The Impact of Climate Changes on Ski Industry in Central Region of Korea: The Case of Yongpyong Yangji Jisan Ski Resort Inhye Heo* Seungho Lee** 94 11 1980 2000 2 2 4 Abstract This study analyzed the changes in climate elements that affects the opening and closing dates of the ski resorts, and the snowmaking. Climatology data from the weather stations adjacent to the ski resorts in the central region of Korea were analysed to understand the snowmakig status. The fan type snowmaker has been used in the capital region (over 94% of the whole snowmaking), while the gun type snowmaker has been used in Yongpyong. There has been obviously an increased trend of the daily minimum temperature in November in Daegwallyeong and a little decreased trend in Icheon after 1980s. That caused the effect on the opening dates of the ski resort in the capital region of Korea during 2000s. Closing dates of ski resorts were earlier in the capital region (with 2~4 C of daily maximum temperature in mid-february) than in Yongpyong. The obviously increasing rate of the snowmelting day in Icheon also hardened the management and maintenance of the ski resorts in the capital region of Korea. : opening date of ski resort, closing date of ski resort, snowmaking, change of daily minimum temperature, change of daily maximum temperature (RACS 2009-4003) (Lecturing Professor, Department of Geography, Konkuk University), hihgrace@konkuk.ac.kr (Professor, Department of Geography, Konkuk University), leesh@konkuk.ac.kr 444
1975 1997 1990 29 3 2000 10 3 (Korea Ski Resort Business Association, 2009) 1990 Seo 2005 2004 2005 820 238 2007 2008 604 911 26 3 2005 2006 276 783 2007 2008 238 299 14 (World Tourism Organization, 2003) Perry 1997 (World Tourism Organization, 2003) (snowmaking) 1980 1990 (Elsasser and Bürki, 2002; König and Abegg, 1997)(Harrison et al., 1999) (Scott et al., 2002) (Galloway, 1988; Whetton et al., 1996) (Scott et al., 2003; 2004; 2007; Bicknell and McManus, 2006; Dawson et al., 2009) Scott and Mcboyle(2007) 1990 101 146 1980 2070 2099 50 100 445
(Heo and Lee, 2008a; 2008b) (Figure 1) 95 1 11 3 1 3 2008 2008 11 2009 3 2008 2008 11 2009 3 Figure 1. Study area and weather stations. 446
1975 2008 1982 1990 2008 2002 2008 2004 2008 2 4 Figure 2 3 2002 9 65 422 530m 3 447
Figure 2. Rates of annual snowfall depth and fresh water used for snowmaking under analysis duration (left: Yongpyong resort, right: Yangji resort). 12 16 422 530m 3 2002 48 8 30cm 50 60cm 30 40 4 2003 1 81 5 43 13 85 17 46 Table 1 5 (Gun type) Table 1. Rates of snowmaker types in each resort for snowmaking. Season Resort Type First snowmaking Reinforcement of snowmaking Total Yongpyong Jisan Yongpyong Jisan Yongpyong Jisan Year gun fan gun fan gun fan gun fan gun fan gun fan 2004 67.9 32.1 7.7 92.3 76.1 23.9 0.7 99.3 74.8 25.2 4.3 95.7 2005 65.7 34.3 9.2 90.8 80.6 19.4 2.7 97.3 76.9 23.1 7.3 92.7 2006 58.4 41.6 13.0 87.0 81.4 18.6 2.1 97.9 77.2 22.8 7.4 92.6 2007 69.2 30.8 9.3 90.7 87.1 12.9 1.9 98.1 82.9 17.1 6.1 93.9 2008 79.9 20.1 7.0 93.0 91.3 8.7 0.8 99.2 88.5 11.5 4.3 95.7 average 68.2 31.8 9.2 90.8 83.3 16.7 1.6 98.4 80.1 19.9 5.9 94.1 (unit: %) 448
(Fan type) 80 1 19 9 5 9 94 1 68 2 31 8 9 2 90 8 Table 2 1 3 5 3 5 7 5 78 5 3 1 9 6 5 3 11 9 7 83 4 Table 2. Rates of snowmaking day classified by daily minimum temperature. Resort Yongpyong Jisan Daily minimum Season Reinforcement Reinforcement First snowmaking First snowmaking temperature of snowmaking of snowmaking -3< -1 9.6-16.7 - -5< -3 11.9 7.2 18.9 17.2-7< -5 9.4 12.9 78.5 64.4-7 83.4 69.9 (-): no snowmaking (unit: %) 449
