• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.237-250
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• 2005

To investigate the air mass modification related with Yeongdong Heavy snowfall events, we examined sensible and latent heat fluxes on the East Sea, the energy exchange between atmosphere and ocean in this study. Sensible and latent heats were calculated by a bulk aerodynamic method, in which NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and NOAA/AVHRR weekly SST data with high resolution were used. Among winter precipitation events in the Yeongdong region, 19 heavy precipitation events $(1995{\sim}2001)$ were selected and classified into three types (mountain, cold-coastal, and warm types). Mountain-type precipitation shows highly positive anomalies of sensible and latent heats over the southwestern part of the East Set When separating them into the two components due to variability of wind and temperature/ specific Humidity, it is shown that the wind components are dominant. Cold-coastal-type precipitation also shows strong positive anomalies of sensible and latent heats over the northern part and over the central-northern part of the East Sea, respectively. It is shown that the sensible heat anomalies are caused mostly by the decrease of surface air temperature. So it can be explained that cold-coastal-type precipitation is closely related with the air mass modification due to cold air advection over warm ocean surface. But in warm-type precipitation, negative anomalies are found in the sensible and latent heat distributions. From this result, it may be postulated that warm-type precipitation is affected by the internal process of the atmosphere rather than the atmosphere-ocean interaction.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2006

Coastal sea surface temperature (CSST) and meteorological data from January through December 1995 are used to estimate the net surface heat flux and heat content for Sendai Bay. The average annual surface heat flux in the area north of the bay is estimated to be $+35Wm^{-2}$, whereas the southwestern area is estimated to be $+56Wm^{-2}$. Therefore, the net surface heat flux shows a net gain of heat over the whole bay. The largest heat gain occurs near Matsukawaura, where the strong Kuroshio/Oyashio interaction produces anomalously cold SST and wind is more moderate than in other regions of Sendai Bay over most of the year. The lowest heat gain occurs around Tashiro Island, where the temperature difference between air and sea surface is lower and wind is stronger. The heat budget shows that both surface forcing and horizontal advection are potentially important contributors to the seasonal evolution of CSST in the bay. From the A VHRR and SeaWiFS data, it is found that offshore conditions between the bay and Eno Island are different due to the presence of the Ojika Peninsula. It is also shown that the temporal behaviors of SSTs in the bay are closely connected with the air-sea heat flux and offshore conditions.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1271-1281
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• 2009

The heavy snowfall event over the eastern part of Seoul, Korea on Mar. 04, 2008 has been abruptly occurred after the frontal system with the heavy snowfall event had been past over the Korean peninsula on Mar. 03, 2008. Therefore, this heavy snowfall event couldn't be predicted well by any means of theoretical knowledges and models. After the cold front passed by, the cold air mass was flown over the peninsula immediately and became clear expectedly except the eastern part and southwestern part of peninsula with some large amount of snowfall. Even though the wide and intense massive cold anticyclone was expanded and enhanced by the lowest tropospheric baroclinicity over the Yellow Sea, but the intrusion and eastward movement of cold air to Seoul was too slow than normally predicted. Using the data of numerical model, satellite and radar images, three dimensional analysis Products(KLAPS : Korea Local Analysis and Prediction System) of the environmental conditions of this event such as temperature, equivalent potential temperature, wind, vertical circulation, divergence, moisture flux divergence and relative vorticity could be analyzed precisely. Through the analysis of this event, the formation and westward advection of lower cyclonic circulation with continuously horizontal movement of air into the eastern part of Seoul by the analyses of KLAPS fields have been affected by occurring the heavy snowfall event. As the predictability of abrupt snowfall event was very hard and dependent on not only the synoptic atmospheric circulation but also for mesoscale atmospheric circulation, the forecaster can be predicted well this event which may be occurred and developed within the very short time period using sequential satellite images and KLAPS products.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.65-68
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• 2003

