Author(s):
Jongnam Choi* - Western Illinois University
Abstract:
This study examines the climate of Northeast Asia focusing on North Korea for the period between 1978 and 2007. Daily weather data at 100 weather stations across Northeast Asia including North Korea, South Korea, and China were used. Unusual weather events including droughts, floods, heatwaves, and cold snaps were identified. This study also examines frequency, intensity, duration, and temporal trends of these unusual weather events. This study finds that the frequency of droughts and floods in North Korea has significantly increases since the 1980s. Whereas North Korea sees significant decreases in cold snaps in winter. Correlation and composite analyses showed that the occurrences of unusual weather in North Korea were highly correlated with those in central eastern China. The prevailing synoptic-scale mechanisms favorable for these events were determined through composite analyses of surface and pressure level data.
