• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.196-203
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• 2011

The main aim of this study is to establish methods of morphological preservation and elemental quantification for individual snow crystals. Individual snow crystals were collected at a height of 20 m above ground level. To stabilize and preserve the original morphologies of the snow crystals, cyanoacrylate, which has been used to fix liquid droplets, was applied (Kasahara et al., 2000). Several different kinds of snow crystals (dendrite, sectored plate, quasi-sectored plate, and hexagonal plate) were successively stabilized using this method. The stabilized snow crystals were pretreated with acetone, and then the elemental components contained in a whole snow crystal were quantified with the Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) analytical technique. The snow crystal residual composition determined in the present study was dominated by sulfur and mineral components, and the elemental mass showed an apparent crystal size dependence, where the elemental mass gradually decreased as the crystal size increased.

• Atmosphere
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.311-324
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• 2019

We employed a Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera (MASC) to quantitatively analyze snow particles at the ground level in the Yeongdong region of Korea. The MASC captures high-resolution photographs of hydrometeors from three angles and simultaneously measures fallspeed. Based on snowflake images of the several episodes in 2017 and 2018, we derived statistics of size, aspect ratio, orientation, complexity, and fallspeed of snow crystals, which generally showed similar characteristics to the previous studies in other regions of the world. Dominant snow crystal habits of January 22, 2018 generated by northerly were melted aggregates when 850 hPa temperature was about $-6{\sim}-8^{\circ}C$. Average fallspeed of snow crystals was $1.0m\;s^{-1}$ though its size gradually increased as temperature decreased. Another snowfall event (March 8, 2018) was driven by the baroclinic instability as accompanied with a deep trough. Snow crystal habits were largely rimed aggregates (complexity ~1.8) and melting particles of dark images. Meanwhile, in the extreme snowfall event whose snow rate was greater than $10cm\;hr^{-1}$ on January 20, 2017, main snow crystals appeared to be heavily rimed particles with relatively smaller size when convective clouds developed vertically up to 9 km in association with tropopause folding. MASC also could successfully measure a decrease in snow crystal size and an increase in riming degree after AgI seeding at Daegwallyeong on March 14, 2017.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.67-74
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• 2005

Microbeam PIXE, often called micro-PIXE, is a powerful tool tot analyzing a wide range of elements for various samples, as well as, it has important applications of interest to the atmospheric science. In this study, qualitative elemental imagination for various atmospheric environmental species was attempted using micro-PIXE. Here, we present the results of an application of micro-PIXE to the study of atmospheric environment. The detailed spatial resolution of multiple elements lot various samples like individual ambient particles, individual raindrops, individual fog droplets, and individual snow crystals could be successfully achieved by scanning 2.6 MeV H+ micro beam (1-2 ${\mu}m$) accelerated by 3 MV single-end accelerator.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.E1
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• pp.54-62
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• 2008

Microbeam PIXE, often called micro-PIXE, is one of powerful tools for analyzing a wide range of elements for various samples. Moreover, it has important applications of interest to the atmospheric science. In the present study, a qualitative elemental imagination for various atmospheric environmental species was attempted using micro-PIXE. Especially, in combination with a novel individual droplet collection method and the micro-PIXE analytical technique, the chemical specification of various individual atmospheric samples could be carried out. Here, we briefly introduce the results of an application of micro-PIXE to the study of atmospheric environment. The detailed spatial resolution of multiple elements for various samples like individual ambient particles, individual raindrops, individual fog droplets, and individual snow crystals could be successfully achieved by scanning 2.6 MeV $H^+$ micro beam ($1{\sim}2{\mu}m$) accelerated by 3 MeV single-end accelerator.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.15-29
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• 2012

In this paper we introduce 6-fold symmetry crystal growth using new phase-field models based on the modified Allen-Cahn equation. The proposed method is a hybrid method which uses both analytic and numerical solutions. We then show this method can be extended to $k$-fold case. The Wulff construction procedure is provided to understand and predict the shape of crystals. We also present a detailed mathematical proof of the validity of the Wulff construction. For computational results, we verify the accuracy and efficiency of the method for snow crystal growth.

• Atmosphere
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.261-270
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• 2015

Characteristics of snowfall and snow crystal habits have been investigated in the campaign of Experiment on Snow Storms At Yeongdong (ESSAY) using radiosonde soundings, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and a digital camera with a magnifier for taking a photograph of snowfall crystals. The analysis period is 6 to 14 February 2014, when the accumulated snowfall amount is 192.8 cm with the longest snowfall duration of 9 days. The synoptic situations are similar to those of the previous studies such as the Low pressure system passing by the far South of the Korean peninsula along with the Siberian High extending to northern Japan, which eventually results in the northeasterly or easterly flows and the long-lasting snowfall episodes in the Yeongdong region. In general, the ice clouds tended to exist below around 2~3 km with the consistent easterly flows, and the winds shifted to northerly~northwesterly above the clouds layer. The snow crystal habits observed in the ESSAY campaign were mainly dendrite, consisting of 70% of the entire habits. The rimed habits were frequently captured when two-layered clouds were observed, probably through the process of freezing of super-cooled droplets on the ice particles. The homogeneous habit such as dendrite was shown in case of shallow clouds with its thickness of below 500 m whereas various habits were captured such as dendrites, rimed dendrites, aggregates of dendrites, plates, rimed plates, etc in the thick cloud with its thickness greater than 1.5 km. The dendrites appeared to be dominant in the condition of cloud top temperature specifically ranging $-12{\sim}-16^{\circ}C$. However, the association of snow crystal habits with temperature and super-saturation in the cloud could not be examined in the current study. Better understandings of characteristics of snow crystal habits would contribute to preventing breakdown accidents such as a greenhouse destruction and collapse of a temporary building due to heavy snowfall, and traffic accidents due to snow-slippery road condition, providing a higher-level weather information of snow quality for skiers participating in the winter sports, and estimating more accurate snowfall amount, location, and duration with the fallspeed of solid precipitation.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Atmospheric Sciences
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.587-598
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• 2018

