Quicklooks from long-term observational campaigns

For the full archive of Chilbolton radar and lidar measurements click here. Some quicklooks from older studies and campaigns are detailed below. See also the CloudNet website for quicklooks of observations and model data from several remote sites around the globe.

Data at BADC

The cloud radar and lidar at Chilbolton operate round-the-clock, and much of the data is now available at the British Atmospheric Data Centre in NetCDF format (you will need to register). To read this data you may find the programs on our software page useful - please also read the radar documentation and lidar documentation. This activity is funded by the European Space Agency under the Cloud Characteristics II project.

94-GHz radar quicklooks 1 May 1999 to 17 October 2000

905-nm lidar quicklooks 17 February to 31 October 2000

Recent images

Images are also produced automatically as the data are taken.

Real-time cloud radar images

Older images

Radar reflectivity

Composites

Lidar

Quicklooks from field experiments

CWVC (1999-2001)

Images from the 3-GHz radar during the CWVC flights.

Flight I (30 March 1999)

Flight II (9 June 2000)

Flight III (20 October 2000)

Flight IV (21 November 2000)

Flight V (28 February 2001)

Negative KDP in thunderstorms

When negative KDP is observed in the cores of thunderstorms it indicates the vertical alignment of ice crystals. This is something that cannot occur by inertial forces alone, so indicates the presence of a strong electric field. When the orientation changes suddenly from vertical to horizontal (KDP switches from negative to positive) then it indicates a lightning strike.

An example from 28 July 2000

All the thunderstorm scans from CAMRa on 28 July 2000.

All the thunderstorm scans from CAMRa on 4 July 2000.

All the thunderstorm scans from CAMRa on 4 July 2001.