite Research Institute and the KMA's Cheollian Satellite 2A (GEO-KOMPSAT-2A). Using the typhoon location and moving speed data provided by the KMA, we compared the moving speeds of typhoon Bavi, Maysak, and Haishen from 2020, typhoon Tapah from 2019, and typhoon Kong-rey from 2018 with the average typhoon speed by latitude. Tapah and Kong-rey moved at average speed with changing latitude, while Bavi and Maysak showed a significant decrease in moving speed between approximately 25°N and 30°N. This is because a water vapor band in the atmosphere in front of these two typhoons induced frontogenesis and prevented their movement. In other words, when the water vapor band generated by the low-level jet causes frontogenesis in front of the moving typhoon, the high pressure area located between the site of frontogenesis and the typhoon develops further, inducing as a blocking effect. Together with the tropical night phenomenon, this slows the typhoon. Bavi and Maysak were accompanied by copious atmospheric water vapor; consequently, a water vapor band along the low-level jet induced frontogenesis. Then, the downdraft of the high pressure between the frontogenesis and the typhoon caused the tropical night phenomenon. Finally, strong winds and heavy rains occurred in succession once the typhoon landed.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.558-568
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• 2021

Poor supervision and tourism activities have resulted in forest degradation in islands in Korea. Since the southern coastal region of the Korean peninsula was originally dominated by warm-temperate evergreen broad-leaved forests, it is desirable to restore forests in this region to their original vegetation. In this study, we identified suitable areas to be restored as evergreen broad-leaved forests by analyzing the environmental factors of existing evergreen broad-leaved forests in the islands of Jeollanam-do. We classified forest lands in the study area into six vegetation types from Sentinel-2 satellite images using a deep learning algorithm and analyzed the tolerance ranges of existing evergreen broad-leaved forests by measuring the locational, topographic, and climatic attributes of the classified vegetation types. Results showed that evergreen broad-leaved forests were distributed more in areas with a high altitudes and steep slope, where human intervention was relatively low. The human intervention has led to a higher distribution of evergreen broad-leaved forests in areas with lower annual average temperature, which was an unexpected but understandable result because an area with higher altitude has a lower temperature. Of the environmental factors, latitude and average temperature in the coldest month (January) were relatively less contaminated by the effects of human intervention, thus enabling the identification of suitable restoration areas of the evergreen broad-leaved forests. The tolerance range analysis of evergreen broad-leaved forests showed that they mainly grew in areas south of the latitude of 34.7° and a monthly average temperature of 1.7℃ or higher in the coldest month. Therefore, we predicted the areas meeting these criteria to be suitable for restoring evergreen broad-leaved forests. The suitable areas cover 614.5 km², which occupies 59.0% of the total forest lands on the islands of Jeollanamdo, and 73% of actual forests that exclude agricultural and other non-restorable forest lands. The findings of this study can help forest managers prepare a restoration plan and budget for island forests.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.277-292
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• 2024

In order to manage large-scale forest fires concentrated in Gangwon-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do with severe topographical heterogeneity, a decision-making process through efficient and rapid damage assessment using satellite images is essential. Accordingly, this study targets a large-scale forest fire that ignited in Gangneung and the Donghae, Gangwon-do on March 5, 2022, and was extinguished around 19:00 on March 8, to estimate the fire severity using dNBR and derive environmental factors that affect the grade. As environmental factors, we quantified the regular vegetation index representing vegetation or fuel type, the forest index that classifies tree species, the regular moisture index representing moisture content, and DEM in relation to topography, and then analyzed the correlation with the fire severity. In terms of fire severity, the widest range was 'Unbured' at 52.4%, followed by low severity at 42.9%, medium-low severity at 4.3%, and medium-high severity at 0.4%. Environmental factors showed a negative correlation with dNDVI and dNDWI, and a positive correlation with slope. Regarding vegetation, the differences between coniferous, broad-leaved, and other groups in dNDVI, dNIWI, and slope, which were analyzed to affect the fire severity, were analyzed to be significant with p-value < 2.2e-16. In particular, the difference between coniferous and broad-leaved forests was clear, and it was confirmed that coniferous forest suffered more damage than broad-leaved forest due to the higher fire severity in the Gangwon-do region, including Pinus densiflora, which are dominant species, as well as P. koraiensis, P. rigida and P. thunbergii.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.52-68
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to establish the management area using assessment of the conservation value on forest wetland, Sandeul wetland in Mt. Jaeyak, Miryang-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. The six assessment factors were selected through the review of previous researches and written evidences such as wetland vegetation, hydrological factor, soil factor, topographical factor, naturalness and risk. The assessment data were built on the basis of digital topographic maps, digital detailed soil maps, high resolution satellite images and field surveys of three times. According to the result of assessment of the conservation value and establishment the management area, the core area which has the highest conservation value was occupied by 1.9ha and the conservation area which conservation value is 2 grades was occupied by 33.7ha. The buffer area surrounded core area and conservation area was analyzed by 33.7ha. The transition area which conservation value is 4 grades showed by the widest area(151.2ha) and restoration area that is the ecological hazard area was occupied by 1.7ha. In conclusion, these results can provide methods and basic informations for conserving and managing wetlands because the management area was classified scientifically considering rational processes.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.111-116
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• 2012

Far-infrared observations provide crucial data for the investigation and characterisation of the properties of dusty material in the Interstellar Medium (ISM), since most of its energy is emitted between ~ 100 and $200{\mu}m$. We present the first all-sky image from a sensitive all-sky survey using the Japanese AKARI satellite, in the wavelength range $50-180{\mu}m$. Covering > 99% of the sky in four photometric bands with four filters centred at $65{\mu}m$, $90{\mu}m$, $140{\mu}m$, and $160{\mu}m$ wavelengths, this achieved spatial resolutions from 1 to 2 arcmin and a detection limit of < 10 MJy $sr^{-1}$, with absolute and relative photometric accuracies of < 20%. All-sky images of the Galactic dust continuum emission enable astronomers to map the large-scale distribution of the diffuse ISM cirrus, to study its thermal dust temperature, emissivity and column density, and to measure the interaction of the Galactic radiation field and embedded objects with the surrounding ISM. In addition to the point source population of stars, protostars, star-forming regions, and galaxies, the high Galactic latitude sky is shown to be covered with a diffuse filamentary-web of dusty emission that traces the potential sites of high latitude star formation. We show that the temperature of dust particles in thermal equilibrium with the ambient interstellar radiation field can be estimated by using $90{\mu}m$, $140{\mu}m$, and $160{\mu}m$ data. The FIR AKARI full-sky maps provide a rich new data set within which astronomers can investigate the distribution of interstellar matter throughout our Galaxy, and beyond.