• Atmosphere
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.159-183
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• 2016

On 31 July 2014, there was a localized torrential rainfall ($58.5mm\;hr^{-1}$) caused by a strong convective cell with thunder showers over Daegwallyeong. In the surface synoptic chart, a typhoon was positioned in the East China Sea and the subtropical high was expanded to the Korean peninsula. A WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) numerical simulation with a resolution of 1 km was performed for a detailed analysis. The simulation result showed a similar pattern in a reflectivity distribution particularly over the Gangwon-do region, compared with the radar reflectivity. According to the results of the WRF simulation, the process and mechanism of the localized heavy rainfall over Daegwallyeong are as follows: (1) a convective instability over the middle part of the Korean peninsula was enhanced due to the low level advection of warm and humid air from the North Pacific high. (2) There was easterly flow from the coast to the mountainous regions around Daegwallyeong, which was generated by the differential heating of the insolation among Daegwallyeong and the Yeongdong coastal plain, and nearby coastal waters. (3) In addition, westerly flow from the western part of Daegwallyeong caused a strong convergence in this region, generating a strong upward motion combined by an orographic effect. (4) This brought about a new convective cell over Daegwallyeong. And this cell was more developed by the outflow from another thunderstorm cell to the south, and finally these two cells were merged to develop as a strong convective cell with thunder showers, leading to the record breaking maximum rainfall per hour ($58.5mm\;hr^{-1}$) in July.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.36 no.3 s.134
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• pp.495-505
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• 2003

Convective weather systems such as organized mesoscale convective systems (Mesoscale Convective Complex, MCC and Convective Cloud Clusters, CCC) and much weaker Disorganized Short-lived Convection (DSC) in the region of India and Nepal were analyzed using the Meteosat-5 IR imagery. The diurnal march and propagation of patterns of convective activity in the Himalayas and Northern Indian subcontinent were examined. Results indicate that infrared satellite images of Northern India and along the southern flank of the Himalayas reveal a strong presence of convective weather systems during the 1999 and 2000 monsoons, especially in the afternoon and during the night. The typical MCCs have life-times of about 11 hours, and areal extent about $300,000km^2$. Although the core of MCC activity remains generally away from the Middle Himalayan range, the occurrence of heavy precipitation events in this region can be directly linked to MCCs that venture into the Lesser Himalayan region and remain within the region bounded by $25^{\circ}-30^{\circ}N$. One principal feature in the spatial organization of convection is the dichotomy between the Tibetan Plateau and the Northern Indian Plains: CCCs and DSCs begin in the Tibetan Plateau in the mid-afternoon into the evening; while they are most active in the mid-night and early morning in the Gangetic Plains and along the southern facing flanks of the Himalayas. Furthermore, these data are consistent with the daily cycle of rainfall documented for a network of 20 hydrometeorological stations in Central Nepal, which show strong nocturnal peaks of intense rainfall consistent with the close presence of Convective Weather Systems (CWSs) in the Gangetic Plains (Barros et al. 2000).

• Atmosphere
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.97-109
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• 2016

Heavy rainfall (over $80mm\;hr^{-1}$) system associated with unstable atmospheric conditions occurred over the Seoul metropolitan area on 27 July 2011. To investigate the heavy rainfall system, we used three-dimensional data from Korea Local Analysis and Prediction System (KLAPS) reanalysis data and analysed the structure of the precipitation system, kinematic characteristics, thermodynamic properties, and Meteorological condition. The existence of Upper-Level Jet (ULJ) and Low-Level Jet (LLJ) are accelerated the heavy rainfall. Convective cloud developed when a strong southwesterly LLJ and strong moisture convergence occurring around the time of the heavy rainfall is consistent with the results of previous studies on such continuous production. Environmental conditions included high equivalent potential temperature of over 355 K at low levels, and low equivalent potential temperature of under 330 K at middle levels, causing vertical instability. The tip of the band shaped precipitation system was made up of line-shaped convective systems (LSCSs) that caused flooding and landslides, and the LSCSs were continuously enhanced by merging between new cells and the pre-existing cell. Difference of wind direction between low and middle levels has also been considered an important factor favouring the occurrence of precipitation systems similar to LSCSs. Development of LSCs from the wind direction difference at heights of the severe precipitation occurrence area was also identified. This study can contribute to the identification of production and development mechanisms of heavy rainfall and can be used in applied research for prediction of severe weather.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.366-366
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• 2002

