• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.17-27
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• 2012

Climate is generally accepted as one of the major determinants of plants distribution. Plants are sensitive to bioclimates, and local variations of climate determine habitats of plants. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors affecting the distribution of narrow-range plants in South Korea using National Survey of Natural Environment data. We developed species distribution models for 6 plant species using climate, topographic and soil factors. All 6 plants were most sensitive to climatic factors but less other factors at national scale. Meliosma myriantha, Stewartia koreana and Eurya japonica, distributed at southern and coast region in Korea, were most sensitive to precipitation and temperature. Meliosma myriantha was mostly effected by annual precipitation and precipitation of driest quarter, Stewartia koreana was effected by annual precipitation and elevation, and Eurya japonica was affected by temperature seasonality and precipitation of driest quarter. On the other hand, Spiraea salicifolia, Rhododendron micranthum and Acer tegmentosum, distributed at central and northern inland in Korea, were most sensitive to temperature and elevation. Spiraea salicifolia was affected by mean temperature of coldest quarter and annual mean temperature, Rhododendron micranthum and Acer tegmentosum were affected by mean temperature of warmest quarter and elevation. We can apply this result to future plant habitat distribution under climate change.

• Atmosphere
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.465-472
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• 2012

Using various observed data, we examined the evolution of tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) during 2011-2012, with focusing on the development of 2012 El Ni$\tilde{n}$o. It is observed that a La Ni$\tilde{n}$a event during 2011 was followed by a moderate El Ni$\tilde{n}$o during 2012 summer. The 2012 summer El Ni$\tilde{n}$o initiated near the west coast of South America on February 2012, and continued to expand westward till August. Given this evolutionary pattern, the 2012 summer El Ni$\tilde{n}$o can be categorized as 'Eastern Pacific (EP) El Ni$\tilde{n}$o' because Ni$\tilde{n}$o-3 index is greater than Ni$\tilde{n}$o-4 index, and it may be the first well-defined EP El Ni$\tilde{n}$o since 2001. On February 2012, this event was initiated mainly by the local air-sea interaction, and at the same time the ocean heat content was accumulated over the tropical western Pacific due to the easterly wind anomaly over the tropical western Pacific. Then, the accumulated heat content slowly propagates to the tropical eastern Pacific, which attributes to maintain El Ni$\tilde{n}$o state during 2012 summer. After August, the positive SST anomaly over the equatorial eastern Pacific decays possibly due to the exhausted heat content and the weakening of air-sea interaction, but the weak positive SST anomaly over the central Pacific remains till now (2012 November).

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.315-322
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• 2007

Kjellmaniella crassifalia Miyabe is one of the valuable seaweed crops cultured in the Korean coastal waters of the East Sea. Unfortunately recent environmental changes have adversely influenced its growth, prompting the need to develop techniques for species restoration. To obtatin biological information, the growth of the species was monitored for one year. The maximum blade length, $110{\pm}45cm$, was attained in July, and zoospores were released in November. The optimum culture conditions allowing juvenile sporophytes to grow to young blades consisted of $20{\mu}mol/m^2s\;at\;10^{\circ}C$ under which the blade length grew to $1,732.5{\pm}143.3{\mu}m$ in 42 days. Sporangial sori started to form in September, reaching 85% maturity in November and 89% maturity in December. Examining the growth of the species according to depth, the individuals growing at 5 meters grew the most, reaching a blade length of $75.9{\pm}18.9cm$ in August.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2016.05a
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• pp.195-195
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• 2016

Kon - Ha Thanh River basin is the largest and the most important river basin in Binh Dinh, a province in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. In the lower rivers, frequent flooding and inundation caused by heavy rains, upstream flood and or uncontrolled flood released from upstream reservoirs, are very serious, causing damage to agriculture, socio-economic activity, human livelihood, property and lives. The damage is expected to increase in the future as a result of climate change. An advanced flood warning system could provide achievable non-structural measures for reducing such damages. In this study, we applied a modelling system which intergrates a 1-D river flow model and a 2-D surface flow model for simulating hydrodynamic flows in the river system and floodplain inundation. In the model, exchange of flows between the river and surface floodplain is calculated through established links, which determine the overflow from river nodes to surface grids or vice versa. These occur due to overtopping or failure of the levee when water height surpasses levee height. A GIS based comprehensive raster database of different spatial data layers was prepared and used in the model that incorporated detailed information about urban terrain features like embankments, roads, bridges, culverts, etc. in the simulation. The model calibration and validation were made using observed data in some gauging stations and flood extents in the floodplain. This research serves as an example how advanced modelling combined with GIS data can be used to support the development of efficient strategies for flood emergency and evacuation but also for designing flood mitigation measures.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 1992

