• Atmosphere
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.277-288
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• 2016

Polar lows are intense mesoscale cyclones that mainly occur over the sea in polar regions. Owing to their small spatial scale of a diameter less than 1000 km, simulating polar lows is a challenging task. At King Sejong station in West Antartica, polar lows are often observed. Despite the recent significant climatic changes observed over West Antarctica, adequate validation of regional simulations of extreme weather events such as polar lows are rare for this region. To address this gap, simulation results from a recent version of the Polar Weather Research and Forecasting model (Polar WRF) covering Antartic Peninsula at a high horizontal resolution of 3 km are validated against near-surface meteorological observations. We selected a case of high wind speed event on 7 January 2013 recorded at Automatic Meteorological Observation Station (AMOS) in King Sejong station, Antarctica. It is revealed by in situ observations, numerical weather prediction, and reanalysis fields that the synoptic and mesoscale environment of the strong wind event was due to the passage of a strong mesoscale polar low of center pressure 950 hPa. Verifying model results from 3 km grid resolution simulation against AMOS observation showed that high skill in simulating wind speed and surface pressure with a bias of $-1.1m\;s^{-1}$ and -1.2 hPa, respectively. Our evaluation suggests that the Polar WRF can be used as a useful dynamic downscaling tool for the simulation of Antartic weather systems and the near-surface meteorological instruments installed in King Sejong station can provide invaluable data for polar low studies over West Antartica.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.246-260
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• 2014

A 90-m horizontal-resolution numerical model was configured to study the micrometeorological features of local winds in the valley of Gwangneung KoFlux (Korea Flux network) Sites (GDK: Gwangneung Deciduous forest site in Korea, GCK: Gwangneung Coniferous forest site in Korea) during summer days. The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data were employed for high-resolution model terrain height. Model performance was evaluated by comparing observed and simulated near-surface temperature and winds. Detailed qualitative analysis of the model-simulated wind field was carried out for two selected cases which are a clear day (Case I) and a cloudy day (Case II). Observed winds exhibited that GDK and GCK, as well as Case I and Case II, had differences in timing, duration and strength of daytime and nighttime wind direction and speeds. The model simulation results strongly supported the existence of the drainage flow in the valley of the KoFlux tower sites. Overall, the simulated model fields realistically presented the diurnal cycle of local winds in and around the valley, including the morning drainage-upslope transition and the evening reversal of upslope wind. Also, they indicated the complexity of local winds interactions by presenting that daytime westerly winds in the valley were not always pure mountain winds and were often coupled with larger-scale wind systems, such as synoptic-scale winds or mesoscale sea breezes blowing from the west coast of the peninsula.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.377-394
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• 2012

To elucidate the mechanism associated with the development of heavy precipitation system, a field experiment was carried out in Jejudo (or Jeju Island) and Marado, Korea from 22 June to 12 July 2006. The synoptic atmospheric conditions were analyzed using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research's (NCEP/NCAR) reanalyzed data, weather maps, and sounding data. The kinematic characteristics of each precipitation system were investigated by dual Doppler radar analysis. During the field experiment, data of four precipitation events with more than 20 mm rainfall were collected. In F case (frontal precipitation), a typical Changma front was dominant and the observation field was fully saturated. However there was no convective instability near the surface. LF case (low pressure accompanied with Changma front) showed strong convective instability near the surface, while a strong convergence corresponded to the low pressure from China accompanied with Changma front. In FT case (Changma front indirectly influenced by typhoon), the presence of a convective instability indicated the transport of near surface, strong additional moisture from the typhoon 'EWINIAR'. The convergence wind field was ground to be located at a low level. The convective instability was not significant in T case (precipitation of the typhoon 'EWINIAR'), since the typhoon passed through Jejudo and the Changma front was disappeared toward the northeastern region of the Korean peninsula. The kinematic (convergence and divergence) characteristics of wind fields, convective instability, and additional moisture inflow played important roles in the formation and development of heavy precipitation.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.550-564
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• 1995

