• Atmosphere
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.85-97
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• 2018

This study evaluates the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in reproducing the present-day (1981~2005) precipitation over Far East Asia and South Korea. The WRF model is configured with 25-km horizontal resolution within the context of the COordinated Regional climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) - East Asia Phase 2. The initial and lateral boundary forcing for the WRF simulation are derived from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast Interim reanalysis. According to our results, WRF model shows a reasonable performance to reproduce the features of precipitation, such as seasonal climatology, annual and inter-annual variabilities, seasonal march of monsoon rainfall and extreme precipitation. In spite of such model's ability to simulate major features of precipitation, systematic biases are found in the downscaled simulation in some sub-regions and seasons. In particular, the WRF model systematically tends to overestimate (underestimate) precipitation over Far East Asia (South Korea), and relatively large biases are evident during the summer season. In terms of inter-annual variability, WRF shows an overall smaller (larger) standard deviation in the Far East Asia (South Korea) compared to observation. In addition, WRF overestimates the frequency and amount of weak precipitation, but underestimates those of heavy precipitation. Also, the number of wet days, the precipitation intensity above the 95 percentile, and consecutive wet days (consecutive dry days) are overestimated (underestimated) over eastern (western) part of South Korea. The results of this study can be used as reference data when providing information about projections of fine-scale climate change over East Asia.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2022.05a
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• pp.147-147
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• 2022

In January 2021 heavy flood affected South Kalimantan with causing many casualties. The heavy rainfall is predicted to be generated due to the ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation). The weak La-Nina mode appeared to generate more convective cloud above the warmed ocean and result in extreme rainfall with high anomaly compared to past historical rainfall event. Subsequently, the antecedent soil moisture distribution showed to have an important role in generating the flood response. Saturated flow and infiltration excess mainly contributed to the runoff generation due to the high moisture capacity. The hydro-meteorological processes in this event were deeply analyzed using the coupled atmospheric model of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and the hydrological model extension (WRF-Hydro). The sensitivity analysis of the flood response to the SST anomaly and the soil moisture capacity also compared. Result showed that although SST and soil moisture are the main contributors, soil moisture have more significant contribution to the runoff generation despite of anomaly rainfall occurred. Model performance was validated using the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) and Soil Moisture Operational Products System (SMOPS) and performed reasonably well. The model was able to capture the hydro-meteorological process of atmosphere and hydrological feedbacks in the extreme weather event.

• 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.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.68-79
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• 2018

The Ki-Jang research reactor (KJRR), a new research reactor in Korea, is being planned to fulfill multiple purposes. In this study, as an assessment of the environmental radiological impact, we characterized the atmospheric dispersion and deposition of radioactive materials released by an unexpected incident at KJRR using the weather research and forecasting-mesoscale model interface program-California Puff (WRF-MMIF-CALPUFF) model system. Based on the reproduced three-dimensional gridded meteorological data obtained during a 1-year period using WRF, the overall meteorological data predicted by WRF were in agreement with the observed data, while the predicted wind speed data were slightly overestimated at all stations. Based on the CALPUFF simulation of atmospheric dispersion (${\chi}/Q$) and deposition (D/Q) factors, relatively heavier contamination in the vicinity of KJRR was observed, and the prevailing land breeze wind in the study area resulted in relatively higher concentration and deposition in the off-shore area sectors. We also compared the dispersion characteristics between the PAVAN (atmospheric dispersion of radioactive release from nuclear power plants) and CALPUFF models. Finally, the meteorological conditions and possibility of high doses of radiation for relatively higher hourly ${\chi}/Q$ cases were examined at specific discrete receptors.

• Atmosphere
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.105-118
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• 2017

This study assesses the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in reproducing regional climate over CORDEX-East Asia Phase 2 domain with different cumulus parameterization schemes [Kain-Fritch (KF), Betts-Miller-Janjic (BM), and Grell-Devenyi-Ensemble (GD)]. The model is integrated for 27 months from January 1979 to March 1981 and the initial and boundary conditions are derived from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast Interim Reanalysis (ERA-Interim). The WRF model reasonably reproduces the temperature and precipitation characteristics over East Asia, but the regional scale responses are very sensitive to cumulus parameterization schemes. In terms of mean bias, WRF model with BM scheme shows the best performance in terms of summer/winter mean precipitation as well as summer mean temperature throughout the North East Asia. In contrast, the seasonal mean precipitation is generally overestimated (underestimated) by KF (GD) scheme. In addition, the seasonal variation of the temperature and precipitation is well simulated by WRF model, but with an overestimation in summer precipitation derived from KF experiment and with an underestimation in wet season precipitation from BM and GD schemes. Also, the frequency distribution of daily precipitation derived from KF and BM experiments (GD experiment) is well reproduced, except for the overestimation (underestimation) in the intensity range above (less) then $2.5mm\;d^{-1}$. In the case of the amount of daily precipitation, all experiments tend to underestimate (overestimate) the amount of daily precipitation in the low-intensity range < $4mm\;d^{-1}$ (high-intensity range > $12mm\;d^{-1}$). This type of error is largest in the KF experiment.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.435-442
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• 2024

We investigated the accuracy of surface air temperature prediction according to the selection of land-use data and initial meteorological data using the Weather Research and Forecasting model-v4.2.1. A numerical experiment was conducted at the Daegu Dyeing Industrial Complex. We initially used meteorological input data from GFS (Global forecast system)and GDAPS (Global data assimilation and prediction system). High-resolution input data were generated and used as input data for the weather model using the land cover data of the Ministry of Environment and the digital elevation model of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. The experiment was conducted by classifying the terrestrial and topographic data (land cover data) and meteorological data applied to the model. For simulations using high-resolution terrestrial data(10 m), global data assimilation, and prediction system data(CASE 3), the calculated surface temperature was much closer to the automatic weather station observations than for simulations using low-resolution terrestrial data(900 m) and GFS(CASE 1).

