Cloud research for better weather and climate models

Clouds appear to be large structures, but consist of ten thousands of water droplets and ice particles of variable size and shape. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funds the research project "Cloud and Precipitation Processes in the Climate System – HD(CP)2" with a total amount of EUR 11 million. One of the project partners is Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The project studies the spatial structure of clouds and their particle composition. It is aimed at improving the understanding of cloud and precipitation formation and, hence, weather and climate models.

The abbreviation HD(CP)2 stands for "High Definition Clouds & Precipitation for Advancing Climate Prediction". 120 researchers from 17 institutes are involved in the project. From April to July 2013, a measurement campaign called "HOPE" will be performed on an area measuring 10 x 10 km2 around Forschungszentrum Jülich. There, remote sensing instruments will determine spatial temperature, humidity, and cloud fields up to about 10 km height with tilting lidar and radar devices and a number of ground sensors measuring temperature, humidity, and solar irradiation. More than 20 of these remote sensing systems will be coordinated and operated all around the clock in order to capture as many weather situations as possible. This will result in the most complete conception of the formation and development of clouds that has been obtained so far. The complex ground-based measurements will be complemented by a total of 300 radiosonde ascents.

Provided by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology