KMA Grade 9 Meteorologist case studies
KMA Grade 9 Meteorologist · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The KMA Grade 9 Meteorologist examination (기상직 9급) is the recruitment route into entry-level meteorologist posts at the Korea Meteorological Administration. It suits graduates in meteorology, atmospheric science, or related physical sciences who want a public-sector forecasting, observation, or research career, and it is also taken by candidates already working toward KMA roles. The KMA Grade 9 Meteorologist case studies are 5 cases and about 4,474 words.
1Dryline Initiation on the Cap: Lubbock, 24 May
Overnight shift, Lubbock, Texas, 24 May. At 00 UTC a 1004 hPa lee trough lies along the New Mexico–Texas border, a dryline bulges east near Pecos, and southeasterly winds of 12–15 kt carry surface dewpoints of 19–21 °C into the Permian Basin.
907 words, about 5 min2Precipitation Type in a Dammed Cold Pool
A winter storm is forecast for the Columbia Basin and the adjacent gorge. The 12 UTC upstream sounding reports: surface −4.2 °C, dewpoint −9.5 °C; 950 hPa −2.8 °C; 900 hPa −0.6 °C; 850 hPa +1.9 °C; 800 hPa +2.6 °C; 750 hPa +0.4 °C; 700 hPa −2.1 °C; 500 hPa −17 °C.
929 words, about 5 min3Anomalous Propagation Versus Real Echo on a Coastal Radar
You are nowcasting for a coastal airport at 06 UTC in January. The 0.5° reflectivity product from the WSR-88D 45 km away shows an arc of 25–35 dBZ returns between 15 and 35 km from the radar, strongest on azimuths that cross a river valley.
800 words, about 4 min4Homogenizing a Warming Station Record
A regional climate center is homogenizing a station record for 1950–2020. Metadata: the station sat on a downtown rooftop until 1987, when it moved 9 km east to an airport; the liquid-in-glass shelter was replaced by an MMTS unit in 1996; observation time changed from 17:00 to 07:00 local in 2003.
942 words, about 5 min5QG Ascent Diagnosis and Banded Heavy Rainfall
At 12 UTC a 500 hPa shortwave trough lies over the central Plains, with a 70 kt jet at 300 hPa rounding its base and a 35 kt southerly low-level jet at 850 hPa overlying a stationary front. Two 1000–500 hPa thickness reports, 600 km apart across the baroclinic zone, read 5400 m on the warm side and 5280 m on the cold side.
896 words, about 4 min