• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.67-78
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• 2005

Complex physical, chemical and biological interactions off the Korean coast created several striking patterns in the phytoplankton blooms, which became conspicuous during the measurements of ocean color from space. This study concentrated on analyzing the spatial and temporal aspects of phytoplankton chlorophyll variability in these areas using an integrated dataset from a Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), Advanced Very High Resolution (AVHRR) sensor, and Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) sensor. The results showed that chlorophyll concentrations were elevated in coastal and open ocean regions, with strong summer and fall blooms, which appeared to spread out in most of the enclosed bays and neighboring waters due to certain oceanographic processes. The chlorophyll concentration was observed to range between 3 and $54\;mg\;m^{-3}$ inside Jin-hae Bay and adjacent coastal bays and 0.5 and $8\;mg\;m^{-3}$ in the southeast sea offshore waters, this gradual decrease towards oceanic waters suggested physical transports of phytoplankton blooms from the shallow shelves to slope waters through the influence of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) along the Tsushima Strait. Horizontal distribution of potential temperature $(\theta)$ and salinity (S) of water off the southeastern coast exhibited cold and low saline surface water $(\theta and warm and high saline subsurface water $({\theta}>12^{\circ}C; S>34.4)$ at 75dBar, corroborating TWC intrusion along the Tsushima Strait. An eastward branch of this current was called the East Korean Warm Current (EKWC), tracked with the help of CTD data and satellite-derived sea surface temperature, which often influenced the dynamics of mesoscale anticyclonic eddy fields off the Korean east coast during the summer season. The process of such mesoscale anticyclonic eddy features might have produced interior upwelling that could have shoaled and steepened the nutricline, enhancing phytoplankton population by advection or diffusion of nutrients in the vicinity of Ulleungdo in the East Sea.

• Atmosphere
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 2019

The characteristics of the sea breeze were investigated using the wind and temperature data collected from 300-m tower at Boseong from May 2014 to April 2018. Sea breeze day was detected using following criteria: 1) the presence of a clear change in wind direction near sunrise (between 1 hour after sunrise and 5 hours before sunset) and sunset (from 1500 LST to midnight), 2) presence of thermal forcing of sea breeze and 3) no heavy precipitation (rain < $10mm\;d^{-1}$). Sea breeze days occurred on 569 days for 4 years. The monthly distribution of sea breeze day occurrence shows maxima in May and September and minimum in December. The average onset and cessation times of the sea breeze are 0942 LST and 1802 LST, respectively. Although the 10-m wind shows clockwise rotation with time in the afternoon, the observed hodograph does not show an ideal elliptical shape and has different characteristics depending on the upper synoptic wind direction. Vertical structure of sea breeze shows local maximum of wind speed and local minimum of virtual potential temperature at 40 m in the afternoon for most synoptic conditions except for southeasterly synoptic wind ($60^{\circ}{\sim}150^{\circ}$) which is in the same direction as onshore flow. The local minimum of temperature is due to cold advection by sea breeze. During daytime, the intensity of inversion layer above 40 m is strongest in westerly synoptic wind ($240^{\circ}{\sim}330^{\circ}$) which is in the opposite direction to onshore flow.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.119-134
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• 2023

The synoptic, thermodynamic, and dynamic characteristics of a snowfall event that occurred in the Yeongdong region on March 1-2, 2021, were investigated. Surface weather charts, ERA5 reanalysis data, rawinsonde data, GK-2A satellite data, and WISSDOM data were used for analysis. The snow depth, exceeding 10 cm, was observed at four weather stations during the analysis period. The maximum snow depth (37.4 cm) occurred at Bukgangneung. According to the analysis of the weather charts, old and dry air was trapped within relatively warm, humid air in the upper atmosphere over the East Sea and adjacent Yeongdong region. This caused unstable atmospheric conditions that led to developing convective clouds and snowfall over Bukgangneung. In particular, based on the thermodynamic and kinematic vertical analysis, we suggest that strong winds attributable to the vertical gradient of potential temperature in the low layer and the development of convective instability due to cold advection played a significant role in the occurrence of snowfall in the Yeongdong region. These results were confirmed from the vertical analysis of the rawinsonde data.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.323-330
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• 1988

The spatial distribution of sea water temperature variation pattern in the South-eastern coastal region of Korea was studied by empirical orthogonal function (E. O. F) analysis in several depths from surface to 300m using the monthly mean water temperature averaged for 23 years, water mass analysis by T. S diagram and sectional diagram of water temperature. Typical type of water temperature variation in this area can be divided into surface (0m-50m), subsurface (100m-150m) and intermediate (200m-300m) layer. The first mode value of water temperature change on the surface layer showed $99\%$ of total variation, and decreased with the increase of the depth. It is deduced to be in the range of $60-70\%$ on the 300m layer. The representative type of water temperature fluctuation by the first mode in each layer is as follows. Water temperature change in the surface layer showed a seasonal variation. In the subsurface layer, it is governed by the interaction of the Tsushima Warm Current water with the cold water and by the heat transfer process from the upper layer. In the intermediate layer, water temperature variation seems to be governed by the advection of the bottom cold water.