The temporal and spatial characteristics of wind fields over the neighbouring seas of the Korean peninsula are investigated using 10-years daily wind data during 1978${\sim}$1987 which have been spatially smoothed and low-pass filtered. Long term annual and monthly means are examined for synoptic patterns and spectral analyses are made for temporal variability and spatial coherence. Spatial patterns of the annual mean wind stress and curl have a strong resemblance with those of monthly means during the winter season. Two outstanding periodicities are observed at 1 and 2 cycles per year. The synoptic winds over the study area are highly coherent at both the annual and semi-annual periodicities. However, each basin has its own characteristic spatial pattern. For instance, the prevailing wind during the winter season is northerIy over the northern East Sea (ES), Yellow Sea (YS), and northern East China Sea (ECS), while it is northwesterly over the southern ES and northesterly over the northern ES and southern ECS. At the same time, the wind stress curl is positive over the northern ES and southern ECS, while it is negative over the southern ES, YS and northern ECS. On the other hand, the wind field during the summer season, with its strength being much reduced, is completely different from that during the winter season, and frequent passage of tropical storms provokes large temporal variability over ECS. One remarkable point is that the annual cycle, dominated by the Siberian High, tends to propagate from northeast to southwest, i.e., from northern 25 toward southern ES, YS and ECS, while the semi-annual cycle propagates in the opposite direction, from southwest to northeast. The semi-annual periodicity may reflect development of extratropical cyclones in spring and fall which frequently cross the Korean peninsula. In higher frequencies, there are no dominant periodicities, but local winds over YS and ES are highly correlated for frequencies larger than 0.1 cycles per day and phase difference increases linearly with frequency. This linear increase of phase corresponds to phase speed of 550 and 730 km/d at 0.1 and 0.3 cpd, respectively, The phase speed is apparently coincident with moving speed of extratropical cyclones across the Korean peninsula in the west-east direction.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.721-733
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• 2009

To examine the fluctuations of aerosol number concentration with different size in the boundary layer of marine area during summer season, aerosol particles were assayed in the Ieodo Ocean Research Station, which is located 419 km southwest of Marado, the southernmost island of Korea, from 24 June to 4 July, 2008. The Laser Particle Counter (LPC) was used to measure the size of aerosol particles and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and sounding data were used to analyze the synoptic condition. The distribution of aerosol number concentration had a large variation from bigger particles more than 3 ${\mu}m$ in diameter to smaller particles more than 1 ${\mu}m$ in diameter with wind direction during precipitation. The aerosol number concentration decreased with increasing temperature. An increase (decrease) of small size of aerosol (0.3${\sim}$0.5 ${\mu}m$ in diameter) number concentration was induced by convergence (divergence) of the wind fields. The aerosol number concentration of bigger size more than 3 ${\mu}m$ in diameter after precipitation was removed as much as 89${\sim}$94% compared with aerosol number concentration before precipitation. It is considered that the larger aerosol particles would be more efficient for scavenging at marine boundary layer. In addition, the aerosol number concentration with divergence and convergence could be related with the occurrence and mechanism of aerosol in marine boundary layer.

• Atmosphere
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.247-257
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• 2006

The Yeong-dong heavy snowfall forecast supporting system has been developed during the last several years. In order to construct the conceptual model, we have examined the characteristics of heavy snowfalls in the Yeong-dong region classified into three precipitation patterns. This system is divided into two parts: forecast and observation. The main purpose of the forecast part is to produce value-added data and to display the geography based features reprocessing the numerical model results associated with a heavy snowfall. The forecast part consists of four submenus: synoptic fields, regional fields, precipitation and snowfall, and verification. Each offers guidance tips and data related with the prediction of heavy snowfalls, which helps weather forecasters understand better their meteorological conditions. The observation portion shows data of wind profiler and snow monitoring for application to nowcasting. The heavy snowfall forecast supporting system was applied and tested to the heavy snowfall event on 28 February 2006. In the beginning stage, this event showed the characteristics of warm precipitation pattern in the wind and surface pressure fields. However, we expected later on the weak warm precipitation pattern because the center of low pressure passing through the Straits of Korea was becoming weak. It was appeared that Gangwon Short Range Prediction System simulated a small amount of precipitation in the Yeong-dong region and this result generally agrees with the observations.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.429-439
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• 2005

