Articles | Volume 18, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-2819-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-2819-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Data description article
| 
22 Apr 2026
Data description article |
| 22 Apr 2026
| 22 Apr 2026
Small uncrewed aircraft based microphysical measurements of polar stratus cloud during the Pallas Cloud Experiment 2022
Jessica Girdwood
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
National Centre for Atmospheric Science, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
David Brus
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Atmospheric Composition Research – Aerosols and Climate, Erik Palménin aukio 1, 00560, Helsinki, Finland
Konstantinos-Matthaios Doulgeris
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Atmospheric Composition Research – Aerosols and Climate, Erik Palménin aukio 1, 00560, Helsinki, Finland
Alexander Böhmländer
Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Aerosol Research (IMK-AAF), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, 76121, Germany
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Alexander Böhmländer, Larissa Lacher, Kristina Höhler, David Brus, Konstantinos-Matthaios Doulgeris, Jessica Girdwood, Thomas Leisner, and Ottmar Möhler
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Clouds play a key role in weather and climate. Pure liquid water droplets are liquid until about −35 °C without the presence of a small subset of aerosols, ice-nucleating particles (INPs). These INPs lead to primary ice formation and therefore impact the phase of clouds. The dataset described herein provides INP concentration measurements at two altitudes. Connecting this data to synoptic conditions and ambient data might provide a better understanding of INPs in Finnish Lapland.
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Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 305–317, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-305-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-305-2025, 2025
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Optical particle spectrometers (OPSs) are a class of instruments (commonly used for measurement of particle size distributions) that require calibration. Conventionally, this is performed using a known aerosol source, which has reliability issues. In this paper, we present a technique for OPS calibration which involves placing objects in the instrument that generate a known response. This fibre calibration method was more reliable than a conventional calibration.
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Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 2695–2713, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-2695-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-2695-2026, 2026
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We evaluated different methods to obtain the ice nucleating particle (INP) concentration from ambient filters using GRAINS (GRAnada Ice Nuclei Spectrometer), the INP spectrometer at the Andalusian ObseRvatory of the Atmosphere (AGORA). We first characterized GRAINS and compared it to other INP devices. Then, we sampled polycarbonate and quartz filters for three months and tested three different particle extraction methods, finding general good agreement but that the INP concentration is systematically higher when using quartz filters.
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1612, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1612, 2026
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Nicole Büttner, Romy Fösig, Alexander Böhmländer, Larissa Lacher, Franziska Vogel, Mark Tarn, Pia Bogert, Jens Nadolny, Benjamin Murray, and Ottmar Möhler
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Alexander Böhmländer, Larissa Lacher, Kristina Höhler, David Brus, Konstantinos-Matthaios Doulgeris, Jessica Girdwood, Thomas Leisner, and Ottmar Möhler
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 6157–6164, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6157-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6157-2025, 2025
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Alexander Böhmländer, Larissa Lacher, Romy Fösig, Nicole Büttner, Jens Nadolny, David Brus, Konstantinos-Matthaios Doulgeris, and Ottmar Möhler
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Cloud-aerosol interactions lead to a phase change of water droplets inside the atmosphere. One of these interactions happens due to a small subset of aerosols, ice-nucleating particles (INPs). These INPs lead to the freezing of pure water droplets above −35 °C, which otherwise would stay liquid. This has impacts on the weather and climate. The present data set presents a unique data set with a high temporal resolution.
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Jürgen Gratzl, Alexander Böhmländer, Sanna Pätsi, Clara-E. Pogner, Markus Gorfer, David Brus, Konstantinos Matthaios Doulgeris, Florian Wieland, Eija Asmi, Annika Saarto, Ottmar Möhler, Dominik Stolzenburg, and Hinrich Grothe
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We studied particles in the air over 1 year in the Finnish sub-Arctic to understand how biological particles affect ice formation in clouds. We found that fungal spores are the main contributors to ice formation at warmer temperatures. These particles are released locally and vary with the weather. Our results also show that we know very little about which fungi can form ice in the atmosphere, highlighting a major gap in our understanding of how nature influences weather and climate.
Alexander Böhmländer, Larissa Lacher, David Brus, Konstantinos-Matthaios Doulgeris, Zoé Brasseur, Matthew Boyer, Joel Kuula, Thomas Leisner, and Ottmar Möhler
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3959–3971, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3959-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3959-2025, 2025
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Clouds and aerosol are important for weather and climate. Typically, pure water cloud droplets stay liquid until around −35 °C, unless they come into contact with ice-nucleating particles (INPs). INPs are a rare subset of aerosol particles. Using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), it is possible to collect aerosol particles and analyse their ice-nucleating ability. This study describes the test and validation of a sampling set-up that can be used to collect aerosol particles onto a filter.
Jürgen Gratzl, David Brus, Konstantinos Doulgeris, Alexander Böhmländer, Ottmar Möhler, and Hinrich Grothe
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 3975–3985, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-3975-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-3975-2025, 2025
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Near-real time monitoring of airborne biological particles like fungal spores or pollen grains is of great interest for two main reasons: to improve atmospheric allergen forecasts and to deepen the understanding of how bio-aerosols influence cloud formation. Here, we measured fluorescent bio-aerosols in the Finnish sub-Arctic with a high time resolution. A data set that might improve our understanding of biosphere–cloud interactions and the dynamics of bio-aerosols in the atmosphere.
