• Atmosphere
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.387-400
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• 2012

This study aims at examining the sensitivity of numerical simulations to the resolution of initial and boundary data, and to an application of WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) 3DVAR (Three Dimension Variational data Assimilation). To do this, we ran the WRF model by using GDAS (Global Data Assimilation System) FNL (Final analyses) and the KLAPS (Korea Local Analysis and Prediction System) analyses as the WRF's initial and boundary data, and by using an initial field made by assimilating the radar data to the KLAPS analyses. For the sensitivity experiment, we selected a heavy rainfall case of 21 September 2010, where there was localized torrential rain, which was recorded as 259.5 mm precipitation in a day at Seoul. The result of the simulation using the FNL as initial and boundary data (FNL exp) showed that the localized heavy rainfall area was not accurately simulated and that the simulated amount of precipitation was about 4% of the observed accumulated precipitation. That of the simulation using KLAPS analyses as initial and boundary data (KLAPC exp) showed that the localized heavy rainfall area was simulated on the northern area of Seoul-Gyeonggi area, which renders rather difference in location, and that the simulated amount was underestimated as about 6.4% of the precipitation. Finally, that of the simulation using an initial field made by assimilating the radar data to the KLAPS using 3DVAR system (KLAP3D exp) showed that the localized heavy rainfall area was located properly on Seoul-Gyeonggi area, but still the amount itself was underestimated as about 29% of the precipitation. Even though KLAP3D exp still showed an underestimation in the precipitation, it showed the best result among them. Even if it is difficult to generalize the effect of data assimilation by one case, this study showed that the radar data assimilation can somewhat improve the accuracy of the simulated precipitation.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.403-412
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• 2018

In this study, a three-dimensional variational(3DVAR) data assimilation system was developed for the operational numerical weather prediction(NWP) system at the Republic of Korea Air Force Weather Group. The Air Force NWP system utilizes the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) meso-scale regional model to provide weather information for the military service. Thus, the data assimilation system was developed based on the WRF model. Experiments were conducted to identify the nested model domain to assimilate observations and the period appropriate in estimating the background error covariance(BEC) in 3DVAR. The assimilation of observations in domain 2 is beneficial to improve 24-h forecasts in domain 3. The 24-h forecast performance does not change much depending on the estimation period of the BEC in 3DVAR. The results of this study provide a basis to establish the operational data assimilation system for the Republic of Korea Air Force Weather Group.

• Atmosphere
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2011

Numerical prediction capability has been improved over the decades, but progress of prediction for high-impact weather (HIW) was unsatisfactory. One reason of low predictability for HIW is lack of observation data. The National Institute of Meteorological Research (NIMR) has been performed observation program for improvement of predictability, and reduction in social and economical cost for HIW. As part of this observation program, summer intensive observation program (ProbeX-2009) was performed at the observation-gap areas from 25 August to 6 September 2009. Sounding observations using radiosonde were conducted in the Gisang2000 research vessel (R/V) from the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) over the West Sea and the Eardo R/V from the Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI) over the South Sea. Observation System Experiment (OSE) is carried out to examine the effect of ProbeX-2009 data. OSEs using Korea Local Analysis and Prediction System (KLAPS) and Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model are conducted to investigate the predictability for a short time forecast. And, OSEs using WRF/3DVAR system and WRF forecast model are conducted to study the predictability for an extended time. Control experiment (K_CTL and CNTL) used only GTS observation and experiment (K_EXP and SWEXP) used ProbeX-2009 data from two system are performed. ETS for 3hr accumulated rainfall simulated by KLAPS-WRF shows that K_EXP is higher than K_CTL. Also, ETS for 12hr accumulated rainfall of SWEXP from 3DVAR-WRF is higher than CNTL. The results indicate that observation over the ocean has positive impact on HIW prediction.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.285-296
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• 2007

The Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) from GPS with high resolution in terms of time and space might reduce the limitations of the numerical weather prediction (NWP) model for easily variable phenomena, such as precipitation and cloud. We have converted to PWV from Global Positioning System (GPS) data of Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) and Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Fisheries (MOMAF). First of all, we have selected the heavy rainfall case of having a predictability limitation in time and space due to small-scale motion. In order to evaluate the effect for GPS PWV, we have executed the sensitivity experiment with PWV from GPS data over Korean peninsula in the Weather Research & Forecasting 3-Dimensional Variational (WRF-3DVAR). We have also suggested the direction of further research for an improvement of the predictability of NWP model on the basis of this case.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.689-701
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• 2010

The effects of high-resolution wind profiler (HWP) data on the wind distributions were evaluated in two different coastal areas during the study period (23-26 August, 2007), indicating weak-gradient flows. The analysis was performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with a three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation system. For the comparison purpose, two coastal regions were selected as: a southwestern coastal (SWC) region characterized by a complex shoreline and a eastern coastal (EC) region surrounding a simple coastline and high mountains. The influence of data assimilation using the HWP data on the wind distributions in the SWC region was moderately higher than that of the EC region. In comparison between the wind speed and direction in the two coastal areas, the application of the HWP data contributed to improvement of the wind direction distribution in the SWC region and the wind strength in the EC region, respectively. This study suggests that the application of the HWP data exerts a large impact on the change in wind distributions over the sea and thus can contribute to the solution to lack of satellite and buoy data with their observational uncertainty.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.573-584
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• 2017

In order to simulate a typhoon precisely, the satellite observation data has been assimilated using WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting model) three-Dimensional Variational (3DVAR) data assimilation system. The observation data used in 3DVAR was GPS Radio Occultation (GPS-RO) data which is loaded on Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite. The refractivity of Earth is deduced by temperature, pressure, and water vapor. GPS-RO data can be obtained with this refractivity when the satellite passes the limb position with respect to its original orbit. In this paper, two typhoon cases were simulated to examine the characteristics of data assimilation. One had been occurred in the Western Pacific from 16 to 25 October, 2015, and the other had affected Korean Peninsula from 22 to 29 August, 2012. In the simulation results, the typhoon track between background (BGR) and assimilation (3DV) run were significantly different when the track appeared to be rapidly change. The surface wind speed showed large difference for the long forecasting time because the GPS-RO data contained much information in the upper level, and it took a time to impact on the surface wind. Along with the modified typhoon track, the differences in the horizontal distribution of accumulated rain rate was remarkable with the range of -600~500 mm. During 7 days, we estimated the characteristics between daily assimilated simulation (3DV) and initial time assimilation (3DV_7). Because 3DV_7 demonstrated the accurate track of typhoon and its meteorological variables, the differences in two experiments have found to be insignificant. Using observed rain rate data at 79 surface observatories, the statistical analysis has been carried on for the evaluation of quantitative improvement. Although all experiments showed underestimated rain amount because of low model resolution (27 km), the reduced Mean Bias and Root-Mean-Square Error were found to be 2.92 mm and 4.53 mm, respectively.

• Atmosphere
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.143-160
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• 2013

The effect of 3DVAR (Three Dimension Variational data Assimilation) was examined by comparing observation and the simulations of CNTL (to which data assimilation was not applied) and ALL (to which data assimilation was applied using ground observation data and radar data) for the case of a heavy snowfall event (case A) of 11-12 February 2011 in the Yeongdong region. In case A, heavy snow intensively came in the Yeongdong coastal region rather than Daegwallyeong, in particular, around the Gangneung and Donghae regions with total precipitation in Bukgangneung at approximately 91 mm according to the AWS observation. It can be seen that compared to CNTL, ALL simulated larger precipitation along the Yeongdong coastline extending from Sokcho to Donghae while simulating smaller precipitation for inland areas including Daegwallyeong. On comparison of the total accumulated precipitations from simulations of CNTL and ALL, and the observed total accumulated precipitation, the positive effect of the assimilation of ground observation data and radar data could be identified in Bukgangneung and Donghae, on the other hand, the negative effect of the assimilation could be identified in the Daegwallyeong and Sokcho regions. In order to examine the average accuracy of precipitation prediction by CNTL and ALL for the entire Gangwon region including the major points mentioned earlier, the three hour accumulated precipitation from simulations of CNTL and ALL were divided into 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mm/3hr and threat Scores were calculated by forecasting time. ALL showed relatively higher TSs than CNTL for all threshold values although there were some differences. That is, when considered generally based on the Gangwon region, the accuracy of precipitation prediction from ALL was improved somewhat compared to that from CNTL.

