Title

The texture of clouds

Authors

A. R. Jameson, RJH Scientific, Inc.
Alexander Kostinski, Michigan Technological UniversityFollow
R A. Black, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laborator

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-1998

Abstract

Using a precise definition of clustering, it is shown that in two tropical cumulus clouds, droplets appear to be bunched over distances ranging from at least a kilometer or more down to several centimeters. A statistical framework is proposed for quantifying clustering in terms of a Poisson probability mixture. While these observations require further substantiation in many different clouds, droplet clustering may play a role in diverse phenomena from the coalescence growth of raindrops to the scattering of radiation by clouds.

Publisher's Statement

Copyright 1998 by the American Geophysical Union. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.1029/98JD00081

Publication Title

Journal of Geophysical Research

Recommended Citation

Jameson, A. R., Kostinski, A., & Black, R. A. (1998). The texture of clouds. Journal of Geophysical Research, 103(D6), 6211-6219. http://doi.org/10.1029/98JD00081
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/physics-fp/240

Version

Publisher's PDF