Two climate factors in May that affect Korean rainfall in September

This study revealed a high positive correlation between rainfall in Korea during September and the trade wind (TW)/Arctic Oscillation (AO) index in May that combines two climate factors, low-level TWs and the AO. This correlation was identified on the basis of the difference in the 850 hPa streamline analysis between the positive and negative phases selected using the combined TW/AO index. In May, the spatial pattern of the anomalous pressure systems is similar to that in the positive AO phase. These anomalous pressure systems continue in June to August (JJA) and September, but the overall spatial distribution shifts a little to the south. Particularly in September, a huge anomalous anticyclone centered over the southeast seas of Japan strengthens in most of the western north Pacific region and supplies a large volume of warm and humid air to the region near Korea. This characteristic is confirmed by the facts that during the positive TW/AO phase, the subtropical western north Pacific high (SWNPH) is more developed to the north and that the continuous positioning of the upper troposphere jet over Korea from May to September strengthens the anomalous upward flow, bringing warm and humid air to all layers. These factors contribute to increasing September rainfall in Korea during the positive TW/AO phase. Because the SWNPH develops more to the north in the positive phase, tropical cyclones tend to make landfall in Korea frequently, which also plays a positive role in increasing September rainfall in Korea.The above features are also reflected by the differences in average rainfall between the six years that had the highest May Ni o 3.4 indices (El Ni o phase) and the six years that had the lowest May Ni o 3.4 indices (La Ni a phase).     

Identification and characterization of the encrusting materials in a coastal liquefied petroleum gas storage cavern

An examination was carried out of the encrusting materials on the seepage removal pumps in a bottom sump of an undersea liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cavern. The studied cavern, constructed at 8 km off the western coast of Korea, facing the Yellow Sea, is at 130–150 m below the seabed. Since the first filling of the LPG into the cavern, it has suffered from the unexpected problem of a thick encrustation of unknown materials on the seepage removal pumps of the cavern. The XRD and XRF analyses revealed that the encrustation materials were mainly iron (hydro)oxides and carbonate mineral (aragonite). Based on the geological setting below the cavern site, it was inferred that iron oxides found in the Pleistocene sandy sediment and the Precambrian gneiss might be supplying ferrous iron to the cavern waters under an anaerobic condition, evidenced by low dissolved oxygen and negative redox potential in the cavern water. A significant change in the hydraulic condition near the pump intake and mixing the cavern water with oxic waters supplied through re-circulated seawater and terrestrial groundwater discharge, would precipitate the dissolved iron. Precipitation of the carbonate mineral is thought to have occurred due to over-saturation of calcium and bicarbonate, which may have resulted from the dissolution of cement grouting materials used during the undersea cavern construction and submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). This study reports the iron and carbonate precipitation in the man-made undersea cavern, which is affected by the surrounding hydrogeological condition and the SGD.