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.201-217
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• 2022

The United States is one of the largest producers of major crops such as wheat, maize, and soybeans, and is a major exporter of these crops. Therefore, it is important to estimate the crop production of the country in advance based on reliable long- term weather forecast information for stable crops supply and demand in Korea. The purpose of this study is to improve the seasonal predictability of the agro-climatic indices over the United States by using regional-scale daily temperature. For long-term numerical weather prediction, a dynamical downscaling is performed using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, a regional climate model. As the initial and lateral boundary conditions of WRF, the global hourly prediction data obtained from the Pusan National University Coupled General Circulation Model (PNU CGCM) are used. The integration of WRF is performed for 22 years (2000-2021) for period from June to December of each year. The empirical quantile mapping, one of the bias correction methods, is applied to the timeseries of downscaled daily mean, minimum, and maximum temperature to correct the model biases. The uncorrected and corrected datasets are referred WRF_UC and WRF_C, respectively in this study. The daily minimum (maximum) temperature obtained from WRF_UC presents warm (cold) biases over most of the United States, which can be attributed to the underestimated the low (high) temperature range. The results show that WRF_C simulates closer to the observed temperature than WRF_UC, which lead to improve the long- term predictability of the temperature- based agro-climatic indices.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2013

In this paper we interpreted the changes in wind field over complex mountainous terrains. The results of our study can be applied for predicting the direction of fire spread and for establishing strategies for fire prevention. The study area is bounded by $12{\times}12$ km domains of the Samcheok's long-term ecological research (LTER) site located in the east coast, in which a large-fire had occurred from 7 to 13 April 2000. Because of the area's complex topography, we compared the result of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model with those observed by four automated weather stations. The WRF simulation overestimated the wind speed by 5 to 8 m/s (~200%) in comparison with those from four automated weather stations. The wind directions observed by the AWSs were from various directions whereas those from WRF model were mostly west wind at all stations. Overall, the simulations by the WRF mesoscale models were not appropriate for the estimation of microscale wind fields over complex mountainous areas. To overcome such inadequacy of reproducing the wind fields, we employed the ENVI-met model over Samcheok's LTER site. In order to test the model's sensitivity with the terrain effects, experimental simulations were conducted with various initial conditions. The simulation results of the ENVI-met model showed a reasonable agreement in wind speeds (about 70% accuracy) with those of the four AWSs. Also, that the variations in wind directions agreed reasonably well with changes in terrain effect. We concluded that the ENVI-met model is more appropriate in representing the microscale wind field over complex mountain terrains, which is required to predict fire spread and to establish strategies for forest fire prevention.

• Atmosphere
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.51-66
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• 2015

This study was conducted to perform various sensitivity experiments using WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model in order to determine the effects of terrains of the Korean Peninsula and the land-sea thermal contrast on the formation and development of the convergent cloud band for the cases of 1 February 2012. The sensitivity experiments consist of the following five ones: CNTL experiment (control experiment), and TMBT experiment, BDMT experiment and ALL experiment that set the terrain altitude of Taeback Mountains and Northern mountain complex as zero, respectively, and the altitude of the above-mentioned two mountains as zero, and LANDSEA experiment that set to change the Korean Peninsula into sea in order to find out the land-sea thermal contrast effect. These experiment results showed that a cold air current stemming from the Siberian high pressure met the group of northern mountains with high topography altitude and was separated into two air currents. These two separated air currents met each other again on the Middle and Northern East Sea, downstream of the group of northern mountains and converged finally, creating the convergent cloud band. And these experiments suggested that the convergent cloud band located on the Middle and Northern East Sea, and the cloud band lying on the southern East sea to the coastal waters of the Japanese Island facing the East Sea, were generated and developed by different dynamical mechanisms. Also it was found that the topography of Taeback Mountains created a warm air advection region due to temperature rise by adiabatic compression near the coastal waters of Yeongdong Region, downstream of the mountains. In conclusion, these experiment results clearly showed that the most essential factor having an effect on the generation and development of the convergent cloud band was the topography effect of the northern mountain complex, and that the land-sea thermal contrast effect was insignificant.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.119-130
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• 2012

Heat island phenomena in Chuncheon (Korea) were investigated using air temperature measured by automatic weather stations and temperature dataloggers located at rural and urban sites. Numerical simulation of the phenomena was performed using Weather Research and Forecasting Urban Canopy Model (WRF-UCM) and results were compared with the observation. The model was initialized with NCEP/FNL data. The horizontal resolution of the fine domain is 0.33 km. The results of observational analyses show that the intensity of heat island was significantly higher during the nighttime than during the daytime. The highest measured temperature difference between rural and urban site is $3.49^{\circ}C$ and average temperature difference varies between 1.4 and $1.9^{\circ}C$. Good agreement was found between the simulated and observed temperatures. However, significantly overestimated wind speed was found at the urban sites. The linear regression analysis between observed and simulated temperature shows high correlation coefficient 0.96 for urban and 0.94 for rural sites while for wind speed, a very low correlation coefficient was found, 0.30 and 0.55 respectively.