In this study, the contributions of emissions (foreign and domestic) and atmospheric physical and chemical processes to PM2.5 concentrations were evaluated during a high PM2.5 episode (March 24-26, 2018) observed on the Jeju Island in the spring of 2018. These analyses were performed using the community multi-scale air quality (CMAQ) modeling system using the brute-force method and integrated process rate (IPR) analysis, respectively. The contributions of domestic emissions from South Korea (41-45%) to PM2.5 on the Jeju Island were lower than those (81-89%) of long-range transport (LRT) from China. The substantial contribution of LRT was also confirmed in conjunction with the air mass trajectory analysis, indicating that the frequency of airflow from China (58-62% of all trajectories) was higher than from other regions (28-32%) (e.g., South Korea). These results imply that compared to domestic emissions, emissions from China have a stronger impact than domestic emissions on the high PM2.5 concentrations in the study area. From the IPR analysis, horizontal transport contributed substantially to PM2.5 concentrations were dominant in most of the areas of the Jeju Island during the high PM2.5 episode, while the aerosol process and vertical transport in the southern areas largely contributed to higher PM2.5 concentrations.

The effect of coupled data assimilation (DA) on the meteorological prediction in the west coastal region of Korea was evaluated using a coupled atmosphere-ocean model (e.g., COAWST) in the spring (March 17􎂡26) of 2019. We performed two sets of simulation experiments: (1) with the coupled DA (i.e., COAWST_DA) and (2) without the coupled DA (i.e., COAWST_BASE). Overall, compared with the COAWST_BASE simulation, the COAWST_DA simulation showed good agreement in the spatial and temporal variations of meteorological variables (sea surface temperature, air temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity) with those of the observations. In particular, the effect of the coupled DA on wind speed was greatly improved. This might be primarily due to the prediction improvement of the sea surface temperature resulting from the coupled DA in the study area. In addition, the improvement of meteorological prediction in COAWST_DA simulation was also confirmed by the comparative analysis between SST and other meteorological variables (sea surface wind speed and pressure variation).

This study investigates the temporal and spatial variations of marine meterological elements (air temperature (Temp), Sea Surface Temperature (SST), and Significant Wave Height (SWH)) in seven coastal waters of South Korea, using hourly data observed at marine meteorological buoys (10 sites), Automatic Weather System on lighthouse (lighthouse AWS) (9 sites), and AWS (20 sites) during 2013-2017. We also compared the characteristics of Temp, SST, and air-sea temperature difference (Temp-SST) between sea fog and non-sea-fog events. In general, annual mean values of Temp and SST in most of the coastal waters were highest (especially in the southern part of Jeju Island) in 2016, due to heat waves, and lowest (especially in the middle of the West Sea) in 2013 or 2014. The SWH did not vary significantly by year. Wind patterns varied according to coastal waters, but their yearly variations for each coastal water were similar. The maximum monthly/seasonal mean values of Temp and SST occurred in summer (especially in August), and the minimum values in winter (January for Temp and February for SST). Monthly/seasonal mean SWH was highest in winter (especially in December) and lowest in summer (June), while the monthly/seasonal variations in wind speed over most of the coastal waters (except for the southern part of Jeju Island) were similar to those of SWH. In addition, sea fog during spring and summer was likely to be in the form of advection fog, possibly because of the high Temp and low SST (especially clear SST cooling in the eastern part of South Sea in summer), while autumn sea fog varied between different coastal waters (either advection fog or steam fog). The SST (and Temp-SST) during sea fog events in all coastal waters was lower (and more variable) than during non-sea-fog events, and was up to 5.7℃ for SST (up to 5.8℃ for Temp-SST).

