• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.224-234
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• 2013

This study examined a strong positive correlation between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index during June and the total tropical cyclone (TC) genesis frequency in the western North Pacific during July and August. To investigate a possible cause for this relationship, the mean difference between the highest positive NAO years and the lowest negative NAO years was analyzed by dividing into when the El Ni$\tilde{n}$o and La Ni$\tilde{n}$a years were included and when the El Ni$\tilde{n}$o and La Ni$\tilde{n}$a years were not included. When the El Ni$\tilde{n}$o and La Ni$\tilde{n}$a years were included, for the positive NAO years, the TCs mostly occurred in the northwestern region of tropical and subtropical western Pacific, and showed a pattern that migrate from the sea northeast of the Philippines, pass the East China Sea, and move toward the mid-latitudes of East Asia. In contrast, for the negative NAO years, the TCs mostly occurred in the southeastern region of tropical and subtropical western Pacific, and showed a pattern that migrate westward from the sea southeast of the Philippines, pass the South China Sea, and move toward the southern coast of China and Indochinese peninsula. These two different TC migration patterns affect the recurving location of TC, and for the positive NAO years, the recurving of TC was averagely found to take place in the further northeast. In addition, the migration patterns also affect the TC intensity, and the TCs of positive NAO years had stronger intensity than the TCs of negative NAO years as sufficient energy can be absorbed from the ocean while moving north in the mid-latitudes of East Asia. The TCs of negative NAO years showed weak intensity as they get weaken or disappear shortly while landing on the southern coast of China and the Indochinese peninsula. On the other hand, the above result of analysis is also similarly observed when the El Ni$\tilde{n}$o and La Ni$\tilde{n}$a years were not included.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2024

An analysis of the coastal water temperature in the Tongyeong waters, the eastern sea of the South Sea of Korea, revealed that the water temperature rose sharply before the typhoon made landfall. The water temperature rise occurred throughout the entire water column. An analysis of the sea surface temperature data observed by NOAA(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) satellites, indicated that sea water with a temperature of 30℃ existed in the eastern waters of the eastern South Sea of Korea before the typhoon landed. The southeastern sea of Korea is an area where ocean currents prevail from west to east owing to the Tsushima Warm Current. However, an analysis of the satellite data showed that seawater at 30℃ moved from east to west, indicating that it was affected by the Ekman transport caused by the typhoon before landing. In addition, because the eastern waters of the South Sea are not as deep as those of the East Sea, the water temperature of the entire water layer may remain constant owing to vertical mixing caused by the wind. Because the rise in water temperature in each water layer occurred on the same day, the rise in the bottom water temperature can be considered as owing to vertical mixing. Indeed, the southeastern sea of Korea is a sea area where the water temperature can rise rapidly depending on the direction of approach of the typhoon and the location of high temperature formation.

• Atmosphere
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.435-453
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• 2007

KEOP (Korea Enhanced Observing Period)-2004 intensive summer observation was carried out from 20 June to 5 July 2004 over the Southwestern part of the Korean peninsula. In this study, the effects of KEOP-2004 intensive observation data on the simulation of precipitation system are investigated using KLAPS (Korea Local Analysis and Prediction System) and PSU/NCAR MM5. Three precipitation cases during the intensive observation are selected for detailed analysis. In addition to the control experiments using the traditional data for its initial and boundary conditions, two sensitivity experiments using KEOP data with and without Jindo radar are performed. Although it is hard to find a clear and consistent improvement in the verification score (threat score), it is found that the KEOP data play a role in improving the position and intensity of the simulated precipitation system. The experiments started at 00 and 12 UTC show more positive effect than those of 06 and 18 UTC. The effect of Jindo radar is dependent on the case. It plays a significant role in the heavy rain cases related to a mesoscale low over Changma front and the landing of a Typhoon. KEOP data produce more strong difference in the 06/18 UTC experiments than in 00/12 UTC, but give more positive effects in 00/12 UTC experiments. One of the possible explanations for this is that : KEOP data could properly correct the atmosphere around them when there are certain amounts of data, while gives excessive effect to the atmospheric field when there are few data. CRA analysis supports this reasoning. According to the CRA (Contiguous Rain Area) analysis, KEOP data in 00/12 UTC experiments improve only the surrounding area, resulting in essentially same precipitation system so the effects remain only in each convective cell rather than the system itself. On the other hand, KEOP data modify the precipitation system itself in 06/18 UTC experiments. Therefore the effects become amplified with time integration.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.237-251
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• 2011

This study presents a review on the recent climate change over the Korean peninsula, which has experienced a significant change due to the human-induced global warming more strongly than other regions. The recent measurement of carbon dioxide concentrations over the Korean peninsula shows a faster rise than the global average, and the increasing trend in surface temperature over this region is much larger than the global mean trend. Recent observational studies reporting the weakened cold extremes and intensified warm extremes over the region support consistently the increase of mean temperature. Surface vegetation greenness in spring has also progressed relatively more quickly. Summer precipitation over the Korean peninsula has increased by about 15% since 1990 compared to the previous period. This was mainly due to an increase in August. On the other hand, a slight decrease in the precipitation (about 5%) during Changma period (rainy season of the East Asian summer monsoon), was observed. The heavy rainfall amounts exhibit an increasing trend particularly since the late 1970s, and a consecutive dry-day has also increased primarily over the southern area. This indicates that the duration of precipitation events has shortened, while their intensity became stronger. During the past decades, there have been more stronger typhoons affecting the Korean peninsula with landing more preferentially over the southeastern area. Meanwhile, the urbanization effect is likely to contribute to the rapid warming, explaining about 28% of total temperature increase during the past 55 years. The impact of El Nino on seasonal climate over the Korean peninsula has been well established - winter [summer] temperatures was generally higher [lower] than normal, and summer rainfall tends to increase during El-Nino years. It is suggested that more frequent occurrence of the 'central-Pacific El-Nino' during recent decades may have induced warmer summer and fall over the Korean peninsula. In short, detection and attribution studies provided fundamental information that needed to construct more reliable projections of future climate changes, and therefore more comprehensive researches are required for better understanding of past climate variations.