A quantitative study of the amount of air transported between the boundary layer and the free atmosphere is important for understanding air quality and upper tropospheric ozone, which is a greenhouse gas. Frontal systems are known to be an effective mechanism for the vertical transport of pollutants. Numerical experiments have been performed with a simple two-dimensional front model to simulate vertical transport of trace gases within developing cold fronts. Three different trace gases experiments have been done numerically according to the different initial fields of trace gases such as aerosol, ozone and $H_2O_2$. Trace gas field tilts to the east while the front tilts to the west. Aerosol simulation shows that pollutants can be transported out of the boundary to altitudes of about 10 km. The stratospheric ozone is brought downwards in a tropopause fold behind of the frontal surface. The meridional gradient in trace gas ($H_2O_2$) can cause a complicate structure in the trace field by the meridional advection.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.31-46
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• 1997

The purposes of this paper are to classify the spatial distribution types of precipitation by making daily isohyetal maps based on the winter daily precipitation and to analyse both the distributional characteristics of precipitation during the winter in South Korea and the synoptic characteristics related to them. Also, the correspondence between the spatial distribution types of precipitation and the synoptic characteristics occuring among them is examined with regards to pressure patterns and then precipitation distribution types. In addition, the characteristics of the pressure fields and temperature fields in 850hPa, 700hPa, and 500hPa level were analysed to find out the difference between the Ullung-do type and the Ullung-do${\cdot}$Honam type, which have similar characteristics on the surface weather map. As a result, the Ullung-do area showed a high frequency of occurrence regardless of precipitation classes, the East Coast area revealed a higher frequency of occurrence in over the 5mm section, while the Honam area had high frequency of occurrence in the 1~5mm section. There are twelve distribution types of precipitation during the winter. These distribution types show clear changes according to the season. The difference in precipitation distribution between the Ullung-do type and the Ullung-do${\cdot}$Honam type has a close relationship with the aspect of the upper cold air advection rather than the direction and the speed of the wind.

• Atmosphere
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.317-338
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• 2008

Analyses of observational data and numerical simulations were performed to understand the mechanism of MCSs (Mesoscale Convective Systems) occurred on 13-14 July 2004 over Jindo area of the Korean Peninsula. Observations indicated that synoptic environment was favorable for the occurrence of heavy rainfall. This heavy rainfall appeared to have been enhanced by convergence around the Changma front and synoptic scale lifting. From the analyses of storm environment using Haenam upper-air observation data, it was confirmed that strong convective instability was present around the Jindo area. Instability indices such as K-index, SSI-index showed favorable condition for strong convection. In addition, warm advection in the lower troposphere and cold advection in the middle troposphere were detected from wind profiler data. The size of storm, that produced heavy rainfall over Jindo area, was smaller than $50{\times}50km^2$ according to radar observation. The storm developed more than 10 km in height, but high reflectivity (rain rate 30 mm/hr) was limited under 6 km. It can be judged that convection cells, which form cloud clusters, occurred on the inflow area of the Changma front. In numerical simulation, high CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) was found in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. However, heavy rainfall was restricted to the Jindo area with high CIN (Convective INhibition) and high CAPE. From the observations of vertical drop size distribution from MRR (Micro Rain Radar) and the analyses of numerically simulated hydrometeors such as graupel etc., it can be inferred that melted graupels enhanced collision and coalescence process of heavy precipitation systems.

• Atmosphere
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.31-49
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• 2015

From the hourly data of 75 Korean weather stations over a 12-year period (2001~2012), this study has chosen three cases (January 12, 2006; January 11, 2008; and February 22, 2009) of multiple freezing rains and investigated the atmospheric circulations that seemed to cause the events. As a result, the receding high pressure type (2006), prevailing high pressure type (2008), and warm front type (2009) are confirmed as synoptic patterns. In all three cases, freezing rain was found in regions with a strong ascending current near the end point of a low-level jet that carried the warm humid air from low latitudes. The strong ascending current resulted from lower-level convergence and upper-level divergence. In 2006 and 2009, the melting process was confirmed. In 2008, the supercooled warm rain process (SWRP) was confirmed. In contrast to existing SWRP theory, it was found that the cool air produced at the middle atmosphere and near the earth's surface led to the formation of freezing rain. The sources of this cool air were supposed to be the evaporative latent heat and the cold advection coming from the northeast. On the other hand, a special case was detected, in which the freezing rain occurred when both the soil surface temperature and surface air temperature were above $0^{\circ}C$. The thickness distributions related to freezing rain in Korea were found to be similar to those in North America. A P-type nomogram was considered for freezing rain forecasting; however, it was not relevant enough to Korea, and few modifications were needed.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.