The aerosol chemical components in PM2.5 in several regions (Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, and Jeju Island) were investigated with regard to their concentration characteristics and optical properties. The optical properties of the various aerosol components (e.g., water-soluble, insoluble, Black Carbon (BC), and sea-salt) were estimated using hourly and daily aerosol sampling data from the study area via a modeling approach. Overall, the water-soluble component was predominant over all other components in terms of concentration and impact on optical properties (except for the absorption coefficient of BC). The annual mean concentration and Aerosol Optical Ddepth (AOD) of the water-soluble component were highest in Seoul (at the Gwangjin site) (26 μg/m3 and 0.29 in 2013, respectively). Further, despite relatively moderate BC concentrations, the annual mean absorption coefficient of BC (21.7 Mm-1) was highest in Busan (at the Yeonsan site) in 2013, due to the strong light absorbing ability of BC. In addition, high AODs for the water-soluble component were observed most frequently in spring and/or winter at most of the study sites, while low values were noted in summer and/or early fall. The diurnal variation in the AOD of each component in Seoul (at the Gwangjin site) was slightly high in the morning and low in the afternoon during the study period; however, such distinctions were not apparent in Jeju Island (at the Aweol site), except for a slightly high AOD of the water-soluble component in the morning (08:00 LST). The monthly and diurnal differences in the AOD values for each component could be attributed to the differences in their mass concentrations and Relative Humidities (RH). In a sensitivity test, the AODs estimated under RH conditions of 80 and 90% were factors of 1.2 and 1.7 higher, respectively, than the values estimated using the observed RH.

Temporal and spatial characteristics of the frequency of several weather types and the change in air pollutant concentrations according to these weather types were analyzed over a decade (2007-2016) in seven major cities and a remote area in Korea. This analysis was performed using hourly (or daily) observed data of weather types (e.g., mist, haze, fog, precipitation, dust, and thunder and lighting) and air pollutant criteria (PM10, PM2.5, O3, NO2, CO, and SO2). Overall, the most frequent weather type across all areas during the study period was found to be mist (39%), followed by precipitation (35%), haze (17%), and the other types (≤ 4%). In terms of regional frequency distributions, the highest frequency of haze (26%) was in Seoul (especially during winter and May-June), possibly due to the high population and air pollutant emission sources, while that of precipitation (47%) was in Jeju (summer and winter), due to its geographic location with the sea on four sides and a very high mountain. PM10 concentrations for dust and haze were significantly higher in three cities (up to 250 μg/m3 for dust in Incheon), whereas those for the other four types were relatively lower. The concentrations of PM2.5 and its major precursor gases (NO2 and SO2) were higher (up to 69 μg/m3, 48 ppb, and 16 ppb, respectively, for haze in Incheon) for haze and/or dust than for the other weather types. On the other hand, there were no distinct differences in the concentrations of O3 and CO for the weather types. The overall results of this study confirm that the frequency of weather types and the related air quality depend on the geographic and environmental characteristics of the target areas.

Meteorological characteristics related to variations in ozone (O3) concentrations in the Korean peninsula before, during, and after Typhoon Talas (1112) were analyzed using both observation data and numerical modeling. This case study takes into account a high O3 episode (e.g., a daily maximum of ≥90 ppb) without rainfall. Before the typhoon period, high O3 concentrations in the study areas (e.g., Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan) resulted from the combined effects of stable atmospheric conditions with high temperature under a migratory anticyclone (including subsiding air), and wind convergence due to a change in direction caused by the typhoon. The O3 concentrations during the typhoon period decreased around the study area due to very weak photochemical activity under increased cloud cover and active vertical dispersion under a low pressure system. However, the maximum O3 concentrations during this period were somewhat high (similar to those in the normal period extraneous to the typhoon), possibly because of the relatively slow photochemical loss of O3 by a H2O + O(1D) reaction resulting from the low air temperature and low relative humidity. The lowest O3 concentrations during the typhoon period were relatively high compared to the period before and after the typhoon, mainly due to the transport effect resulting from the strong nocturnal winds caused by the typhoon. In addition, the O3 increase observed at night in Daegu and Busan was primarily caused by local wind conditions (e.g., mountain winds) and atmospheric stagnation in the wind convergence zone around inland mountains and valleys.