Temporal variations of the path of the East Korea Warm Current(EKWC) which flows northward along the east coast of Korea were analysed to investigate whether the EKWC directly influences the existence of the so-called Warm Core in the Ulreung basin. From the 13 years(1975-1987) data of the Fisheries Research and Development Agency(FRDA), the $10^{\circ}C$ isotherm at the 100m depth and the depth of $2^{\circ}C$ isotherm and the temperature field at the 200m depth were used for identification of the path and the central position of the Warm Core. Sea surface winds computed from the surface pressure charts gave the monthly-averaged wind stress curl over the East Sea which was used for determination of the Sverdrup transport. And the mass transport stream functions were computed by use of the Sverdrup balance. The variations of the path show that the EKWC does not always have a fixed path and fluctuates with time. And the existence of the Warm Core is independent upon the presence of the EKWC even when the EKWC doesn't flow northward along the east coast of Korea. In view of the mass transport stream functions, the influences of the sea surface winds on the branching of the Tsushima Warm Currents and the presence of the EKWC were investigated. The presence of the EKWC may be hindered by the southward flow driven by the sea surface winds when the Tsushima currents are rather weak. A very weak correlation exists between the north-south component of the Sverdrup transport and the position of the Warm Core. However, a small but significant part of the southward transport across the latitudinal line of $38^{\circ}N$ indicates that cold water from the northern part of the East Sea may be driven and be forced to flow beneath the permanent thermocline in such a way that the thermal structure of the Warm Core and its position might be changed.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.225-233
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• 2010

Wind power density distribution over the North Korea territory was investigated by using 30-year wind observations at 27 meteorological stations. The mean annual wind power density over North Korea turned out to be 58.6W/$m^2$, which corresponds to the wind power class of 1. The wind power density shows a seasonal variation, having the highest density in spring and the lowest in summer. In particular, the wind power density in summer is about a half of that in spring. The diurnal variation of the wind power density shows that the highest and lowest densities occur in the afternoon and between 3 and 6 am in local time, respectively. The most potential wind energy generation regions are the Gaema Plateau in the central region, the northeast part of Hamgyeongbuk-do, the south coast of Pyongan-do and the west coast of Hwanghae-do. The mean annual wind power density in Changjin is 151.2W/$m^2$, which is equivalent to the class of 3. In Ryongyon, the annual mean wind power density is 102.4W/$m^2$, which belongs to the class of 2.

• Atmosphere
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.239-246
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• 2010

In this study, the climatological characteristics of the landfall typhoons on North Korea are surveyed to estimate the frequency, the intensity, the track, and their damage. The data for the period of 1951-2008 are used from both RSMC (Regional Specialized Meteorological Center) Tokyo Typhoon Center and NCEP/NCAR (National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research), EM-DAT (Emergency Events Database). There are the ten highest frequencies from 1961 to 1965 and is one frequency for the period of both 1966-1979 and 1976-1980 respectively. Even if a clear trend on the frequency of typhoon is not defined, it is noticeable the intensity has been weak since the frequency of TS (Tropical Storm) decreased. In order to figure out both the characteristic of intensity and the relation between the typhoon track and the expansion of North Pacific High (NPH), Typhoon's tracks are classified into three types as follows: (I) landing on the west coast of North Korea through the mainland of China, (II) landing on the west coast of North Korea, (III) landing on a central/eastern part of the Korean peninsula through South Korea. More often than not, the characteristic of Type (I) is the case of a landfall after it becomes extratropical cyclone. Type(II) and Type(III) show a landfall as TS grade, by comparision. On the relation between the typhoon's track and the expansion of NPH analyzed, Type (I) shows the westward expansion while both Type (II) and Type (III) show the northward expansion and development of NPH. This means the intensity of a typhoon landfall on North Korea is variable depending on the development of NPH. Finally, only two cases are found among total five cases in EM-DAT, reportedly that North Korea was damaged. And therefore, the damage by the wind of Prapiroon (the $12^{th}$ typhoon, 2000) and heavy rainfall with Rusa (the $15^{th}$ typhoon, 2002) landing on North Korea was analyzed. Moreover, it is estimated both Prapiroon and Rusa have done badly damaged to North Korea as the economical losses of as much as six billion and five hundred-thousand US dollar, respectively.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.205-216
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• 2011