• Atmosphere
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.69-86
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• 2007

The characteristics of the dual-Doppler wind retrieval method based on a three dimensional variational (3DVAR) conception were investigated from the following four points of view; the sensitivity of the number of iteration, the effect of the weak constraint term, the effect of the smoothness term, and the sensitivity of the error mixing ratio of the radial velocities. In the experiment, the radial velocities relative to the Gosan and Jindo radar sites of the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) were calculated from the forecasting of the WRF (Weather Research and Forecast; Skamarock, 2004) model at 1330 UTC 30 June 2006, which is the one and half hour forecast from the initial time, 1200 UTC on that day. The results showed that the retrieval performance of the horizontal wind field was robust, but that of the vertical wind was sensitive to the external conditions, such as iteration number and the on/off of the weak constraint term. The sensitivity of error mixing ratio was so large that even the horizontal wind retrieval efficiency was reduced a lot. But the sensitivity of the smooth term was not so large. When we applied this method to the real mesoscale convective system (MCS) between the Gosan and Jindo radar pair at 1430 UTC 30 June 2006, the wind structure of the convective cells in the MCS was consistently retrieved relative to the reflectivity factor structure. By comparing the vertical wind structure of this case with that of 10 minutes after, 1440 UTC 30 June 2006, we got the physical consistency of our method.

• Atmosphere
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.187-204
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• 2013

This study analyzed the synoptic distribution and vertical structure about four cases of precipitation occurrences using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and upper level data of winter intensive observation to be performed by National Institute of Meteorological Research at Bukgangneung, Incheon, Boseong during 63days from 4 JAN to 6 MAR in 2012, and Observing System Experiment (OSE) using 3DVAR-WRF system was conducted to examine the precipitation predictability of upper level data at western and southern coastal regions. The synoptic characteristics of selected precipitation occurrences were investigated as causes for 1) rainfall events with effect of moisture convergence owing to low pressure passing through south sea on 19 JAN, 2) snowfall events due to moisture inflowing from yellow sea with propagation of Siberian high pressure after low pressure passage over middle northern region on 31 JAN, 3) rainfall event with effect of weak pressure trough in west low and east high pressure system on 25 FEB, 4) rainfall event due to moisture inflow according to low pressures over Bohai bay and south eastern sea on 5 MAR. However, it is identified that vertical structure of atmosphere had different characteristics with heavy rainfall system in summer. Firstly, depth of convection was narrow due to absence of moisture convergence and strong ascending air current in middle layer. Secondly, warm air advection by veering wind with height only existed in low layer. Thirdly, unstable layer was limited in the narrow depth due to low surface temperature although it formed, and also values of instability indices were not high. Fourthly, total water vapor amounts containing into atmosphere was small due to low temperature distribution so that precipitable water vapor could be little amounts. As result of OSE conducting with upper level data of Incheon and Boseong station, 12 hours accumulated precipitation distributions of control experiment and experiments with additional upper level data were similar with ones of observation data at 610 stations. Although Equitable Threat Scores (ETS) were different according to cases and thresholds, it was verified positive influence of upper level data for precipitation predictability as resulting with high improvement rates of 33.3% in experiment with upper level data of Incheon (INC_EXP), 85.7% in experiment with upper level data of Boseong (BOS_EXP), and 142.9% in experiment with upper level data of both Incheon and Boseong (INC_BOS_EXP) about accumulated precipitation more than 5 mm / 12 hours on 31 January 2012.