The classification of airflow patterns during high ozone (O3) and PM10 episodes on Jeju Island in recent years (2009-2015), as well as their correlation with meteorological conditions according to classified airflow patterns were investigated in this study. The airflow patterns for O3 and PM10 were classified into four types (Types A-D) and three types (Types E-G), respectively, using the HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model and synoptic weather charts. Type A was the most dominant airflow pattern for O3 episodes, being characterized by the transport of airflows from urban and industrial areas in China with the highest frequency (about 69%, with a mean of 67 ppb). With regard to the PM10 episodes, Type E was the most dominant airflow pattern, and was mostly associated with long distance transport from Asian dust source regions along northwesterly winds, having the highest frequency (about 92%, with a mean of 136 μg/m3). The variations in the concentration of O3 and PM10 during the study period were clarified in correlation with two pollutant and meteorological variables; for example, the high (low) O3 and PM10 concentrations with high (low) air temperature and/or wind speed and vice versa for precipitation. The contribution of long-range transport to the observed PM10 levels in urban sites for different airflow patterns (Types E-F), if estimated in comparison to the data from the Gosan background site, was found to account for approximately 87-93% (on average) of its input. The overall results of the present study suggest that the variations in O3 and PM10 concentrations on Jeju Island are mainly influenced by the transport effect, as well as the contribution of local emissions.

The spatial and temporal variations of CO2 concentrations and radiative forcing (RF) due to CO2 were examined at urban center (Yeon-dong) during 2010-2015 and background sites (Gosan) during 2010-2014 on Jeju Island. The RF at the two sites was estimated based on a simplified expression for calculating RF for the study period. Overall, annual mean CO2 concentrations at the Yeon-dong and Gosan sites have gradually increased, and the concentrations were higher at Yeon-dong (401-422 ppm) than at Gosan (398-404 ppm). The maximum CO2 concentrations at the two sites were observed in winter or spring, followed by fall and summer, with higher concentrations at Yeon-dong. The RF at Yeon-dong (annual mean of up to 0.70 W/m2 in 2015) was higher than that at Gosan (up to 0.46 W/m2 in 2014), possibly because of higher CO2 concentrations at Yeon-dong resulting from population growth and human activities (e.g., fossil fuel combustion). The highest monthly mean RFs at Yeon-dong (approximately 0.92 W/m2) and Gosan (0.52 W/m2) were observed in spring 2015 (Yeon-dong) and spring 2013 (Gosan), whereas the lowest RFs (0.17 and 0.31 W/m2, respectively) in fall 2011 (Yeon-dong) and summer in 2012 (Gosan).

Long-term variations of PM10 and the characteristics of local meteorology related to its concentration changes were analyzed at 4 air quality sites (Ido-dong, Yeon-dong, Donghong-dong, and Gosan) in Jeju during two different periods, such as PI (2001-2006) and PII (2007-2013), over a 13-year period. Overall, the long-term trend of PM10 was very slightly downward during the whole study period, while the high PM10 concentrations in PII were observed more frequently than those in PI. The concentration variations of PM10 during the study period was clarified in correlation between PM10 and meteorological variables, e.g. the low (high) PM10 concentration with large (small) precipitation or high (low) radiation and in part high PM10 concentrations (especially, Donghong-dong and Gosan) with strong wind speed and the westerly/northwesterly winds. This was likely to be caused by the transport effect (from the polluted regions of China) rather than the contribution of local emission sources. The PM10 concentrations in “Asian dust” and “Haze” weather types were higher, whereas those in “Precipitation”, “Fog”, and “Thunder and Lighting” weather types were lower. The contribution of long-range transport to the observed PM10 levels in the urban center (Ido-dong, Yeon-dong, and Donghong-dong), if estimated by comparison to the data of the background site (Gosan), was found to explain about 80% (on average) of its input.

