WMO/GEO Expert Meeting on an International Sand and Dust Storm
Warning System
7-9 November 2007, Barcelona (Spain)
Session 2: Observations
7 November, 16:10-16:30
Asian Dust Particles’ Impact on Air Quality and Radiative Forcing over Korea
Young J. Kim (1), Young M. Noh (1), Chul Han Song (1), Soon Chang Yoon (2), Jin
Seok Han (3)
(1) Advanced Environmental Monitoring Research Center, Department of
Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and
Technology, Gwangju, Korea
(2) Department of Atmospheric Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
(3) National Institute of Environmental Research, Seoul, Korea
Asian Dust particles originated from the deserts and loess areas of the Asian continent are often transported over Korea, Japan, and the North Pacific Ocean during spring season. Major air mass pathway of Asian dust storm to Korea is from either northwestern Chinese desert regions or northeastern Chinese sandy areas. The local atmospheric environment condition in Korea is greatly impacted by Asian dust particles transported by prevailing westerly wind during spring. Since these Asian dust particles pass through heavily populated urban and industrial areas in China before it reach
Korean peninsular, their physical, chemical and optical properties vary depending on the atmospheric conditions and air mass pathway characteristics. An integrated system approach has been adopted at the Advanced Environment Monitoring Research Center
(ADEMRC), Gwangju Institute Science and Technology (GIST) for effective monitoring of atmospheric aerosols utilizing various in-situ and optical remote sensing methods, which include a multi-channel Raman LIDAR system, sunphotometer, satellite, and etc. Results on recent studies on impacts of Asian dust particles on local air quality and radiative forcing over Korea are summarized here.