Modelling Korean extreme rainfall using a Kappa distribution and maximum likelihood estimate

Summary Attempts to use the 4-parameter Kappa distribution (K4D) with the maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) on the summer extreme daily rainfall data at 61 gauging stations over South Korea have been made to obtain reliable quantile estimates for several return periods. A numerical algorithm for searching MLE of K4D by minimizing the negative log-likelihood function with penalty method has been described. The isopluvial maps of estimated design values corresponding to selected return periods have been presented. The highest return values are centered at sites in the south-western part of the Korean peninsula. The distribution of return values for annual maxima of 2-day precipitation (AMP2) is more similar to the climatological features of annual total precipitation of Korea than that of annual maxima of daily precipitation (AMP1). Our results of return values delineate well the horizontal patterns of the heavy precipitation over the Korean peninsula. Received January 15, 2001 Revised October 8, 2001     

Impact of the spatial variability of daily precipitation on hydrological projections: A comparison of GCM‐ and RCM‐driven cases in the Han River basin,Korea

In this study, we investigate the impact of the spatial variability of daily precipitation on hydrological projections based on a comparative assessment of streamflow simulations driven by a global climate model (GCM) and two regional climate models (RCMs). A total of 12 different climate input datasets, that is, the raw and bias‐corrected GCM and raw and bias‐corrected two RCMs for the reference and future periods, are fed to a semidistributed hydrological model to assess whether the bias correction using quantile mapping and dynamical downscaling using RCMs can improve streamflow simulation in the Han River basin, Korea. A statistical analysis of the daily precipitation demonstrates that the precipitation simulated by the GCM fails to capture the large variability of the observed daily precipitation, in which the spatial autocorrelation decreases sharply within a relatively short distance. However, the spatial variability of precipitation simulated by the two RCMs shows better agreement with the observations. After applying bias correction to the raw GCM and raw RCMs outputs, only a slight change is observed in the spatial variability, whereas an improvement is observed in the precipitation intensity. Intensified precipitation but with the same spatial variability of the raw output from the bias‐corrected GCM does not improve the heterogeneous runoff distributions, which in turn regulate unrealistically high peak downstream streamflow. GCM‐simulated precipitation with a large bias correction that is necessary to compensate for the poor performance in present climate simulation appears to distort streamflow patterns in the future projection, which leads to misleading projections of climate change impacts on hydrological extremes.     

Climate-change driven range shifts of anchovy biomass projected by bio-physical coupling individual based model in the marginal seas of East Asia

Recent studies in the western North Pacific reported a declining standing stock biomass of anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) in the Yellow Sea and a climate-driven southward shift of anchovy catch in Korean waters. We investigated the effects of a warming ocean on the latitudinal shift of anchovy catch by developing and applying individual-based models (IBMs) based on a regional ocean circulation model and an IPCC climate change scenario. Despite the greater uncertainty, our two IBMs projected that, by the 2030s, the strengthened Tsushima warm current in the Korea Strait and the East Sea, driven by global warming, and the subsequent confinement of the relatively cold water masses within the Yellow Sea will decrease larval anchovy biomass in the Yellow Sea, but will increase it in the Korea Strait and the East Sea. The decreasing trend of anchovy biomass in the Yellow Sea was reproduced by our models, but further validation and enhancement of the models is required together with extended ichthyoplankton surveys to understand and reliably project range shifts of anchovy and the impacts such range shifts will have on the marine ecosystems and fisheries in the region.     

True orthoimage generation by mutual recovery of occlusion areas

Demand for orthoimages is increasing as a crucial component of geographic information systems (GISs). Orthoimages are geometrically equivalent to planimetric maps, which show true geographic locations of terrain features. To produce orthoimages, geometric distortions from camera tilt and relief displacement from perspective images must be corrected. Traditionally, removing such distortions has been accomplished by differential rectification in a pixel-by-pixel fashion. However, this method cannot produce true orthoimages because of the double-mapping problem. We propose a method of generating patch-based true orthoimages for surface patches in buildings. The proposed method utilizes three-dimensional (3D) building model data. Patches from the data were projected onto aerial images to extract image patches and analysis of the superstructures was performed. Because orthoimages are generated for each building, the orthoimage quality is enhanced when using building data with a high level of detail. Instead of performing the complex visibility analysis of existing approaches, this article identifies occlusion areas based on unit surfaces of buildings and presents mutual recovery of occlusions using multiple images. To evaluate the feasibility of the method, experiments were performed with real datasets: (1) a building with a dome superstructure, (2) high-rise buildings close to each other, and (3) buildings with various shapes.     

