DCMEX coordinated aircraft and ground observations: Microphysics, aerosol and dynamics during cumulonimbus development

Abstract. Sensitivity of global temperature to rising CO₂ remains highly uncertain. One of the greatest sources of uncertainty arises from cloud feedbacks associated with deep convective anvils. For deep convective clouds, their growth and characteristics are substantially controlled by mixed-phase microphysical processes. However, there remain several questions about cloud microphysical processes, especially in deep, mixed-phase clouds. Meanwhile, the representation of these processes in global climate models is limited. As such, the Deep Convective Microphysics Experiment (DCMEX) has undertaken an in-situ aircraft and ground-based measurement campaign. The data, combined with operational satellite observations and modelling, will help establish new understanding from the smallest, cloud and aerosol particle scales through to the largest, cloud-system and climate scales. DCMEX is one of four projects in the UK Natural Environment Research Council, Uncertainty in climate sensitivity due to clouds, CloudSense programme. Along with other CloudSense projects, DCMEX will support progress in reducing the uncertainty in cloud feedbacks and equilibrium climate sensitivity. This paper lays out the underpinning dataset from the DCMEX summer 2022 field campaign. Its content describes the coordinated operation and technical details of the broad range of aerosol, cloud physics, radar, thermodynamics, dynamics, electric field and weather instruments deployed. In addition, an overview of the characteristics of campaign cases illustrates the complementary operational observations available, as well as demonstrating the breadth of the campaign cases observed.