Cloud-to ground lightning and total precipitation over Korean peninsula during the summer monsoon season are studied extensively with a special emphasis on the characteristics of convective precipitation. Ten years (1988-1997) lightning and rainfall data and a temporal and spatial scale of one month and 10$^2$ km$^2$ respectively are used to calculate the monthly number of CG lightning flash count. Monsoonal convective activity is higher over the west coast with maxima at two different regions, one in the northern part which increases nortwestward and the other is at the middle west coast of Korea increasing towards the west coast. East coast represents the minimum value of monsoonal convective activity. In the east coast of Korean peninsula, particularly in the region east of Tae-back mountain, the value of Rain yield, (which is defined as the ratio of total precipitation to CG flash count over a common area), is maximum with an average value of 3$\times$10$^{8}$ kg fl$^{-1}$, while the minimum value of rain yield is occurred in the west of Tae-back mountain, with an average value of 0.8$\times$10$^{8}$ kg fl$^{-1}$. Results show in the west coast stations, nearly 82% of the total rainfall is convective in nature, at the middle of the peninsula 53% of the total rain is convective while in the east coast stations 46% contribution from the convective rain is seen. Kanghwa receives the maximum convective rain while at Ulsan the convective rain is minimum. Correlation coefficient between the total precipitation and CG lightning during the summer monsoon season is 0.54.

• Atmosphere
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.489-510
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• 2021

In this paper, we propose an algorithm for detecting convective initiation (CI) using GEO-KOMPSAT-2A/advanced meteorological imager data. The algorithm identifies clouds that are likely to grow into convective clouds with radar reflectivity greater than 35 dBZ within the next two hours. This algorithm is developed using statistical and qualitative analysis of cloud characteristics, such as atmospheric instability, cloud top height, and phase, for convective clouds that occurred on the Korean Peninsula from June to September 2019. The CI algorithm consists of four steps: 1) convective cloud mask, 2) cloud object clustering and tracking, 3) interest field tests, and 4) post-processing tests to remove non-convective objects. Validation, performed using 14 CI events that occurred in the summer of 2020 in Korean Peninsula, shows a total probability of detection of 0.89, false-alarm ratio of 0.46, and mean lead-time of 39 minutes. This algorithm can be useful warnings of rapidly developing convective clouds in future by providing information about CI that is otherwise difficult to predict from radar or a numerical prediction model. This CI information will be provided in short-term forecasts to help predict severe weather events such as localized torrential rainfall and hail.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.749-761
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• 2010

A relationship between cloud-to-ground lightning and rainfall was investigated by using the two-years (2006-2007) summer lightning data and the automatic weather stations (AWSs) data of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The negative lightning occurred at the core of highly concentrated convection, which is often accompanied with heavy rains. Whereas most positive lightning occurred at the anvil cloud with low density and light rains. The rainfall intensity is strongest when the negative and positive lightning occurred concurrently, and one with lightning is much stronger than that without lightning. A portion of the positive lightning of the total lightning was less than 10% during summer seasons, and the lightning without rains was about 34%. The rain rate was strongly correlated with the negative flash rate, and the correlation coefficients varied between 0.87 and 0.94 according to the co-location radius (5-15 km) of AWSs. Most of the lightning occurred 10 minutes before and/or concurrently occurred with rains. A portion of the convective rainfalls of the total rainfalls was at least 20% when we define the rainfalls with lightning as convective. The convective rainfall was greater during August than in June and July. In general, the portion of convective rainfalls showed a maximum diurnal variation during late afternoon as in the rains and lightning.

