Cloud Microphysics Particle Size Distributions from CAMEX-4

Particle size distributions are measured by three airborne probes (2D-P, 2D-C, FSSP) capturing precipitation, hydrometeor, and aerosol sizes from 0.3 to 6400 micrometers. The dataset is produced by the GHRC DAAC and includes data in both ASCII tables and image formats. It is available on multiple platforms, with metadata updates noted as recently as 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyzing cloud droplet concentration and size distributions using FSSP probe data.
• Studying hydrometeor and precipitation particle shapes and sizes from 2D-C and 2D-P probe images.
• Modeling aerosol-cloud interactions by correlating aerosol particle properties (0.3+ μm) with cloud microphysics.
• Validating satellite or radar retrievals of cloud properties with in-situ particle size distributions.

Strengths

• Covers a wide particle size range from 0.3 to 6400 micrometers across three complementary instruments.
• Data is provided in both processed tabular (ASCII) and raw image formats, supporting different analysis approaches.
• Presence on multiple authoritative platforms (NASA Earthdata, Data.gov) indicates curation and importance.

Limitations

• Key descriptive metadata (row count, file size, specific columns) is unavailable from all sources.
• Conflicting last updated dates (2001-09-25 vs. 2026-03 13) create uncertainty about data currency or metadata management.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.

Provenance

Source

GHRC_DAAC (Global Hydrology Resource Center Distributed Active Archive Center)

Collection Method

In-situ measurements from airborne instruments: 2D-P (precipitation probe), 2D-C (cloud probe), and FSSP (Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe).

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-03-13 07:07:26.417651

Geography

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