The characteristics of atmospheric dispersion of radioactive material (i.e. 137Cs) related to local wind patterns around the Kori nuclear power plant (KNPP) were studied using WRF/HYSPLIT model. The cluster analysis using observed winds from 28 weather stations during a year (2012) was performed in order to obtain representative local wind patterns. The cluster analysis identified eight local wind patterns (P1, P2, P3, P4-1, P4-2, P4-3, P4-4, P4-5) over the KNPP region. P1, P2 and P3 accounted for 14.5%, 27.0% and 14.5%, respectively. Both P1 and P2 are related to westerly/northwesterly synoptic flows in winter and P3 includes the Changma or typhoons days. The simulations of P1, P2 and P3 with high wind velocities and constant wind directions show that 137Cs emitted from the KNPP during 0900~1400 LST (Local Standard Time) are dispersed to the east sea, southeast sea and southwestern inland, respectively. On the other hands, 5 sub-category of P4 have various local wind distributions under weak synoptic forcing and accounted for less than 10% of all. While the simulated 137Cs for P4-2 is dispersed to southwest inland due to northeasterly flows, 137Cs dispersed northward for the other patterns. The simulated average 137Cs concentrations of each local wind pattern are 564.1~1076.3 Bqm-3. The highest average concentration appeared P4-4 due to dispersion in a narrow zone and weak wind environment. On the other hands, the lowest average concentration appeared P1 and P2 due to rapid dispersion to the sea. The simulated 137Cs concentrations and dispersion locations of each local wind pattern are different according to the local wind conditions.

The characteristics of meteorological conditions related to changes in atmospheric environment on Jeju Island were investigated during recent years (2010-2012). This analysis was performed using the hourly observed data of meteorological variables (air temperature, wind speed and direction) and air pollutants (O3, PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO). Out of 5 pollutants, O3 and PM10 concentrations have frequently exceeded national environmental standards in the study area during the study period, with relatively higher concentrations than the others. The concentrations of O3 and PM10 in 2010 and 2011 were somewhat higher than those in 2012, and their highest concentrations were mostly observed in spring followed by fall. Nighttime O3 concentrations (with relatively high concentration levels) were almost similar to its daytime concentrations, due to less O3 titration by very low NO concentrations in the target area and in part to O3 increase resulting from atmospheric transport processes. The transport effect related to the concentration variations of O3 and PM10 was also clarified in correlation between these pollutants and meteorological variables, e.g. the high exceedance frequency of concentration criteria with strong wind speed and the high concentrations with the westerly/northwesterly winds (e.g., transport from the polluted regions of China). The overall results of this study suggest that the changes in atmospheric environment in the study area were likely to be caused by the transport effect (horizontal and vertical) due to the meteorological conditions rather than the contribution of local emission sources.

Emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHGs) from aircraft activities at 11 small-scale airports were investigated using the emissions and dispersion modeling system (EDMS) version 5.1.3 during the two year period of 2009~2010. The number of landing and take-off (LTO) at these airports was dominant for the aircraft type B737, accounting for more than 60% of the total LTOs. Out of the 11 small-scale airports, Gwangju (GJ, RKJJ) airport was the largest emitter of air pollutants and GHGs, whereas Yangyang (YY, RKNY) airport was the smallest emitter. The emissions of NOx and VOCs in 2010 at the 11 airports ranged from 1.9 to 83 ton/y and 0.1 to 17 ton/y, respectively. In 2010, the emissions of CO2 ranged from 394 to 21,217 ton/y. The emissions of most air pollutants (except for NOx and PM10) and GHGs were estimated to be the highest in taxi-out mode. The highest emissions of NOx and PM10 were emitted from climb-out and approach modes, respectively. In addition, the total LTOs at the 11 small-scale airports accounted for the range of 9.3~9.9% of those at four major international airports in Korea. The total emissions of air pollutants and GHGs at the 11 airports ranged from 4.8 to 12% of those at the four major airports.