The propose of this study is to identify distributional characteristics of winter droughts through occurrence frequencies and to analyze synoptic characteristics on the sea level pressure fields and 500hPa levels in Korea. The regional distributions of winter droughts in occurrence frequency vary according to the monthly regional distributions of the variabilities of precipitation in Korea. In January and December, the eastern parts of Korea where the variabilities of precipitation show high, have high rate of drought frequencies, while the western parts have low rate of it. It means that the regional distribution of the drought frequencies in January and December shows the east-high and west-low pattern, In February the frequencies show the north-high and south-low pattern. In the distributions of the sea-level pressure and 500hPa level height anomalies, the positive anomalies appear around Korean Peninsula and Siberian high area, the negative anomalies on the Aleutian low area and the western parts of North Pacific Ocean during the drought period in January and February. The droughts appear when the inflow of warm and humid air from the south eastern parts blocked by the prevailing pressure patterns of the west-high and east-low. Therefore, the zonal wind of the Korean Peninsula is strong. The droughts of December reflect not only low frequencies of cyclone occurrence, also small inflow of warm and humid air from the southern parts stemming from positive anomalies over whole middle latitude of eastern parts of Asia including Korean Peninsula.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.57-69
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to identify distributional characteristics of autumn droughts in occurrence frequency and to analyze synoptic characteristics on the surface pressure fields and 500hPa levels for autumn droughts in Korea. The regional distributions of autumn droughts in occurrence frequency vary according to the monthly regional distributions of the precipitation variabilities in Korea. In september, the southwestern and the mid western parts of Korean Peninsula have high rate of drought frequency, while the eastern coast regions have low rate of it. It means that the regional distribution of the drought frequency in september indicates west-high and east-low pattern. In October, the regional distribution of the drought frequency shows low variations on regions, but in November the inland areas have low rate of drought frequency, whereas the coastal areas have high rate of it. Negative anomalies appear on the surface and 500hPa level, around Korean Peninsula during the drought period of early autumn. Positive height anomalies areas are extended from the Sea of Okhotsk to the central part of the North Pacific Ocean. It indicates that the occurrence frequencies of blocking high and ridge are high around the Sea of Okhotsk. When the pressure system, such as migratory anticyclone, stays around the Korean Peninsula, a drought occurs. In late autumn drought, the positive anomalies appear in the west and the negative anomalies in the east are generated, respectively and therefore, zonal wind is strong around Korean Peninsula. In consequence, occurrences of droughts in early autumn have a different mechanism from those of late autumn.

• 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.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.141-154
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• 2021

In this study, the effect of the restoration of Yaksa stream and the construction of an apartment complex by the urban renewal project in the Yaksa district of Chuncheon on air quality in the surrounding area was evaluated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model simulations. In orderto compare the impact of the project, wind and pollutant concentration fields were simulated using topographic data in 2011 and 2017, which stand for the periods before and after the urban renewal project, respectively. In the numerical experiments, the scenarios were set to analyze the effect of the construction of the apartment complex and the effect of stream restoration. Wind direction and wind speed data obtained from the Chuncheon Automated Synoptic Observing System (ASOS) were used as the inflow boundary conditions, and the simulation results were weighted according to the frequencies of the eight-directional inflow wind directions. The changes in wind speed and NO_X concentration distribution according to the changes in building and terrain between scenarios were compared. As a result, the concentration of NO_X emitted from the surrounding roads increased by the construction of the apartment complex, and the magnitude of the increase was reduced as the result of including the effect of stream restoration. The concentration of NO_X decreased around the restored stream, while the concentration increased significantly around the constructed apartment complex. The increase in the concentration of NO_X around the apartment complex was more pronounced in the place located in the rear of the wind direction to the apartment complex, and the effect remains up to the height of the building. In conclusion, it was confirmed that the relative arrangement of apartment complex construction and stream restoration in relation to the main wind direction of the target area was one of the major factors in determining the surrounding air quality.