• Atmosphere
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.413-421
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• 2016

Climate Analysis Seoul (CAS) which provides gridded data relevant for thermal assessment was applied to one of the urban green areas, the Seonjeongneung, in Seoul, Korea. The thermal environment in the Seonjeongneung was evaluated from the CAS simulation for the five heat-wave issued cases during the last five years (2011~2015). The CAS has been improved continuously since it was developed. An updated version with a higher resolution of the CAS simulation domain and an addition of the vegetation information was used in this study. The influence of vegetation in the Seonjeongneung is estimated through the amount of the cold air generation ($Q_{ca}$) and air temperature deviation at each grid points, which are calculated by incorporating Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis on the simulation domain and meteorological analysis with the METeorology and atmospheric PHOtochemistry mesoscale MODel (MetPhoMod) in the CAS. The average amount of the cold air generation ($Q_{ca}$) at the Seonjeongneung is about $25.5m^3m^{-2}h^{-1}$ for the whole cases, and this value is similar to the ones in a forest or a well-wooded region. The average value of the total air temperature deviation (TD) is $-2.54^{\circ}C$ at the Seonjeongneung for the five cases. However, this cooling effect of the urban green area disappeared when the region is replaced by high-rise buildings in the CAS simulation. The $Q_{ca}$ drastically decreases to about $1.1m^3m^{-2}h^{-1}$ and the average TD shows an increase of $1.14^{\circ}C$ for the same events. This result shows that the vegetation in the Seonjeongneung supposes to keep down temperature during the heat-wave issued day and the average cooling effect of the green region is $3.68^{\circ}C$ quantitatively from the TD difference of the two simulations. The cooling effect represented with the TD difference is larger than $0.3^{\circ}C$ within 200 m distance from the boundary of the Seonjeongneung. Further improvements of the thermodynamical and advection processes above the model surface are required to consider more accurate assessment of the cooling effect for the urban green area.

• Atmosphere
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.227-241
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• 2016

This study investigated the cause of the heavy snowfall that occurred in the East Coast of Korea from 6 February to 14 February 2014. The synoptic conditions were analyzed using blocking index, equivalent potential temperature, potential vorticity, maritime temperature difference, temperature advection, and ground convergence. During the case period, a large blocking pattern developed over the Western Pacific causing the flow to be stagnant, and there was a North-South oriented High-to-Low pressure system over the Korean Peninsula because of this arrangement. The case period was divided into three parts based on the synoptic forcing that was responsible for the heavy snowfall; detailed analyses were conducted for the first and last period. In the first period, a heavy snowfall occurred over the entire Korean Peninsula due to strong updrafts from baroclinic instability and a low pressure caused by potential vorticity located at the mid-troposphere. In the lower atmosphere, a North-South oriented High-to-Low pressure system over the Eastern Korea intensified the easterly airflow and created a convergence zone near the ground which strengthened the upslope effect of the Taebaek Mountain range with a cumulative fresh snowfall amount of 41 cm in the East Coast region. In the last period, the cold air nestled in the Maritime Province of Siberia and Manchuria strengthened much more than that in the first half and extended to the East Sea. The temperature difference between the 850 hPa air and the SST was large and convective clouds developed over the sea. The highest cumulative fresh snow amount of 39.7 cm was recorded in the coastal area during this period. During the entire period, vertically oriented equivalent potential temperature showed neutral stability layer that helped the cloud formation and development in the East Coast. The 2014 heavy snowfall case over the East Coast provinces of Korea were due to: 1) stagnation of the system by blocking pattern, 2) the dynamic effect of mid-level potential vorticity of 1.6 PVU, 3) the easterly air flow from North-South oriented High-to-Low pressure system, 4) the existence of vertically oriented neutral stable layer, and 5) the expansion of strong cold air into the East Sea which created a large temperature difference between the air and the ocean.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.875-884
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• 2000

Sea fog/stratus is very difficult to detect because of the characteristics of air-sea interaction and locality ,and the scantiness of the observed data from the oceans such as ships or ocean buoys. The aim of our study develops new algorism for sea fog detection by using Geostational Meteorological Satellite-5(GMS-5) and suggests the technics of its continuous detection. In this study, atmospheric synoptic patterns on sea fog day of May, 1999 are classified; cold air advection type(OOUTC, May 10, 1999) and warm air advection type(OOUTC, May 12, 1999), respectively, and we collected two case days in order to analyze variations of water vapor at Osan observation station during May 9-10, 1999.So as to detect daytime sea fog/stratus(OOUTC, May 10, 1999), composite image, visible accumulated histogram method and surface albedo method are used. The characteristic value during day showed A(min) .20% and DA < 10% when visible accumulated histogram method was applied. And the sea fog region which is detected is similar in composite image analysis and surface albedo method. Inland observation which visibility and relative humidity is beneath 1Km and 80%, respectively, at OOUTC, May 10,1999; Poryoung for visble accumulated histogram method and Poryoung, Mokp'o and Kangnung for surface albedo method. In case of nighttime sea fog(18UTC, May 10, 1999), IR accumulated histogram method and Maximum brightness temperature method are used, respectively. Maxium brightness temperature method dectected sea fog better than IR accumulated histogram method with the charateristic value that is T_max < T_max_trs, and then T_max is beneath 700hPa temperature of GDAPS(Global Data Assimilation and Prediction System). Sea fog region which is detected by Maxium brighness temperature method was similar to the result of National Oceanic and Atmosheric Administratio/Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (NOAA/AVHRR) DCD(Dual Channel Difference), but usually visibility and relative humidity are not agreed well in inland.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.187-199
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the formation mechanism of landspout by using the Cloud Resolving Storm Simulator (CReSS). The landspout occurred over Ilsan, Goyang City, the Republic of Korea on June 10, 2014 with the damage of a private property. In synoptic environment, a cold dry air on the upper layers of the atmosphere, and there was an advection with warm and humid air in the lower atmosphere. Temperature differences between upper and lower layers resulted in thermal instability. The storm began to arise at 1920 KST and reached the mature stage in ten minutes. The cloud top height was estimated at 9 km and the hook echo was appeared at the rear of a storm in simulation result. Model results showed that the downburst was generated in the developed storm over the Ilsan area. This downburst caused the horizontal flow when it diverged near the surface. The horizontal flow was switched to updraft at the rear of storm, and the rear-flank downdrafts (RFDs) current occurred from simulation result. The RFDs took down the vertical flow to the surface. After then, the vertical vorticity could be generated on the surface in simulation result. Subsequently, the vertical vorticity was stretched to form a landspout. The cyclonic vorticity of echo hook from simulation was greater than $3{\times}10^{-2}s^{-1}$(height of 360 m) and landspout diameter was estimated at 1 km.

• Atmosphere
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.29-45
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• 2012

An unusual autumn storm developed rapidly in the western part of the East sea on the early morning of 23 October 2006. This storm produced a record-breaking heavy rain and strong wind in the northern and middle part of the Yeong-dong region; 24-h rainfall of 304 mm over Gangneung and wind speed exceeding 63.7 m $s^{-1}$ over Sokcho. In this study, MTSAT-1R (Multi-fuctional Transport Satellite) water vapor and infrared channel imagery are examined to find out some features which are dynamically associated with the development of the storm. These features may be the precursor signals of the rapidly developing storm and can be employed for very short range forecast and nowcasting of severe storm. The satellite features are summarized: 1) MTSAT-1R Water Vapor imagery exhibited that distinct dark region develops over the Yellow sea at about 12 hours before the occurrence of maximum rainfall about 1100 KST on 23 October 2006. After then, it changes gradually into dry intrusion. This dark region in the water vapor image is closely related with the positive anomaly in 500 hPa Potential Vorticity field. 2) In the Infrared imagery, low stratus (brightness temperature: $0{\sim}5^{\circ}C$) develops from near Bo-Hai bay and Shanfung peninsula and then dissipates partially on the western coast of Korean peninsula. These features are found at 10~12 hours before the maximum rainfall occurrence, which are associated with the cold and warm advection in the lower troposphere. 3) The IR imagery reveals that two convective cloud cells (brightness temperature below $-50^{\circ}C$) merge each other and after merging it grows up rapidly over the western part of East sea at about 5 hours before the maximum rainfall occurrence. These features remind that there must be the upward flow in the upper troposphere and the low-layer convergence over the same region of East sea. The time of maximum growth of the convective cloud agrees well with the time of the maximum rainfall.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.71-87
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• 2007

In this study, 14 heavy snow events in Yeongdong area which are local phenomena are analyzed using MODIS cloud products provided from NASA/GSFC. The clouds of Yeongdong area at observed at specific time by MODIS are classified into A, B, C Types, based on the characteristic of cloud properties: cloud top temperature, cloud optical thickness, Effective Particle Radius, and Cloud Particle Phase. The analysis of relations between cloud properties and precipitation amount for each cloud type show that there are statistically significant correlations between Cloud Optical Thickness and precipitation amount for both A and B type and also significant correlation is found between Cloud Top Temperature and precipitation amount for A type. However, for C type there is not any significant correlations between cloud properties and precipitation amount. A-type clouds are mainly lower stratus clouds with small-size droplet, which may be formed under the low level cold advection derived synoptically in the East sea. B-type clouds are developed cumuliform clouds, which are closely related to the low pressure center developing over the East sea. On the other hand, C-type clouds are likely multi-layer clouds, which make satellite observation difficult due to covering of high clouds over low level clouds directly related with Yeongdong heavy snow. It is, therefore, concluded that MODIS cloud products may be useful except the multi-layer clouds for understanding the mechanism of heavy snow and estimating the precipitation amount from satellite data in the case of Yeongdong heavy snow.