• Atmosphere
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.29-38
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• 2014

A characteristic of snowfall and minimum temperature variability in South Korea with respect to the variability of Arctic Oscillation (AO) was investigated. The climatic snowfall regions of South Korea based on daily new fresh snowfall data of 59 Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) stations data corresponding to the sign of AO index during December to February 1979~2011 were classified. Especially, the differences between snowfalls of eastern regions and that of western regions in South Korea were seen by each mean 1000hPa geopotential height fields, which is one of physical structure, for the selected cases over the East Asia including the Korean Peninsula. Daily minimum temperature variability of 59 KMA station data and daily AO index during the same period were investigated using Cyclo-stationary empirical orthogonal function (CSEOF) analysis. The first CSEOF of wintertime daily AO index and that of minimum temperature of 59 KMA stations explain 33% and 66% of total variability, respectively. Correlation between principal component time series corresponding to the first CSEOF of AO index and that of temperature at the period of 1990s is over about -0.7 when that of AO index leads about 40 days.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.660-670
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• 2009

This study examines the changes of an interdecadal circulation over the Asian continent to find cause of the surface warming in Siberia from 1958 to 2004. According to our study, there is a coherency between a long-term change of sea surface temperature in the Indian Ocean and the rapid increase of air temperature in Siberia since 1976/1977. In this study, we suggest that mean wind field changes induced by the positive sea surface temperature anomalies of the Indian Ocean since 1976/1977 are caused of inter-decadal variations in a large-scale circulation over the Asian continent. It also indicates that the inter-decadal circulation over the Asian continent is accompanied with warm southerly winds near surface, which have significantly contributed to the increase of surface temperature in Siberia. These southerly winds have been one of the most dominant interdecadal variations over the Asian continent since 1976/1977. In addition, we investigated the long-term trend mode of 850 hPa geopotential height data over the Asian continent from the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis for 1958-2004. In result, we found that there was an anomalously high pressure pattern over the Asian continent, it is called 'the Asian High mode'. It is thus suggested that the Asian High mode is another response of interdecadal changes of large-scale circulations over the Asian continent.

• Atmosphere
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.55-65
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• 2017

This study investigates how Eurasian snow cover in spring (March and April) is associated with Korean temperature during summer (June-July-August). Two leading modes of Eurasian snow cover variability in spring for 1979~2015 are obtained by Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis. The first EOF mode of Eurasian snow cover is characterized by a zonally elongated pattern over the whole Eurasian region and its principal component is more correlated with Korean temperature during June. On the other hand, the second EOF mode of Eurasian snow cover is characterized by an east-west dipole-like pattern, showing positive anomalies over eastern Eurasian region and negative anomalies over western Eurasian region. This dipole-like pattern is related with Korean temperature during August. The first leading mode of Eurasian snow cover is associated with anomalous high (low) pressure over Korea (Sea of Okhotsk) during June, which might be induced by much evaporation of soil moisture in Eurasia during March. On the other hand, the second mode of Eurasian snow cover is associated with a wave train resembling with Eurasian (EU)-like pattern in relation to the Atlantic sea surface temperature forcing, leading to the anomalous high pressure over Korea during August. Understanding these two leading modes of snow cover in Eurasian continent in spring may contribute to predict Korean summer temperature.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.11-29
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• 2009

Variability of sea surface temperature (SST) in the Japan/East Sea (JES) was studied using complex empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) analysis. Two daily data sets were analyzed: (1) New Generation 0.05o-gridded SST from Tohoku University, Japan (July 2002-July 2006), and (2) 0.25o-gridded SST from the Japan Meteorological Agency (October 1993-November 2006). Linkages with wind stress curl were revealed using 6-h 1o-gridded surface zonal and meridional winds from ancillary data of the Sea- WiFS Project, a special National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) product (1998-2005). SST anomalies (SSTA) were obtained by removing the seasonal signal, estimated as the leading mode of the CEOF decomposition of the original SST. Leading CEOF modes of residual SSTA obtained from both data sets were consistent with each other and were characterized by annual, semiannual, and quasi-biennial time scales estimated with 95% statistical significance. The Semiannual Mode lagged 2 months behind the increased occurrence of the anticyclonic (AC) wind stress curl over the JES. Links to dynamic processes were investigated by numerical simulations using an oceanic model. The suggested dynamic forcings of SSTA are the inflow of subtropical water into the JES through the Korea Strait, divergence in the surface layer induced by Ekman suction, meridional shifts of the Subarctic Front in the western JES, AC eddy formation, and wind-driven strengthening/weakening of large-scale currents. Events of west-east SSTA movement were identified in July-September. The SSTA moved from the northeastern JES towards the continental coast along the path of the westward branch of the Tsushima Current at a speed consistent with the advective scale.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.650-662
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• 2011

