Article
Analysis of Geographical Phenomena of Snowstorms in Japan
Downloads
Download

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright
The authors shall retain the copyright of their work but allow the Publisher to publish, copy, distribute, and convey the work.
License
Prevention and Treatment of Natural Disasters (PTND) publishes accepted manuscripts under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Authors who submit their papers for publication by Prevention and Treatment of Natural Disasters (PTND) agree to have the CC BY 4.0 license applied to their work, and that anyone is allowed to reuse the article or part of it free of charge for any purpose, including commercial use. As long as the author and original source is properly cited, anyone may copy, redistribute, reuse and transform the content.
Snowstorms are among the most significant natural phenomena affecting Japan, shaped by the country’s unique geographical location, climatic diversity, and mountainous terrain. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the geographical phenomena underlying snowstorms in Japan, examining their causes, patterns, and impacts. The interplay of Siberian air masses, ocean currents, and the Japanese Alps results in some of the heaviest snowfalls globally, particularly along the Sea of Japan coastline. These snowstorms impact transportation, infrastructure, economy, human safety, and the environment, creating both challenges and opportunities for the nation. The study explores Japan's advanced adaptation and mitigation strategies, including snow-resistant infrastructure, effective governance, community resilience, and cutting-edge weather prediction systems. Furthermore, it addresses the influence of climate change on snowstorm patterns and highlights the need for climate-resilient infrastructure and global collaboration in managing these extreme weather events. By shedding light on the dual nature of snowstorms—both as a disruptive force and a resource, this paper underscores the importance of sustainable and innovative approaches to snowstorm management in Japan and other snow-prone regions worldwide.
Keywords:
Japan, Snowfall, Siberian High, Climate change, Climate effectReferences
- Veals PG, Steenburgh WJ. Factors Affecting the Inland and Orographic Enhancement of Sea-Effect Snowfall in the Hokuriku Region of Japan. Mon Weather Rev. 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-19-0007.1.
- Ohba M, Sugimoto S. Impacts of climate change on heavy wet snowfall in Japan. Climate Dynamics. 2020.
- Inatsu M, Kawazoe S, Mori M. Trends and Projection of Heavy Snowfall in Hokkaido, Japan, as an Application of Self-Organizing Map. J Appl Meteorol Climatol. 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-21-0085.1.
- Wu Z, Li J. Predictable climate dynamics of abnormal East Asian winter monsoon: once-in-a-century snowstorms in 2007/2008 winter. Climate Dynamics. 2011;45(3).
- Ha KJ, Heo KY, Lee SS, Yun KS, Jhun JG. Variability in the East Asian Monsoon: a review. Meteorol Appl. 2012. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/met.1320.
- Shkaruba A. Sense-making for anticipatory adaptation to heavy snowstorms in urban areas. Urban Clim. 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2015.11.002.
- Osawa H. Propagation characteristics of sonic waves in disturbed wet snow. Bull Glaciol Res. 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5331/bgr.24R06.
- Shkaruba A. Sense-making for anticipatory adaptation to heavy snowstorms in urban areas. Urban Clim. 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2015.11.002.
- Darghiasi P. Digital Twin Enabled Winter Operations Management Through the Integration of Artificial Intelligence, Sensory Level-Data, and Publicly Available Data. 2023.
- Park J, Lee H. Sustainability of winter tourism in a changing climate over Kashmir Himalaya. Environ Monit Assess. 2014. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3559-7.
- Yuan W, Wang X. Impacts of Extreme Weather on Mercury Uptake and Storage in Subtropical Forest Ecosystems. J Geophys Res Biogeosci. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JG006681.
- Sun S. Understanding Climate Hazard Patterns and Urban Adaptation Measures in China. Sustainability. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413886.
- Inatsu M, Kawazoe S, Mori M. Trends and Projection of Heavy Snowfall in Hokkaido, Japan, as an Application of Self-Organizing Map. J Appl Meteorol Climatol. 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-21-0085.1.
- Brutel-Vuilmet C, Ménégoz M, Krinner G. An analysis of present and future seasonal Northern Hemisphere land snow cover simulated by CMIP5 coupled climate models. The Cryosphere. 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-67-2013.
- Sinickas A. Snow avalanches in western Canada: investigating change in occurrence rates and implications for risk assessment and mitigation. Struct Infrastruct Eng. 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15732479.2015.1020495.
- Lau KM, Li MT. The Monsoon of East Asia and its Global Associations—A Survey. Bull Am Meteorol Soc. 1984. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1984)065<0114:TMOEAA>2.0.CO;2.
- Yariyan, P, Avand M. GIS-based spatial modeling of snow avalanches using four novel ensemble models. Sci Total Environ. 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141008.
- Zhou, L.; Ding, L. A review of snow melting and de-icing technologies for trains. Proc Inst Mech Eng Part F J Rail Rapid Transit. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09544097211059631.
- Darghiasi, P. Digital Twin Enabled Winter Operations Management Through the Integration of Artificial Intelligence, Sensory Level-Data, and Publicly Available Data. 2023.
- Yang, L.; Xie, J. Evolution of Smart Cities Movements Toward Resilient Cities. A Comparative Analysis of Case Studies in Tokyo, Japan. 2019. Available from: http://webthesis.biblio.polito.it/id/eprint/11925.
- Ha, K.J.; Heo, K.Y,; Lee, S.S.; et al. Variability in the East Asian Monsoon: a review. Meteorol Appl. 2012. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/met.1320.
- Implementation and Demonstration of a System for the Forecasting of Surface Avalanche Potential Caused by Snowfall from a Cyclone. J Disaster Res. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20965/jdr.2019.p1201.