The characteristics of meteorological conditions and air pollution were investigated in a valley city (Yangsan) on bad visibility days (from 05:00 to 09:00 LST) of the cold half year (November 2008 to April 2009). This analysis was performed using the hourly observed data of meteorological variables (temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and 2 m and 10 m temperature) and air pollutants (NO2, SO2, PM10, and O3). In addition, visibility data based on visual measurements and a visibility meter were used. The bad visibility days were classified into four types: fog, mist, haze, and the mixture (mist+haze). The results showed that the bad visibility days of the four types in the valley city were observed to be more frequently (about 50% of the total study period (99 days except for missing data)) than (27%) those near coastal metropolitan city (Busan). The misty days (39%) in the valley city were the most dominant followed by the hazy (37%), mixture (14%), and foggy days (10%). The visibility degradation on the misty days in Yangsan was closely related to the combined effect of high-level relative humidity due to the accumulation of water vapor from various sources (e.g. river, stream, and vegetation) and strong inversion due to the development of surface radiative cooling within the valley. On the hazy days, the visibility was mainly reduced by the increase in air pollutant (except for O3) concentrations from the dense emission sources under local conditions of weaker winds from the day before and stronger inversion than the misty days. The concentrations of NO2, PM10, and SO2 (up to +36 ppb, +25 ㎍/m3, and +7 ppb) on the hazy days were a factor of 1.4-2.3 higher than those (+25 ppb, +14 ㎍ /m3, and +3 ppb) on the misty days.

In this study, the use survey of domestic and international weather information on coastal regions and the demand survey (e.g. general and in-depth surveys) for customer needs with coastal industries were carried out to design customized coastal weather contents. The general demand survey showed that most of the customers working in the coastal industries were interested in a short-term forecast, such as a general weather outlook (approximately 29% of the total respondents) and typhoon information (19%), and they preferred to be given the forecast information from new media such as the internet web-pages (36%) and mobile utilities (23%) rather than old media such as TV (16%) and radio (11%). In addition, only 31% of the total respondents were found to be satisfied with the use of the current coastal weather service. This low percentage might mainly be a result of lack of information accuracy (about 64%) and diversity (28%). From in-depth survey with site visiting, the need of coastal weather contents, such as weather elements, data form, a tool of communication, and forecast interval, differed with the working stages in three coastal industries (e.g. shipbuilding, maritime trade, and passenger transport industries).

The impact of a considerable increase in traffic volume on the emission and concentrations of air pollutants was investigated at three beaches (Haeundae (HB), Gwanganri (GB), and Songjeong (SB)) in Busan during beach opening period (BOP) in 2011. During the BOP, passenger car was the major vehicle type, followed by taxi, and van. CO was the major contributor of total air pollutant emissions followed by NOx, VOC, and PM10. For the temporal variation of the emission of air pollutants during the BOP, it was generally the highest in the afternoon followed by the evening and morning, except for SB. For the spatial variation of their emission, it was the highest at GB followed by SB and HB. The emissions of air pollutants during the BOP were generally higher than those during the Non-BOP, except for HB. In contrast, the significant impact of the traffic volume increase on the concentrations of air pollutants at monitoring sites near the three beaches during the BOP were not found compared to the Non-BOP due to the significant distances between monitoring sites of air pollutants and monitoring sites of traffic volume at the beaches.

The emissions of several air pollutants (NOx, CO, VOCs, etc.) for the replacement of all diesel buses by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses were estimated in the Busan Metropolitan Area (BMA). These emissions were calculated from emission factors considering the different driving speeds with bus routes, distance traveled, and deterioration factors. For the purpose of this study, three categories of fuel type were selected: (1) the combination of diesel (65%) and CNG buses (35%) (DSL+CNG case), (2) all diesel buses (DSL case), and (3) all CNG buses (CNG case). The emissions of NOx and CO in the CNG case were estimated to be significant decreases (by about 50% and 98%, respectively) relative to the DSL case. Conversely, the emission of VOCs (980.7 ton/year) in the CNG case were a factor of 3.3 higher than that (299.8 ton/year) in the DSL case. In addition, the diurnal variations of emissions between two city buses (e.g. diesel and CNG) and all other vehicles were distinctly different because the two city buses operate at a regular time interval. Our overall results suggest the possibility that the pollutant emissions from the CNG buses can exert less influence on air quality in the target area than those from the diesel buses.

