Examining cloud-edge glaciation in-situ
NASA FINESST 2026
Hydrometeor size and shape are contributors to radar reflectivity and lidar backscatter, direct contact and entrainment
See glaciation at cloud-edge regions
Cumuliform, stratiform, and wave clouds
Evaporating droplets cool below the environmental ambient temp
Enhance ice nucleation
Aircraft observations related to glaciation
Environmental humidity and saturation play key role in droplet lifetime and INP activation
Need - varying environments with respect to relative humidity
Measurements of ice water content, particle imaging, droplet size distributions
Two different flights for environments, SARPEC and IPHEx
Mixing - homogeneous mixing - all droplets come into contact with drier ambient air during entrainment, inhomogeneous mixing - some droplets are exposed to drier ambient air and evaporate completely while others go unexposed and do not change in size, homogeneous mixing curve, homogenous mixing degree, directly evaluate the size distribution
Aggregate and label passes with ambient air, edge, and core regions, document the relative humidity in three regions
Classify mixing regime at each cloud pass
Compare ice water content and particle imagery taken from cloud edge regions based on the relative humidity of the ambient air
Questions - methodology feasible?
How to refine science questions
Best way to appeal to the NASA science mission directorate
How many years of funding might an analysis like this sustant - finesst 1-3 yrs
Have different definitions of a cloud edge and then do analysis on each definition
Sonya Lescher group - modeling focus, acknowledge a potential emphasis with idealized modeling for maybe one case, compliment study, reinforced methodology for mixing, suggest interaction with modelers,
Remote sensing from lidar and radar, remote sensing best way to appeal to NASA