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High-rise buildings in cities adversely affect wind regimes by changing the air currents in their surrounding areas. In particular, extreme climate phenomena caused by climate change are stronger and more frequent, causing damage in cities. To better understand skyscraper wind behaviors around high-rise buildings, actual measurements are necessary to determine the environmental assessment of the wind effect. In this study, field measurements were performed with five anemometers at five points in the vicinity of a skyscraper called the LCT residential complex (411.6 m tall) surrounded by high-rise buildings in the coastal city of Busan, South Korea during Typhoon Hinnamnor. The gust was 3.7 times stronger, while the maximum 1-min mean wind speed was 3.1 times stronger than those measured at a nearby reference weather station operated by the Korean Meteorological Administration. The characteristics of downward and canyon winds were shown to depend on the spatiotemporal characteristics of the five points. The turbulence intensity declined as the wind speed increased and converged to a certain value. The gust factor also dropped as the wind speed increased and converged to 2.0, and was considered to be the parameter that best represents the intensity of instantaneous gust caused by the skyscraper wind effect. These results suggest that high-rise buildings should be designed with the consideration of gusts twice as strong as the average wind speed. In addition, field measurements should be accompanied in order to respond to the skyscraper wind effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recently developed aerosol retrieval algorithm based on O4 slant column densities (SCDs) measured at a visible wavelength (476 nm) was utilized to derive aerosol information (e.g., aerosol optical depth (AOD) and vertical distributions of aerosol extinction coefficients (AECs)) in the lower troposphere during a severe Asian dust period. The MAX-DOAS measurements were carried out at Gwangju, Korea for nearly three months from February through May 2008. Comparison with AOD and surface PM10, measured by collocated sunphotometer and beta gauge sampler, were made to validate the retrieved AODs and AECs in the atmospheric layer surface to 1 km height above ground. On the Asian dust days, temporal variations of the AODs retrieved fromMAX-DOAS measurements show similar patterns, but with reduced magnitudes, to those measured by sunphotometer whereas similar AOD magnitude and temporal variation was observed between MAX-DOAS and sunphotometer measurements during the non-episodic days. Smaller correlation was observed between the surface PM10 and AECs at 0.5 km during the Asian dust period compared to the correlation obtained for the non episodic days. This study demonstrates the ability ofMAX-DOAS as a remote sensing technique for surface aerosol measurements under conditions of homogeneously distributed pollution in the planetary boundary layer. However, for the measurement of significantly enhanced aerosol loads with heterogeneous vertical distribution (e.g., Asian dust), measured AODs and AECs are underestimated at altitudes above 1 km due to decreased sensitivity of MAX-DOAS measurements at high altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lee, J.; Kwon, S.; Hong, S.; Lee, W.D.; Ha, T.; Cho, W.C., and Lee, J.L., 2020. Introduction to the Blue Flag Award: An eco-friendly beach certification program in South Korea. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 850–854. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Beaches have long been sources of public recreation, and beach tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. However, these factors have led to damage to beach ecologies. As a solution to this issue, several beach-related eco-friendly awards, such as the Blue Flag, Seaside Awards, and Good Beach Guide, have been instituted in South Korea. In this study, we focus on the Blue Flag award, what it constitutes, and how the certification can be received. The Blue Flag is operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and is awarded to eco-friendly beaches, marinas, and sightseeing boat operators. The awarding criteria are divided into four categories: environmental education and information, water quality, environmental management, safety and services. The FEE has instituted long-term requirements for applying for the award. First, the candidate beach must apply for a new Blue Flag. Second, a beach risk assessment must be conducted. Third, a feasibility study must be conducted to confirm that the country has a basic capacity to retain the Blue Flag. Fourth, a gap analysis must be conducted to confirm that the candidate beach meets the Blue Flag criteria. Fifth, the beach must be operated for one year in a Blue Flag pilot phase. In South Korea, the FEE Korea has been conducting risk assessments, feasibility studies, and gap analyses for Sinji Myeongsasimni Beach in Wando county. Moreover, the FEE has operated the beach according to the requirements of the Blue Flag pilot phase for one year. In this study, we introduce the concept of Blue Flag and the steps that must be completed to receive the award. In future studies, we plan to compare the different eco-friendly awards for beaches and to analyze the ways they help in conserving the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]