Abstract
Changes in land use/land cover (LULC) have an impact on weather and climate. Gumi Weir in the Nakdong River Basin of South Korea was built and led to changes of LULC in the river in which the width of the river was extended by 300 m on average from land to water. In this study, in order to analyze the effect of the LULC change on weather variables, the Large Eddy Simulation of Weather Research and Forecasting model was used based on the LULC before and after weir construction. The expanded river width increased the latent heat flux (LHF) and mixing ratio (q). The changes in the sensible heat flux (SHF) subsequently influenced the changes in the air temperature (Ta) around the river, where the LULC was directly changed. The distance of affected area due to the LULC change was investigated using a paired t-test. The results of the paired t-test revealed that an increase in the Nakdong river width led to a noticeable change in Ta and q with the mean distance of affected area up to 1100 m from the river shores. The results of this study could offer an understanding of the effects of small weir construction on local weather changes.
Highlights
Large-scale land modifications such as dam or weir construction can have substantial impact on local weather and climate in various ways
The results of this study could offer an understanding of the effects of small weir construction on local weather changes
The main goal of this study is to demonstrate and quantify potential impacts of land use/cover change (LULC) due to midstream Gumi Weir, constructed on Nakdong River (South Korea), on local meteorological characteristics
Summary
Large-scale land modifications such as dam or weir construction can have substantial impact on local weather and climate in various ways. The artificially expanded water body is an important source of atmospheric moisture through evaporation from the water surface [1,2]. The temperature contrast between the land and large water body can cause a lake breeze circulation [5]. The evaporation combined with a strong air temperature gradient above the warm water surface can lead to formation of fog [6,7]. Besides the decrease in atmospheric visibility, the fog affects the surface radiation budget, by reducing the incoming solar radiation and by enhancing the downward long-wave radiation [8]. Smaller surface albedo and greater heat capacity of water lead to an increase in seasonal heat storage
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