Extending the conversation on socially engaged geographic visualization: representing spatial inequality in Buffalo,New York

This paper is situated at the intersections among GIS and geovisualization, critical social theory, and urban studies. It presents an analysis of housing segregation and unequal food and transportation access in Buffalo, New York. We demonstrate how the representation and examination of this socially complex multi-scalar issue benefits from deliberate, reflexive conversation between different critical social-spatial epistemologies. We begin with a relatively simple GIS analysis of spatial segregation and arrive through critical iteration at a more qualitatively nuanced cartogram which moves beyond representations of fixed space to reveal a much more relational situation—a case of “time-space expansion” in which the travel time needed to meet a basic daily need is much greater for the poor and people of color than it is for whiter, more affluent populations. We conclude by infusing this narrative with additional considerations from social theory to show how even a limited visualization such as ours might better critically engage broader social and discursive processes in and across urban space.     

Seasonal Dynamics of Phytoplankton and Environmental Factors around the Chagwi-do off the West Coast of Jeju Island,Korea

The dynamics of phytoplankton abundance with seasonal variation in physicochemical conditions were investigated monthly at 10 stations around the Chagwi-do off the west coast of Jeju Island, Korea, including inshore, middle shore, and offshore in the marine ranching area from September 2004 to November 2005. Water temperature varied from 12.1 to 28.9°C (average 18.8°C), and salinity from 28.9 to 34.9 psu (average 33.7 psu). The chlorophyll a concentration was 0.02-2.05 μg L¹ (average 0.70 μg L¹), and the maximum concentration occurred in the bottom layer in April. A total of 294 phytoplankton species belonging to 10 families was identified: 182 Bacillariophyceae, 52 Dinophyceae, 9 Chlorophyceae, 12 Cryptophyceae, 6 Chrysophyceae, 4 Dictyophyceae, 13 Euglenophyceae, 6 Prymnesiophyceae, 5 Prasinophyceae, and 5 Raphidophyceae. The standing crop was 2.21-48.69x10⁴ cells L¹ (average 9.23x 10⁴ cells L¹), and the maximum occurred in the bottom layer in April. Diatoms were most abundant throughout the year, followed by dinoflagellates and phytoflagellates. A phytoplankton bloom occurred twice: once in spring, peaking in April, and once in autumn, peaking in November. The spring bloom was represented by fourChaetoceros species andSkeletonema costatum; each contributed 10–20% of the total phytoplankton abundance. The autumn bloom comprised dinoflagellates, diatoms, and phytoflagellates, of which dinoflagellates were predominant.Gymnodinium conicum, Prorocentrum micans, andP. triestinum each contributed over 10% of the total phytoplankton abundance.     

Characteristics of Seafloor Morphology and Ferromanganese Nodule Occurrence in the Korea Deep-sea Environmental Study (KODES) Area, NE Equatorial Pacific

Seafloor morphology and ferromanganese nodule occurrence were studied using a multibeam side scan sonar (SeaBeam, 2000) and a deep-sea camera system in the Korea Deep-sea Environmental Study (KODES) area, northeast equatorial Pacific. Seafloor morphology and nodule abundance are highly variable even in this small study area. The NNE-SSW oriented hills are parallel and about 100-200 m high. Valleys are very flat-floored, while hilltops are rugged with depressions of tens of meters. Cliffs to about 100 m bound the valleys and the hills. The study area can be classified into three types based both on nodule occurrence and seafloor morphology, mostly G- and B-types and some M-type. G-type is characterized by high nodule abundance, ubiquitous bioturbation, and flat seafloor morphology, while B-type is characterized by irregular-shaped nodules, variable nodule abundance, occurrence of giant nodules and sediment lumps, rugged bottom morphology with depressions, and white calcareous surface sediments. Medium nodule abundance and a generally flat seafloor characterize M-type. G-type occurs mostly in the valley regions, while B-type is on the hilltop areas. M-type is located between the hilltop and the valley. Tectonic movement of the Pacific plate resulted in the elongated abyssal hills and cliffs. The rugged morphology on hilltops resulted from erosion and redistribution of surface siliceous sediments on hilltops by bottom currents, outcropping of underlying calcareous sediments, and dissolution of the carbonate sediments by corrosive bottom water undersaturated with CaCO 3 . Sediment eroded from the hills, which is relatively young and organic-rich, is deposited in the valleys, and diagenetic metal supply to manganese nodules in the valley area is more active than on the hills. We suggest that tectonic movement ultimately constrains morphology, surface sediment facies, bottom currents and sediment redistribution, bioturbation, thickness of the sedimentary layer, and other conditions, which are all interrelated and control nodule occurrence. The best potential area for mining in the study area is the G-type valley zones with about 3-4 km width and NNW-SSE orientation.     

Numerical flow analysis of single-stage ducted marine propulsor

The present work has solved 3D incompressible RANS equations on a rotating, non-orthogonal multi-blocked grid to efficiently analyze a ducted marine propulsor with rotor–stator interaction. To handle the interface boundary between a rotor and a stator, the sliding multi-block technique using the cubic spline interpolation and the bilinear interpolation was applied. To validate the present code, the flow of a single stage turbine flow was simulated. Time averaged pressure coefficients were compared with experiments and good agreements were obtained. After the code validation, the flowfield around a single-stage ducted marine propulsor having a single stage of rotor and stator was successfully simulated and the hydrodynamic performance coefficients were computed.