The seasonal variations of ozone (O3) concentrations were investigated with regard to the relationship between O3 and wind distributions at two different sites (Jung Ang (JA): a semi-closed topography and Seo Chang (SC): a closed topography) within a valley city (Yangsan) and their comparison between these sites (JA and SC) and two non-valley sites (Dae Jeo (DJ) and Sang Nam (SN)) located downwind from coastal cities (Busan and Ulsan). This analysis was performed using the data sets of hourly O3 concentrations, meteorological factors (especially, wind speed and direction), and those on high O3 days exceeding the 8-h standard (60 ppb) during 2008-2009. In summer and fall (especially in June and October), the monthly mean values of the daily maximum O3 concentrations and the number of high O3 days at JA (and SC) were relatively higher than those at DJ (and SN). The increase in daytime O3 concentrations at JA in June was likely to be primarily impacted by the transport of O3 and its precursors from the coastal emission sources in Busan along the dominant southwesterly winds (about 5 m/s) under the penetration of sea breeze condition, compared to other months and sites. Such a phenomenon at SC in October was likely to be mainly caused by the accumulation of O3 and its precursors due to the relatively weak winds under the localized stagnant weather condition rather than the contribution of regional transport from the emission sources in Busan and Ulsan.

The impact of urbanization on local meteorology (e.g., surface temperature, PBL height, wind speed, etc.) in the Greater Seoul Area (GSA) was quantitatively evaluated based on a numerical modeling approach during a 1-month period of 2001 (9 Sep. through 8 Oct. 2001). The analysis was carried out by two sets of simulation scenarios: (1) with the global land use and topographic data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1990s (i.e., LU-USGS case) and (2) with the land use data from the Environmental Geographic Information System (EGIS) along with the 3 sec elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) in 2000s (i.e., LU-EGIS case). The extension of urban areas in the GSA (especially, the southern parts of Seoul) accounted for 1.8% in the LU-USGS case and 6.2% in the LU-EGIS case. For the simulations, the surface temperature and PBL height due to urbanization in the LU-EGIS case was higher (the differences of up to 0.1 ℃ and 36 m, respectively) than those in the LU-USGS case, whereas the wind speed (up to 0.3 ms-1) in the former was lower than that in the latter at 1500 LST. The increase in surface temperature due to urbanization in the GSA (especially, the southern parts of Seoul) was led to the strong convergence of air masses, causing the early sea breeze and its rapid propagation to inland locations. In addition, the vertical mixing motion in the extended urban areas for the LU-EGIS case was predicted to be stronger than that for the LU-USGS case and vice versa for the original urban areas.

The estimation of a biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC, especially isoprene) and the influence of isoprene emissions on ozone concentrations in the Greater Busan Area (GBA) were carried out based on a numerical modeling approach during a high ozone episode. The BVOC emissions were estimated using a biogenic emission information system (BEIS v3.14) with vegetation data provided by the forest geographical information system (FGIS), land use data provided by the environmental geographical information system (EGIS), and meteorological data simulated by the MM5. Ozone simulation was performed by two sets of simulation scenarios: (1) without (CASE1) and (2) with isoprene emissions (CASE2). The isoprene emission (82 ton day -1 ) in the GBA was estimated to be the most dominant BVOC followed by methanol (56) and carbon monoxide (28). Largest impacts of isoprene emissions on the ozone concentrations (CASE2-CASE1) were predicted to be about 4 ppb in inland locations where a high isoprene was emitted and to be about 2 ppb in the downwind and/or convergence regions of wind due to both the photochemical reaction of ozone precursors (e.g., high isoprene emissions) and meteorological conditions (e.g., local transport).

The effects of high-resolution wind profiler (HWP) data on the wind distributions were evaluated in two different coastal areas during the study period (23-26 August, 2007), indicating weak-gradient flows. The analysis was performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with a three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation system. For the comparison purpose, two coastal regions were selected as: a southwestern coastal (SWC) region characterized by a complex shoreline and a eastern coastal (EC) region surrounding a simple coastline and high mountains. The influence of data assimilation using the HWP data on the wind distributions in the SWC region was moderately higher than that of the EC region. In comparison between the wind speed and direction in the two coastal areas, the application of the HWP data contributed to improvement of the wind direction distribution in the SWC region and the wind strength in the EC region, respectively. This study suggests that the application of the HWP data exerts a large impact on the change in wind distributions over the sea and thus can contribute to the solution to lack of satellite and buoy data with their observational uncertainty.