The impacts of aerosol loading on surface precipitation from mid-latitude deep convective systems are examined using a bin microphysics model. For this, a precipitation case over north central Mongolia, which is a high-altitude inland region, on 21 August 2014 is simulated with aerosol number concentrations of 150, 300, 600, 1200, 2400, and $4800cm^{-3}$. The surface precipitation amount slightly decreases with increasing aerosol number concentration in the range of $150-600cm^{-3}$, while it notably increases in the range of $600-4800cm^{-3}$ (22% increase with eightfold aerosol loading). We attempt to explain why the surface precipitation amount increases with increasing aerosol number concentration in the range of $600-4800cm^{-3}$. A higher aerosol number concentration results in more drops of small sizes. More drops of small sizes grow through condensation while being transported upward and some of them freeze, thus increasing the mass content of ice crystals. The increased ice crystal mass content leads to an increase in the mass content of small-sized snow particles largely through deposition, and the increased mass content of small-sized snow particles leads to an increase in the mass content of large-sized snow particles largely through riming. In addition, more drops of small sizes increase the mass content of supercooled drops, which also leads to an increase in the mass content of large-sized snow particles through riming. The increased mass content of large-sized snow particles resulting from these pathways contributes to a larger surface precipitation amount through melting and collision-coalescence.

• Atmosphere
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.139-151
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• 2024

The Yeongdong region has suffered from severe snowstorms and the relevant damage such as traffic accidents on slippery roads, and the collapse of greenhouses and temporary buildings. While a lot of research on snowfall has been conducted, the detailed study of snow crystals' phase and habit through intensive observations and the relevant microphysical analysis is still lacking. Therefore, a snowflake camera, PARSIVEL, and intensive radiosonde soundings were utilized to investigate phase and habit changes in solid precipitation. Two remarkable episodes of phase and habit changes were selected such as 19 March 2022 and 15 February 2023. Both events occurred in the synoptic condition of the High in the north and the Low passing by the south, which was accompanied by rapid temperature cooling below 2.5 km. During the events of a short period between 3 to 6 hours, the temperature at 850 hPa decreased by about 4 to 6℃. This cooling led to a change in the main habit of snow particles from riming to aggregate, identified with both MASC and PARSIVEL. Meanwhile, the LDAPS model analyses do not successively represent the rapid cooling and short-term variations of solid precipitation, probably by virtue of overestimating low-level equivalent potential temperature during these periods. The underlying causes of these the low-level temperature variations within 6 hours, still remain unclear. It might be associated with mesoscale orographic phenomenon due to the mountains and East Sea effects, which certainly needs an intensive and comprehensive observation campaign.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.201-208
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• 2001

To investigate the physio-chemical components and properties of aerosol particles in urban area sampling of aerosol particles was carried out in the campus of Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, during snowfall. Aerosol particles were collected on millipore filter papers using a low volume air sampler. Their shapes, sizes and chemical components were analyzed by a SEM(Scanning Electron Microscope) and an EDX(Energy Dispersive X-ray). As a results, ice crystals of dendrite and column types were predominantly shown at mature and developing stage of snowfall intensity. The denerite and sector plate types of ice crystals were mainly originated from the sea but column types were come from soil. Scavenging effect by snowfall was greatly also shown at dendrite type ice crystals that embryo was fully developd. Al, Si elements were shown at high frequencies as compared with others. Na, Cl components were especially shown at high frequencies under the sea-breeze wind during snowfall. Anthropogenic aerosol particles had shown with irregular shapes and sizes, relatively. Mainly 3-7$\mu$m aerosol particles were abundant and coarse particles also could be seen during snowfall. Ca, Zn, Fe components mainly caused by spike tires from vehicles in winter season were dominant before snowfall, however the element S mainly caused by human activity was rich after snowfall. The pH values of snow in Sapporo city were higher than those at coastal area. The concentration of chemical components in aerosol particles was also affected by surface winds. Aerosol particles in urban area, Sapporo were mainly affected by human activities like vehicles and combustion with wind system. And their types were related with snowfall intensity.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.384-388
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• 2019

In winter season, the snow and ice accretion on the bottom of the high speed railway rolling stock and boogie part has fallen at a high speed from the ballast section (gravel section for the transmission of the rolling stock load received by sleepers and fixing sleepers), causing the gravel to be scattered, thereby damaging the railway rolling stock structures and facilities. In order to solve these problems, the gravel scattering prevention net, manual de-icing, and movable hot air machine were used, but their efficiency was low. For the more efficient de-icing than ever before, an optimum material for de-icing fluid for high speed railway rolling stock was developed by evaluating the ice melting capacity, kinematic viscosity, evaporation of the material used as a chemical de-icing fluid. Four kinds of organic acid salts (sodium formate, sodium acetate, potassium formate and potassium acetate) and two different alcohols (propylene glycol, glycerol) were used as evaluation materials. Potassium formate, potassium acetate, and propylene glycol had similar ice melting capacities in the indoor test, but the propylene glycol showed the best ice melting capacity in spraying the system simulation test. This is because the kinematic viscosity of propylene glycol was 2.989029 St, which is higher than those of other materials therefore, it could stay longer on the ice and de-icing. In addition, potassium formate and potassium acetate were difficult to be used since the crystals precipitated and adversely affected the appearance of the rolling stock. The propylene glycol is the most optimum as an de-icing fluid for the high speed railway rolling stock.