John Backman, Krista Luoma, Henri Servomaa, Ville Vakkari, and David Brus
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-284, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-284, 2025
Revised manuscript has not been submitted
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This work describes the in-situ aerosol measurements at the Arctic Sammaltunturi measurement station in Pallas in northern Finland. This data paper describes the instruments and the data post processing of key aerosol particle measurements that are relevant for cloud properties. Data reported here are part of the Pallas Cloud Experiment in 2022 (PaCE2022).
Viet Le, Konstantinos Matthaios Doulgeris, Mika Komppula, John Backman, Gholamhossein Bagheri, Eberhard Bodenschatz, and David Brus
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-148, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-148, 2025
Preprint withdrawn
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This manuscript presents datasets collected during the Pallas Cloud Experiment in northern Finland during the autumn of 2022. We provide an overview of the payload that measured meteorological, cloud, and aerosol properties, and was deployed on tethered balloon systems across 21 flights. Additionally, we describe the datasets obtained, including details of the instruments on the payload.
Jessica Girdwood, Harry Ballington, Chris Stopford, Rob Lewis, and Evelyn Hesse
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 305–317, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-305-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-305-2025, 2025
Short summary
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Optical particle spectrometers (OPSs) are a class of instruments (commonly used for measurement of particle size distributions) that require calibration. Conventionally, this is performed using a known aerosol source, which has reliability issues. In this paper, we present a technique for OPS calibration which involves placing objects in the instrument that generate a known response. This fibre calibration method was more reliable than a conventional calibration.
Konstantinos Matthaios Doulgeris, Ville Vakkari, Ewan J. O'Connor, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Heikki Lihavainen, and David Brus
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 2483–2498, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2483-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2483-2023, 2023
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We investigated how different long-range-transported air masses can affect the microphysical properties of low-level clouds in a clean subarctic environment. A connection was revealed. Higher values of cloud droplet number concentrations were related to continental air masses, whereas the lowest values of number concentrations were related to marine air masses. These were characterized by larger cloud droplets. Clouds in all regions were sensitive to increases in cloud number concentration.
Zoé Brasseur, Dimitri Castarède, Erik S. Thomson, Michael P. Adams, Saskia Drossaart van Dusseldorp, Paavo Heikkilä, Kimmo Korhonen, Janne Lampilahti, Mikhail Paramonov, Julia Schneider, Franziska Vogel, Yusheng Wu, Jonathan P. D. Abbatt, Nina S. Atanasova, Dennis H. Bamford, Barbara Bertozzi, Matthew Boyer, David Brus, Martin I. Daily, Romy Fösig, Ellen Gute, Alexander D. Harrison, Paula Hietala, Kristina Höhler, Zamin A. Kanji, Jorma Keskinen, Larissa Lacher, Markus Lampimäki, Janne Levula, Antti Manninen, Jens Nadolny, Maija Peltola, Grace C. E. Porter, Pyry Poutanen, Ulrike Proske, Tobias Schorr, Nsikanabasi Silas Umo, János Stenszky, Annele Virtanen, Dmitri Moisseev, Markku Kulmala, Benjamin J. Murray, Tuukka Petäjä, Ottmar Möhler, and Jonathan Duplissy
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 5117–5145, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5117-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5117-2022, 2022
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The present measurement report introduces the ice nucleation campaign organized in Hyytiälä, Finland, in 2018 (HyICE-2018). We provide an overview of the campaign settings, and we describe the measurement infrastructure and operating procedures used. In addition, we use results from ice nucleation instrument inter-comparison to show that the suite of these instruments deployed during the campaign reports consistent results.
Joseph Girdwood, Warren Stanley, Chris Stopford, and David Brus
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2061–2076, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2061-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2061-2022, 2022
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UAVs have great potential to be used for airborne measurements of cloud and aerosol properties, which are of particular importance due to the largely uncharacterised nature of such phenomena. However, since UAVs are a new tool in atmospheric physics expensive platform validation and characterisation of UAV-instrument combinations needs to be performed. This paper presents an evaluation of a fixed-wing UAV in combination with an instrument that measures cloud droplet diameter.
Konstantinos Matthaios Doulgeris, Heikki Lihavainen, Anti-Pekka Hyvärinen, Veli-Matti Kerminen, and David Brus
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 637–649, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-637-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-637-2022, 2022
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We produced and summarized data sets obtained from two cloud ground-based spectrometers (CAPS and FSSP-100 ground setups) during 8 years of Pallas Cloud Experiment campaigns conducted in autumn from 2004 until 2019 along with several meteorological variables. The campaigns took place in the Finnish sub-Arctic region in a clear environment in temperatures that were usually below zero. This data set provides a helpful contribution to cloud microphysics processes.
David Brus, Jani Gustafsson, Osku Kemppinen, Gijs de Boer, and Anne Hirsikko
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 2909–2922, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2909-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2909-2021, 2021
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This publication summarizes measurements collected and datasets generated by the Finnish Meteorological Institute and Kansas State University teams during the LAPSE-RATE campaign that took place in San Luis Valley, Colorado, during summer 2018. We provide an overview of the rotorcraft and offer insights into the payloads that were used. We describe the teams’ scientific goals, flight strategies, and the datasets, including a description of the measurement validation techniques applied.
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Short summary
In-situ data of cloud microphysics is essential for targeted studies of cloud processes, validating remote sensing, and both assessing and improving the accuracy of weather and climate models. In this work we adopt a novel technique using a small uncrewed aircraft (SUA) and a bespoke sensor to produce vertical profiles of cloud microphysical parameters. The data are publicly available from https://zenodo.org/records/14756233.
In-situ data of cloud microphysics is essential for targeted studies of cloud processes,...
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