a d b e c f Figure 3. Distribution (%) of relative humidity classified by daily minimum temperature(a: -3<minimum temp.( C) -1, b: -5<minimum temp.( C) -3, c: minimum temp.( C) -5, d: -5<minimum temp.( C) -3, e: -7< minimum temp.( C) -5, f: minimum temp.( C) -7). Left is condition of first snowmaking and right is condition of reinforcement of snowmaking. 450
9 6 5 64 4 7 69 9 3 1 16 7 5 3 17 2 7 1 10 0 Figure 3 10 11 3 1 70 90 7 5 3 1 5 60 70 7 60 70 5 80 70 50 100cm (Gangwon Regional Meteorological Administration, 2006) 30cm Table 3 30cm 1970 31 5 1980 35 3 1990 33 6 2000 20 9 Table 3. Change in the frequence of days of snowfall depth for suitable ski activity. (unit: day) Station over 30cm over 20cm over 10cm Duration Daegwallyeong Icheon Daegwallyeong Icheon Daegwallyeong Icheon 1970s 31.5 0.0 41.5 1.0 62.1 6.9 1980s 35.3 0.2 47.8 0.4 66.3 3.2 1990s 33.6 0.0 43.2 0.0 62.2 0.4 2000s 20.9 0.0 31.5 0.0 48.5 0.4 451
2000 1990 37 8 30cm 1989 2 20cm 10cm 1990 20cm 10cm 40 60 2000 30cm 27 1 22 0 30cm 30cm 40 (Bürki et al., 2005) 1973 2008 33 3 10cm 20cm 1 2 Figure 4(left) 1982 1990 12 2000 8 2 5 11 3 0 Figure 4. Changes of opening dates (left) and November daily minimum temperature (right) of Yongpyong and Yangji resorts. 452
Figure 4(right) 11 11 1970 3 7 1980 3 1 1990 2 9 2000 2 5 1970 2000 11 1 3 1970 11 0 5 1980 0 2 1970 2000 1990 11 0 07 2000 0 02 1980 11 1980 3 4 1990 3 0 2000 2 5 Figure 4 Figure 5 3 0 2 Figure 5. Changes of daily temperature during December to April (left: Daegwallyeong, right: Icheon). 453
3 2 2 3 0 2 4 2 4 5 Figure 6 4 4 0 01 10 2 4 10 4 7 2 Figure 7 Heo and Lee(2008a, 2008b) Figure 6. Changes of snowmelt ( 4 C of daily maximum temperature) days (left: Daegwallyeong, right: Icheon, **: significant at 99 percent level). 454
Figure 7. Changes of suitable first snowmaking (November-December) days with wet-bulb temperature (below -7 C) (left: Daegwallyeong, right: Icheon). Figure 3 6 5 7 3 7 7 1970 34 3 1980 32 2 1990 30 3 2000 29 5 1970 2000 14 0 7 7 Figure 7 2000 7 1991 2000 7 0 5 7 Figure 8 5 7 1970 2000 8 5 6 0 Figure 8 Table 4 0 10 0 4 0 5 455
Figure 8. Change of suitable reinforcement of snowmaking days with wet-bulb temperature (below -7 C). Left is Daegwallyeong weather station and right is Icheon. Table 4. Changing rates of daily minimum temperature and relative humidity. Season Climate First snowmaking Reinforcement of snowmaking Station Min. Temp. ( /10y) RH(%/10y) Min. Temp. ( /10y) RH(%/10y) Daegwallyeong 0.5* -2.3** 0.7** -1.7* Icheon 0.3-2.3** 0.5-2.6** **: significant at 99 percent level, *: significant at 95 percent level 11 1980 0 24 1990 0 07 2000 0 02 1980 Table 5 456
Station Table 5. Average standard deviation of daily minimum temperature duration first snowmaking (November-December). Duration 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Daegwallyeong 1.58 1.34 1.00 1.11 Icheon 1.64 1.22 1.16 1.37 2000 Figure 2 2009 11 2 21 6cm 11 3 Photo 1 Photo 1. Open event of Yongpyong resort (3 November, 2009). Photo 2. Closed ski slope of Yongpyong resort (6 November, 2009). 457
Table 6. First occurrence date of heavy snowfall and mean opening date in Yongpyong resort. Time 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s First occurrence date of heavy snowfall ( 10cm of daily fresh snowfall) Opening date of Yongpyong resort Average 18 December 9 December 12 December 22 December Standard deviation 33.6 20.8 28.7 34.1 Average 7 December 4 December 25 November 14 November Photo 2 Table 6 10cm 10 1980 2000 1980 20 8 2000 34 1 10cm 1970 2009 30cm 10cm 2003 94 11 70 90 60 70 458
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