• Atmosphere
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.455-462
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• 2020

Among the weather conditions on the Korean Peninsula, Changma is a notable phenomenon. This is because substantial amount of the precipitation on the Korean Peninsula tends to happen during the Changma season. But there are times when this tendency falls into whims. That's the case when it doesn't rain or rains only little during the Changma season. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) describes this phenomenon as 'Dry Changma' - meaning . However, 'Dry Changma' is often regarded as an instance of contradicto in adjecto. Since the general public believe that 'Changma' means . This confusion often leads to distrust in meteorologists. In this paper, we would like to propose a reasonable solution to this conundrum by employing the conceptual resources of contemporary philosophy. First of all, I will make explicit the meaning of 'Changma' that the public and meteorologists think of. And then a brief explanation of the concept of natural kinds will be presented and the argument will be made that Changma is a natural kind. Next, we will discuss a view on natural kind terms advanced by Saul Kripke, a renowned philosopher. We will argue that in Kripke's view, the general public's thought that 'Dry Changma' is contradicto in adjecto is not correct. This will eventually lead to the conclusion that the meteorologist usage of 'Changma' is the correct one, which is thereby to be adopted by the public.

• Atmosphere
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.6-12
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• 2001

The East Asian monsoon is generally accompanied with the quasi-stationary front along the northern and northwestern periphery of the subtropical anticyclone in the boundary zone of the polar cold air mass and the tropical warm air mass. The rainy season in Korea has been called as Changma since the middle of 1500s. In meteorology, the rainy season with the quasi-stationary front, the Changma front, during the early summer has been defined as the Changma since 1905. The difference of meaning on Changma between meteorologists and the general public sometime does give a confusion. For example, the heavy rainfall event after the retreat of Changma is recognized as Changma by the general public, but not by most of meteorologists. The decision of the onset and retreat dates of Changma among the meteorologists is also ambiguous because of different viewpoints on the definition of Changma. In this study we survey the etymology and definition of Changma.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2005

The East Asian summermonsoon is generally accompanied with the quasi-stationary front along the northern and northwestern periphery of the subtropical Northwest Pacific high. The rainy season in Korea has been called as Changma since the middle of 1500s. Understanding of Changma and heavy rainfall advancing along the Changma front is one of main interesting of Korean meteorologists. This study briefly summarized the descriptive characteristics of Changma and its relatedmechanism, definitions on the Changma period, and etymology of Changma through reviewing the previous studies on Changma.

• Atmosphere
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.297-307
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• 2009

The synoptic structures and the dynamic and thermodynamic characteristics of Changma in 2007 are investigated using the ECMWF analysis data and the radiosonde data from KEOP-2007 IOP. The enhancement of the North-Pacific High into the Korean peninsula and the retreat of the Okhotsk High are shown during the onset of Changma and the change of wind component from southwesterly to northwesterly is appeared during the end of Changma. The baroclinic atmosphere is dominant during Changma at most regions over the Korean peninsula except at Gosan and Sokcho. The quasi-barotropic atmosphere is induced at Gosan by warm air mass and Sokcho by cold air mass. Precipitation in the Korean peninsula occurs when dynamic instability is strengthened as the baroclinic and qusi-barotropic structure is weakened. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis is performed to find the dominant modes of variability in Changma. The first EOF explains the onset of Changma. The second EOF is related to the discrimination for existence and nonexistence of precipitation during Changma period according to the alternation of equivalent potential temperature between middle and lower atmosphere.

• Atmosphere
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 2014

The definition of onset date of Changma is revisited in this study using a quality controlled Ieodo ocean research station data. The Ieodo station has great importance in terms of its southwest location from Korean Peninsula and, hence, makes it possible to predict Changma period in advance with less impact of continents. The onset date of Changma using the Ieodo station data is defined by the time that meridional wind direction changes and maintains from northerly to southerly, and then the zonal wind changes from easterly to westerly after first June. This definition comes from a recognition that the establishment and movement of the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) cause Changma through southwesterly flow. The onset data of Changma has been determined by large-scale dynamic-thermodynamic characteristics or various meteorological station data. However, even the definition based on circulation data at the Ieodo station has a potential for the improved prediction skill of the onset date of Changma. The differences between before and after Changma, defined as Ieodo station data, are also found in synoptic chart. The convective instability and conspicuous circulations, corresponding low-level southwesterly flow related to WNPSH and strong upper-level zonal wind, are represented during Changma.

• Atmosphere
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.109-121
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• 2011

This study revisits the definition of Changma, which is the major rainy season in Korea and corresponds to a regional component of the East Asian summer monsoon system. In spite of several decades of researches on Changma, questions still remain on many aspects of Changma that include its proper definition, determination of its onset and retreat, and relevant large-scale dynamical and thermodynamical features. Therefore, this study clarifies the definition of Changma (which is a starting point for the study of interannual and interdecadal variability) using a basic concept of air mass and front by calculating equivalent potential temperature (${\theta}_e$) that considers air temperature and humidity simultaneously. A negative peak in the meridional gradient of this quantity signifies the approximate location of Changma front. This front has previously been recognized as the boundary between the tropical North Pacific air mass and cold Okhotsk sea air mass. However, this study identifies three more important air masses affecting Changma: the tropical monsoon air mass related to the intertropical convergence zone over Southeast Asia and South China Sea, the tropical continental air mass over North China, and intermittently polar continental air mass. The variations of these five air masses lead to complicated evolution of Changma and modulate intensity, onset and withdrawal dates, and duration of Changma on the interannual time scale. Importantly, use of ${\theta}_e$, 500-hPa geopotential height and 200 hPa zonal wind fields for determining Changma onset and withdrawal dates results in a significant increase (up to~57%) in the hindcast skill compared to a previous study.

