High-technology industries in Korea: Spatial linkages and policy implications

This study seeks to analyze spatial linkages of high-technology (high-tech) firms in Korea and to suggest directions for high-tech industrial development policies for regional economic development. The data were derived from questionnaire and interview surveys conducted in high-tech firms throughout Korea. Patterns of spatial linkages and the intensity of local linkages of input materials, output sales, business services, and high-tech labor forces were analyzed. Characteristics of regions and high-tech firms are identified as significant dimensions in determining the intensity of local linkages of input and output materials. Four types of possible high-tech clusters, self-supporting, redeveloping, assembling, and dependent, are also identified based on the characteristics of regions and high-tech firms. Policy implications for successful high-tech industrial development in Korea are suggested from a consideration of the four types of high-tech cluster.     

Variation of coastal atmospheric boundary layer characteristics with convective activity along the west coast of India during the Arabian Sea Monsoon Experiment (ARMEX) 2002

This paper investigates the characteristic features of the coastal atmospheric boundary layer (CABL) along the west coast of India during the south-west monsoon (SWM) 2002. Extensive surface and upper-air findings were obtained during the same period from the Arabian Sea Monsoon Experiment (ARMEX; 15th June to 15th August 2002) 2002. The operational general circulation model (GCM) of the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) was used in this study to see the spatial variation of the CABL during two specific convective episodes that led to heavy rainfall along the west coast of India. The impact of a non-local closure (NLC) scheme employed in the NCMRWF GCM was carried out in simulating the CABL. The same episodes were also simulated using a similar parameterization scheme employed in the high resolution mesoscale modelling system (MM5). The diurnal variation of CABL is better represented from MM5 simulation. Comparing the MM5 simulation with that of the coarser grid NCMRWF GCM, we observed that the NCMRWF GCM underestimates the values of both latent heat flux (LHF) and the coastal atmospheric boundary layer height (CABLH). Results from MM5 therefore indicate that the best way to move forward in addressing the short-comings of coarse grid-scale GCMs is to provide a parameterization of the diurnal effects associated with convection processes.     

Remote sensing of alpine glaciers in visible and infrared wavelengths: a survey of advances and prospects

Remote sensing is an efficient tool for temporal monitoring of inaccessible alpine glacial terrain. This study discusses the methods of remote sensing in visible and infrared (IR) wavelengths, which are helpful in providing important information about alpine glaciers. The scope of this study covers recent advances and prospects in optical and thermal remote sensing of glacier facies, glacier velocity, mass balance, glacial hazards and automated mapping techniques. The technology is ever evolving with the advent of new remote sensors capturing data in visible/IR wavelengths and better digital computing technology. An extensive list of significant studies further helps the reader to explore a particular topic of interest. We survey recent advances in this field and additionally highlight the emerging prospects.     

Can sand dunes be used to study historic storm events?

Knowing the long‐term frequency of high magnitude storm events that cause coastal inundation is critical for present coastal management, especially in the context of rising sea levels and potentially increasing frequency and severity of storm events. Coastal sand dunes may provide a sedimentary archive of past storm events from which long‐term frequencies of large storms can be reconstructed. This study uses novel portable optically stimulated luminescence (POSL) profiles from coastal dunes to reconstruct the sedimentary archive of storm and surge activity for Norfolk, UK. Application of POSL profiling with supporting luminescence ages and particle size analysis to coastal dunes provides not only information of dunefield evolution but also on past coastal storms. In this study, seven storm events, two major, were identified from the dune archive spanning the last 140 years. These appear to correspond to historical reports of major storm surges. Dunes appear to be only recording (at least at the sampling resolution used here) the highest storm levels that were associated with significant flooding. As such the approach seems to hold promise to obtain a better understanding of the frequency of large storms by extending the dune archive records further back to times when documentation of storm surges was sparse. © 2017 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Seismic analysis of infinite pile groups in liquefiable soil

Numerical analysis of an infinite pile group in a liquefiable soil was considered in order to investigate the influence of pile spacing on excess pore pressure distribution and liquefaction potential. It was found that an optimal pile spacing exists resulting in minimal excess pore pressure. It was also found that certain pile group configurations might reduce liquefaction potential, compared to free field conditions. It was observed that for closely spaced piles and low frequency of loading, pile spacing has little influence on the response of the superstructure.     

Creating a conceptual framework to improve the re‐usability of open geographic data in cities

Open data has a profound effect on the working environment within which information is created and shared at all levels. At the local government level, open data initiatives have resulted in higher transparency in policy, a greater engagement between decision‐makers and citizens, and have changed the culture about how data analysis and evidence are used to support local governance. This article, based on data collected through an on‐line survey, participatory workshops with data user communities in four cities (in Colombia and Spain), and interviews with Valencia good‐government office, identifies four elements for a conceptual framework to improve the re‐usability of open geographic data in cities. The essential elements defined in this research are the definition of data user communities and their needs, the creation of the community of reuse, user‐focused metadata, and reuse‐focused legal terms. The definition of these indicators provides a framework for authorities to re‐shape their current open data strategy to include data user requirements. At the end of this article, a roadmap for future research and implementation is presented, considering some reflections on the conceptual framework.     

Comparison of the partitioning of trace metals in the Humber and Mersey estuaries

Studies into the partitioning of trace metals between the dissolved phase and suspended solids have been performed on two major UK estuaries, the Mersey and the Humber. Aqueous phase trace metal concentrations were determined, along with partitioning data (K_p) determined from both laboratory equilibration experiments and by chemical leaching techniques.

Dissolved trace metals in the Humber essentially exhibited conservative behaviour (or a slight positive deviation). In the Mersey, however, removal of zinc, chromium, and, in particular, copper and cadmium occurred in the low salinity region.

Sequential extraction data gave an indication of the nature of trace metal bindings to suspended sediment, and revealed total extractable trace metals on the Mersey suspended sediment to be a factor of two greater than that found in the Humber. Similarly, partition coefficients in the Mersey were approximately an order of magnitude greater than in the Humber. Chloro-complexation was shown to control the partitioning of cadmium within estuaries. Copper, however, exhibited a distinct trend of increasing K_p with increasing salinity.