• Atmosphere
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.125-139
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• 2020

On 6 August 2018, heavy rainfall of daily precipitation of more than 200 mm occurred in the Yeong-dong coastal area, and especially, 1-hour precipitation of 93 mm (0251~0351 LST (local standard time) 6 August) at Gangneung station, ranked second in the history of meteorological survey of the station. In this study, this heavy rainfall case over the Gangneung area would be studied to investigate the process in which the heavy rainfall occurred. A developed ridge moved toward the Yeong-dong coastal area from the Maritime Province in Russia. The approaching of the ridge led to the northeasterly cold wind over the coastal region, causing the collision between the incoming northeasterly cold wind, and the humid and warm (convectively unstable) air located over the Yeong-dong area. This collision led to a strong convergence (maximum -206 × 10^-5 s^-1) at 925 hPa level over the vicinity of Gangneung at 0300 LST 6 August, resulting updraft of up to about 4.4 m s^-1 at 700 hPa level over the area. This strong updraft forced to lift rapidly the convectively unstable, warm and humid air layer, located over the vicinity of Gangneung, leading to the heavy rainfall (1-hour precipitation of 93 mm) over the area.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.76-84
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• 2014

Heavy Rainfall event accompanying with Mesoscale Convective Systems(MCSs) inducing flash flooding and Kimpo and Inchon International Airport closing over Seoul metropolitan area was investigated this study. This heavy rainfall event was occurred through the synoptic scale boundary of North Pacific Subtropical high, Typhoon and also can predicted by proper analysis of various forecasting parameters such as abundant moisture, instabilities, and synoptic/mesoscale forcing.

• Atmosphere
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.131-151
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• 2010

This study establishes a conceptual model to analyze heavy rainfall events in Korea using multi-functional transport satellite-1R satellite images. Three heavy rainfall episodes in two major synoptic types, such as synoptic low (SL) type and synoptic flow convergence (SC) type, are analyzed through a conceptual model procedure which proceeds on two steps: 1) conveyer belt model analysis to detect convective area, and 2) cloud top temperature analysis from black body temperature (TBB) data to distinguish convective cloud from stratiform cloud, and eventually estimate heavy rainfall area and intensity. Major synoptic patterns causing heavy rainfall are Changma, synoptic low approach, upper level low in the SL type, and upper level low, indirect effect of typhoon, convergence of tropical air in the SC type. The relationship between rainfall and TBBs in overall well resolved areas of heavy rainfall. The SC type tended to underestimate the intensity of heavy rainfall, but the analysis with the use of water vapor channel has improved the performance. The conceptual model improved a concrete utilization of images and data of satellite, as summarizing characteristics of major synoptic type causing heavy rainfall and composing an algorism to assess the area and intensity of heavy rainfall. The further assessment with various cases is required for the operational use.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.263-274
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• 2012

Recently, due to various climate variabilities, extreme rainfall events have been occurring all over the world. Extreme rainfall events in Korea mainly result from the summer typhoon storms and the localized convective storms. In order to estimate appropriate quantiles for extreme rainfall, this study considered the probability behavior of daily rainfall from the typhoons and the convective storms which compose the annual maximum rainfalls (AMRs). The conventional rainfall frequency analysis estimates rainfall quantiles based on the assumption that the AMRs are extracted from an identified single population, whereas this study employed a mixed distribution function to incorporate the different statistical characteristics of two types of rainfalls into the hydrologic frequency analysis. Selecting 15 rainfall gauge stations where contain comparatively large number of measurements of daily rainfall, for various return periods, quantiles of daily rainfalls were estimated and analyzed in this study. The results indicate that the mixed Gumbel distribution locally results in significant gains and losses in quantiles. This would provide useful information in designing flood protection systems.