• Atmosphere
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.345-358
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• 2017

The decadal change in rainfall for Changma period over the South Korea in early-2000s is detected in this study. The Changma rainfall in P1 (1992~2002) decade is remarkably less than in P2 (2003~2013) decade. The much rainfall in P2 decade is associated with the increase of rainy day frequency during Changma period, including the frequent occurrences of rainy day with a intensity of 30 mm/day or more in P2 decade. This decadal change in the Changma rainfall is due to the decadal change of atmospheric circulation around the Korean Peninsula which affects the intensity and location of Changma rainfall. During P2 decade, the anomalous anti-cyclone over the south of the Korean Peninsula, which represents the expansion of the North Pacific high with warm and wet air mass toward East Asia, is stronger than in P1 decade. In addition, the upper level zonal wind and meridional gradient of low-level equivalent potential temperature in P2 decade is relatively strengthened over the northern part of the Korean Peninsula than in P1 decade, which corresponds with the intensification of meridional gradient between air mass related to the East Asian summer monsoon nearby the Korean Peninsula in P2 decade. The enhanced meridional gradient of atir mass during P2 decade is favorable condition for the intensification of Changma rainfall band and more Changma rainfall. The atmospheric conditions related to enhanced Changma rainfall during P2 decade is likely to be influenced by the teleconnection linked to the suppressed convection anomaly over the southern part of China and South China Sea in P2 decade.

• Atmosphere
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.533-540
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• 2014

Statistical forecast models for the prediction of the summertime Changma precipitation have been developed in this study. As effective predictors for the Changma precipitation, the springtime sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the North Atlantic (NA1), the North Pacific (NPC) and the tropical Pacific Ocean (CNINO) has been suggested in Lee and Seo (2013). To further improve the performance of the statistical prediction scheme, we select other potential predictors and construct 2 additional statistical models. The selected predictors are the Northern Indian Ocean (NIO) and the Bering Sea (BS) SST anomalies, and the spring Eurasian snow cover anomaly (EUSC). Then, using the total three statistical prediction models, a simple ensemble-mean prediction is performed. The resulting correlation skill score reaches as high as ~0.90 for the last 21 years, which is ~16% increase in the skill compared to the prediction model by Lee and Seo (2013). The EUSC and BS predictors are related to a strengthening of the Okhotsk high, leading to an enhancement of the Changma front. The NIO predictor induces the cyclonic anomalies to the southwest of the Korean peninsula and southeasterly flows toward the peninsula, giving rise to an increase in the Changma precipitation.

• Atmosphere
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.277-290
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• 2017

Characteristics of precipitation in South Korea during the 2016 Changma period (6/18~7/30) are analyzed in great details. El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$-induced tropical Indian Ocean (IO) basin-wide warming lasts from spring to early summer and induces the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) circulation anomaly through an equatorial Kelvin wave during the 2016 Changma period. Along the northern edge of the WNPSH, strong precipitation occurred, in particular, over eastern China and southern Japan. During the Changma period, South Korea had the near-normal mean precipitation amount (~332 mm). However, about 226 mm of rain fell in South Korea during 1 July to 6 July, which amounts to 67% of total Changma precipitation in that year. Upper-level synoptic migratory lows and low-level moisture transport played an essential role, especially from 1 July to 3 July, in triggering an abrupt development of fronts over the Korean Peninsula and the eastern continent China. The front over the eastern China migrates progressively eastward, which results in heavy rainfall over the Korean peninsula from 1 to 3 July. In contrast, from 4 to 6 July, the typhoon (NEPARTAK) affected an abrupt northward advance of the North Pacific subtropical high (NPSH). The northward extension of the NPSH strengthens the Changma front and induces the southerly flows toward the Korean peninsula, giving rise to an increase in heavy rainfall. The NEPARTAK is generated due to interaction of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), equatorial Rossby wave and Kelvin waves.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.422-433
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristic changes of the Changma season in the 2000s. To accomplish this goal, we have used daily rainfall data collected over nearly 40 years (1971 to 2010). The average summer precipitation data including the Changma season were collected from 16 weather stations that are placed across the three major regions (i.e. central region, southern region, and Jeju region) as Korea Meteorological Administration divided. These precipitation data were analyzed to find out characteristic changes of the Changma season. Results of the precipitation data comparison among the major regions that, monthly average precipitation in the central region was the highest in July; its precipitation tended to increase from May to September. In the southern region, the precipitation amount was lowest in June and tended to increase in May, September, and August. In the Jeju region, the precipitation has been the highest in June and July for the past 30 years, whereas September has been highest month in the last 10 years. The precipitation amount in the Jeju region decreased both in June and July, whereas it tended to grow in May, August and September. A correlation coefficient formula by Karl Pearson has been used to find out correlations between the Changma season and the precipitation of the major regions in 2000s and normal years. It was found that the correlation coefficient has decreased from 0.723 to 0.524 in the 2000s (2001 to 2010) compared to normal years (1971 to 2000).