The statistical tools such as empirical orthogonal function (EOF), and singular value decomposition (SVD) have been applied to analyze the characteristic of air pollutant over southeast Asia as well as to evaluate Zimeke's tropospheric column ozone (ZTO) determined by tropospheric residual method. In this study, we found that the EOF and SVD analyses are useful methods to extract the most significant temporal and spatial pattern from enormous amounts of satellite data. The EOF analyses with OMI $NO_2$ and OMI HCHO over southeast Asia revealed that the spatial pattern showed high correlation with fire count (r=0.8) and the EOF analysis of CO (r=0.7). This suggests that biomass burning influences a major seasonal variability on $NO_2$ and HCHO over this region. The EOF analysis of ZTO has indicated that the location of maximum ZTO was considerably shifted westward from the location of maximum of fire count and maximum month of ZTO occurred a month later than maximum month (March) of $NO_2$, HCHO and CO. For further analyses, we have performed the SVD analyses between ZTO and ozone precursor to examine their correlation and to check temporal and spatial consistency between two variables. The spatial pattern of ZTO showed latitudinal gradient that could result from latitudinal gradient of stratospheric ozone and temporal maximum of ZTO in March appears to be associated with stratospheric ozone variability that shows maximum in March. These results suggest that there are some sources of error in the tropospheric residual method associated with cloud height error, low efficiency of tropospheric ozone, and low accuracy in lower stratospheric ozone.

• Atmosphere
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.111-130
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• 2010

An uncertainty assessment for precipitation datasets simulated by Atmosphere-Ocean Coupled General Circulation Model (AOGCM) is conducted to provide reliable climate scenario over East Asia. Most of results overestimate precipitation compared to the observational data (wet bias) in spring-fall-winter, while they underestimate precipitation (dry bias) in summer in East Asia. Higher spatial resolution model shows better performances in simulation of precipitation. To assess the uncertainty of spatiotemporal precipitation in East Asia, the cyclostationary empirical orthogonal function (CSEOF) analysis is applied. An annual cycle of precipitation obtained from the CSEOF analysis accounts for the biggest variability in its total variability. A comparison between annual cycles of observed and modeled precipitation anomalies shows distinct differences: 1) positive precipitation anomalies of the multi-model ensemble (MME) for 20 models (thereafter MME20) in summer locate toward the north compared to the observational data so that it cannot explain summer monsoon rainfalls across Korea and Japan. 2) The onset of summer monsoon in MME20 in Korean peninsula starts earlier than observed one. These differences show the uncertainty of modeled precipitation. Also the comparison provides the criteria of annual cycle and correlation between modeled and observational data which helps to select best models and generate a new MME, which is better than the MME20. The spatiotemporal deviation of precipitation is significantly associated with lower-level circulations. In particular, lower-level moisture transports from the warm pool of the western Pacific and corresponding moisture convergence significantly are strongly associated with summer rainfalls. These lower-level circulations physically consistent with precipitation give insight into description of the reason in the monsoon of East Asia why behaviors of individually modeled precipitation differ from that of observation.

• Atmosphere
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.457-467
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• 2018

This study investigated the variability of spring (March-May) forest fire risk in Korea for the period 1991~2017 and analyzed its relationship with large-scale climate factors. The Forest Weather Index (FWI) representing the meteorological risk for forest fire occurrences calculated based on observational data and its relationship with large-scale climate factors were analyzed. We performed the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis on the spring FWI. The leading EOF mode of FWI accounting for about 70% of total variability was found to be highly correlated with total number of forest fire occurrences in Korea. The high FWI, forest fire occurrence risk, in Korea, is associated with warmer atmosphere temperature in midwest Eurasia-China-Korea peninsula, cyclonic circulation anomaly in northeastern China-Korea peninsula-northwest pacific, westerly wind anomaly in central China-Korea peninsula, and low humidity in Korea. These are further related with warmer sea surface temperature and enhanced outgoing longwave radiation over Western Pacific, which represents a typical condition for a La $Ni\tilde{n}a$ episode. This suggests that large-scale climate factors over East Asia and ENSO could have a significant influence on the occurrence of spring forest fires in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.329-342
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• 2023

