Cloud droplet distribution in shallow cumulus clouds: CloudKite measurements from EUREC4A

We use in-situ cloud measurements to study the turbulent characteristics in clouds and the size and spatial distribution of cloud droplets.

We collected in-situ data in shallow cumulus clouds over the Atlantic Ocean near Barbados during the EUREC4A field campaign using the tethered aerostat Max Planck CloudKite.

Our onboard instruments include an in-line holography setup as well as a particle image velocimetry setup to measure size, location, and velocity of cloud droplets.

The high acquisition rates of these imaging instruments combined with the CloudKite's low airspeed result in unprecedented resolution for such in-situ cloud droplet measurements.

Overall, we found a high variability at sub-meter scale in droplet size distribution and concentration both at the depth of a cloud and near the cloud edge.

We also observe clustering of cloud droplets and centimeter-sized void regions.