the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
| 13 Mar 2025
Airborne measurements of turbulence and cloud microphysics during PaCE 2022 using the Advanced Max Planck CloudKite Instrument (MPCK+)
Abstract. This paper presents the data set collected with the Advanced Max Planck CloudKite instrument (MPCK+) during the Pallas Cloud Experiment (PaCE), conducted at Pallas, Finland, between September 19 and September 26, 2022. The data set includes measurements of turbulence, wind shear, and cloud microphysics in the planetary boundary layer between 0 and 1200 m above ground with flight durations between 1.5 and 3 hours. This data set is intended for researchers studying microphysics of boundary layer clouds in the Arctic at temperatures above freezing level, providing high-resolution airborne measurements of meteorological variables together with cloud droplet concentration and size distribution data. In particular the high spatial resolution of less than 10 m between two cloud droplet size distribution samples, the low altitude and the long flight time allow unprecedented insights into stratocumulus and cumulus clouds not accessible by research airplanes. The aim of this paper is to describe the data collection process, the structure of the data set, and guidelines for potential users.
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RC1: 'Comment on essd-2025-112', Anonymous Referee #1, 16 Apr 2025
The comment was uploaded in the form of a supplement: https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2025-112/essd-2025-112-RC1-supplement.pdf
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RC2: 'Comment on essd-2025-112', Anonymous Referee #2, 23 Apr 2025
Review of «Airborne measurements of turbulence and cloud microphysics during PaCE 2022 using the Advanced Max Planck CloudKite Instrument (MPCK+)”
Summary: This paper introduces a valuable dataset collected using the Advanced Max Planck CloudKite instrument (MPCK+) during the Pallas Cloud Experiment (PaCE) in Finland, September 2022. The dataset comprises high-resolution airborne measurements of turbulence, wind shear, and cloud microphysics from a unique tethered Helikite platform operating within the Arctic boundary layer. Key strengths include the high spatial resolution achieved due to the platform's low airspeed and the long-duration, low-altitude flight capabilities compared to traditional aircraft. The manuscript effectively details the instrumentation, campaign, data structure, processing, and provides useful examples. The authors are commendably transparent about data characteristics and potential challenges. This dataset represents a significant contribution for researchers studying boundary layer dynamics and cloud processes.
This manuscript presents a unique and valuable high-resolution atmospheric dataset collected using the innovative MPCK+ tethered balloon platform during the PaCE 2022 campaign. The data provides important insights into Arctic boundary layer conditions and cloud microphysics, complementing other measurement strategies. The authors have provided a thorough description of the instrument, campaign, and data, including transparent discussion of data quality aspects.
Overall recommendation: Addressing the minor comments listed below will strengthen the paper significantly. Therefore, I recommend this paper for publication in Earth System Science Data after these minor revisions have been addressed.
Minor comments:
Line 21-22: The similar acronyms "MPCK" for the platform and "MPCK+" for the instrument package could be confusing. Consider clarifying the naming convention. Does the "+" specifically denote "Advanced"? Is there a non-advanced instrument package, and if so, does it share the platform's acronym?
Line 26-41: The detailed technical descriptions of the PIV/Holography units and other sensors currently appear in the Introduction. Consider relocating this information to Section 2.3 ("Instrumentation: the MPCK+") for better structural flow, keeping the introduction focused on the overall goals and dataset overview.
Figure 1 Caption: Please add context to the caption, for example, specifying it shows a test flight and its approximate location (e.g., "near MPI-DS").
Table 1: For the PIV/PTV and Inline Holography entries, please specify the effective particle size range they can resolve or their measurement resolution limits.
Table 2: The "Instrument" column appears redundant as all flights use the MPCK+. Consider removing it.
Line 141: The current flight ID format is yyyymmdd.hhmm. Consider providing a simpler, sequential flight identifier (e.g., PACE22_FLT01, PACE22_FLT02...) in the metadata or tables for easier referencing across datasets or publications.
Line 305: Clarify explicitly whether the noted 10.4° pitch offset correction required for the powerinterlock device data has already been applied in the distributed NetCDF files or if users must apply it themselves. Table 5 appears to present uncorrected data.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-112-RC2
Data sets
PaCE2022 Advanced Max Planck CloudKite data Oliver Schlenczek, Freja Nordsiek, Claudia E. Brunner, Venecia Chávez-Medina, Eberhard Bodenschatz, and Gholamhossein Bagheri https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14938135
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