Turbid water and suspended sediment (SS) load are having negative consequences such as water quality degradation and ecological damage, thus necessitating the establishment of management guidelines to reduce their impact. The present work investigates the spatio-temporal distribution of fish species and the effects of turbid water from 2011-2016 in the upper reaches of Soyang-Dam. The family Cyprinidae is the largest population in the study area, among which Zacco platypus and Zacco koreanus are the dominant species. The diversity of species is relatively abundant in the upper watershed, while the seasonal effect on the population distribution remains unclear. Using two main common components of the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, the distribution characteristics of 27 species at five survey sites are revealed. Zacco koreanus is found to be predominant at the upstream A-Naerincheon, while Zacco platypus and Rhinogobius brunneus are found to be predominant at the upstream B-Bukcheon. Disturbance of an aquatic ecosystem has a relatively greater impact in the downstream, as-compared to the upper area-the high proportion of forest area is decreased whereas that of agricultural and urbanized areas is increased. The patterns of representative species are changed according to the mid- to long-term effects of turbid water and SS. Accordingly, the significant correlation between the SS load and fish distribution EOF analysis indicates that it should be considered as a potential alternative that can overcome the limitations of impact assessment on turbid water to the Fish Assessment Index (FAI). A comprehensive study examining the long-term effects of SS load to the fish ecosystems with a systematic statistical analysis of sufficiently accumulated data at the national level is needed as future research.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.549-560
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• 2019

The effects of the coal-fired power plant emissions, as the biggest point source of air pollutants, on spatiotemporal surface air pollution over the remote area are investigated in this study, based on a set of date selection and statistical technique to consider meteorological and geographical effects in the emission-concentration (source-receptor) relationship. We here proposed the sophisticated technique of data processing to separate and quantify the effects. The data technique comprises a set of data selection and statistical analysis procedure that include data selection criteria depending on meteorological conditions and statistical methods such as Kolmogorov-Zurbenko filter (K-Z filter) and empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. The data selection procedure is important for filtering measurement data to consider the meteorological and geographical effects on the emission-concentration relationship. Together with meteorological data from the new high resolution ECMWF reanalysis 5 (ERA5) and the Korea Meteorological Administration automated surface observing system, air pollutant emission data from the telemonitoring system (TMS) of Dangjin and Taean power plants as well as spatio-temporal air pollutant concentrations from the air quality monitoring system are used for 4 years period of 2014-2017. Since all the data used in this study have the temporal resolution of 1 hour, the first EOF mode of spatio-temporal changes in air pollutant concentrations over the Seoul metropolitan area (SMA) due to power plant emission have been analyzed to explain over 97% of total variability under favorable meteorological conditions. It is concluded that SO₂, NO₂, and PM₁₀ concentrations over the SMA would be decreased by 0.468, 1.050 ppb, and 2.045 ㎍ m^-3 respectively if SO₂, NO₂, and TSP emissions from Dangjin power plant were reduced by 10%. In the same way, the 10% emission reduction in Taean power plant emissions would cause SO₂, NO₂, and PM₁₀ decreased by 0.284, 0.842 ppb, and 1.230 ㎍ m^-3 over the SMA respectively. Emissions from Dangjin power plant affect air pollution over the SMA in higher amount, but with lower R value, than those of Taean under the same meteorological condition.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.101-104
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• 2006

In the Korean seas, Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Thermal Fronts (TF) were analyzed temporally and spatially during 8 years from 1993 to 2000 using NOAA/AVHRR MCSST. As the result of EOF method applying SST, the variance of the 1st mode was 97.6%. It is suitable to explain SST conditions in the whole Korean seas. Time coefficients were shown annual variations and spatial distributions were shown the closer to the continent the higher SST variations like as annual amplitudes. The 2nd mode presented higher time coefficients of 1993, 94, and 95 than those of other years. Although the influence is a little, that can explain ElNINO effect to the Korean seas. TF were detected by Sobel Edge Detection Method using gradient of SST. Consequently, TF were divided into 4 fronts; the Subpola. Front (SPF) dividing into the north and south part of the East sea, the Kuroshio Front (KF) in the East China Sea (ESC), the South Sea Coastal Front (SSCF) in the South sea, and the Tidal Front in the West sea. TF located in steep slope of submarine topography. The distributions of 1st mode in SST were bounded in the same place, and these results should be considered to influence of seasonal variations. To discover temporal and spatial variations of TF,SST gradient values were analyzed by EOF. The time coefficients fo the 1st mode (variance : 64.55%) showed distinctive annual variations and SPF, KF, and SSCF was significantly appeared in March. the spatial distributions of the 2nd mode showed contrast distribution, as SPF and SSCF had strong '-' value, where KF had strong '+' value. The time of '+' and '-' value was May and October, respectively. Time coefficients of the 3rd mode had 2 peaks per year and showed definite seasonal variations. SPF represented striking '+' value which time was March and October That was result reflected time of the 1st and 2nd mode. We can suggest specific temporal and spatial variations of TF using EOF.