Mineral compositions of 69 southeastern Yellow Sea surface sediments collected at the Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI) cruise in 2010, were determined using the quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis. Southeastern Yellow Sea surface sediments are composed of major minerals (quartz 49.1%, plagioclase 13.0% and alkali feldspar 9.3%), clay minerals, calcite, and aragonite. Illite (9.4%) is the most abundant clay mineral, chlorite (4.6%) is the second, and kaolinite (0.8%) is few. Quartz and alkali feldspar contents are high in coarse-grained sediments, whereas amphibole and clay mineral contents are high in fine-grained sediments. Quartz, plagioclase, alkali feldspar, chlorite, and kaolinite contents are higher, and illite content is lower in mud zone 1 corresponding to south margin of Central Yellow Sea Mud than in mud zone 2, a part of Southeastern Yellow Sea Mud. Difference of mineral composition between two mud zone suggests that source of fine sediment may be different in two mud zone and Southeastern Yellow Sea Mud might be largely supplied from the Keum and Youngsan rivers in southern part of the west coast in the Korean Peninsula.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.257-277
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• 2007

We carried out a phytosociological study on pine forests in Korea with the method of Zurich-Montpellier School. We collected the data of 252 $relev{\acute{e}}s$ from 45 sites in the pine forests throughout the Korean Peninsula and its attached islands. The vegetation of the pine forests was classified into one association, three communities and seven subcommunities as follows: A: Quercus mongolica-Pinus densiflora community, A-1: Typical subcommunity, A-2: Vaccinium korean urn subcommunity, A-3 : Rhododendron micranthum subcommunity, B: Quercus serrata-Pinus densiflora community, B-1: Typical subcommunity, B-2: Juniperus rigida subcommunity, B-3: Styrax japonica subcommunity, B-4: Eurya japonica subcommunity, C: Saso-Pinetum densiflorae Yim et al. 1990, and D: Castanopsis cuspidata var. sieboldii-Pinus densiflora community. The former three communities were integrated into the Lindero-Quercion mongolicae Kim 1990 em. 1992. The Castanopsis cuspidata var. sieboldii-Pinus densiflora community remained to be studied in future to determine the association. The communities of Quercus mongolica-Pinus densiflora community was distributed throughout the montane zone in central-northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Quercus serrata-Pinus densiflora community occupied widely in the sub-montane and hilly areas in central and Southern Korean Peninsula. The association of Saso-Pinetum densiflorae was found in Cheju Island. Castanopsis cuspidata var. sieboldii-Pinus densiflora community were distributed in the warm-temperate zone including islands off the south-west coast of the Peninsula.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 2014

In this paper, we report new OSL ages of the marine terrace sediments at Suryum fault site, using single grains of quartz, and briefly discuss their chronological implications on the timing of terrace formation along the southeastern coast of Korea. Of 1200 grains measured, 93 quartz grains were found to have OSL properties suitable for dating, the equivalent dose ($D_e$) values of which varied significantly, ranging from 50 Gy to 610 Gy with the overdispersion of $30{\pm}4%$. Applied to the Central Age Model (CAM) and Minimum Age Model (MAM), these quartz grains showed the OSL ages of $83{\pm}4ka$ and $60^{+3}{_{-7}}ka$, respectively, both of which are stratigraphically inconsistent with the previously reported OSL ages of lower $2^{nd}$ terrace (MIS 5a; ~80 ka). However, Finite Mixture Model (FMM) revealed that a small fraction of the measured quartz grains ($6{\pm}4%$) were of the ages ($194{\pm}24ka$) corresponding to MIS 7. Conclusively, based on single grain OSL ages, it would be prudent not to exclude the possibility that the marine terrace sediments at Suryum fault site have formed during MIS 7. Further, our single grain OSL ages imply that multiple grain(single aliquot) OSL dating methods are not applicable to the marine sediments at Suryum fault site.