Technology for Producing High-resolution Agro-Meteorological Information by Applying Geospatial Schemes Based on Topo-Climatology

Abstract:

Abnormal weather patterns have been observed frequently in recent years and they have caused more damages to various fields of society. Particularly, they have damaged the agricultural sector. The first step to mitigate the damages of a meteorological disaster is to identify vulnerabilities. The unique characteristics of the South Korean agricultural environment are very dense and small farms. Producing and providing diverse high-resolution agro-meteorological information at the farm-specific level can be a starting point to identify the spatiotemporal vulnerabilities in the agro-meteorological sector. The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the world's leading agricultural organizations are providing a variety of agro-meteorological information. However, they are only providing the point value of most agro-meteorological observatories. Consequently, they are missing important spatial key points. The objectives of this study were to generate high-resolution weather data by using geospatial schemes based on topo-climatology and to produce spatially useful agro-meteorological information using this distribution map. Geospatial schemes based on topo-climatology is a technique that can estimate meteorological information in the form of a spatial distribution map by utilizing point-measurement values and diverse terrain information. It aimed to produce diverse agro-meteorological information in a grid format, not a point format, by utilizing each meteorological element (e.g., detailed mean temperature and precipitation) or integrating meteorological elements. For example, if it is possible to accurately identify areas experiencing heavy rainfall frequently or area with low precipitation in the form of a distribution map, it can be critical information that allows us to take technical countermeasures such as installing drainage facilities or irrigation facilities.