Integrated Microphysics Measurement Capabilities of the Next-Generation University of Wyoming King Air Research Facility

By early 2025 the next-generation University of Wyoming King Air (UWKA) will have been modified and certified as a replacement for its original, which served NSF users from 1987-2022. The facility was renowned for cloud physics field campaigns, and the next-gen cloud and precipitation physics payload will continue to serve the atmospheric science community by observing mass and size distributions of clouds, a necessary constraint on the modeled climate response to anthropogenic greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions—one of the largest sources of extant uncertainty in global climate models.

The UWKA’s cloud physics payload includes a forward scattering Cloud Droplet Probe for cloud droplet size and number spectra, 3 optical array probes—a 2D-Stereo, Cloud Imaging Probe-Greyscale, and High-Volume Precipitation Spectrometer—to image hydrometeors and provide hydrometeor size and number spectra. A newly acquired 3-View Cloud Particle Imager will capture in even more granular detail the shape and habit of larger hydrometeors. Complementary Liquid Water Content (LWC) measurements are made with the Droplet Measurement Technologies LWC-301, SkyPhysTech Nevzorov hotwire probe, and a Rosemount icing detector. The Nevzorov further quantifies the Total Water Content (TWC) collected by its modified deep cone, subtracting (TWC-LWC) to ice mass in mixed phase clouds free of supercooled liquid precipitation. Lastly, the UWKA can accommodate many user-supplied PMS-canister or inlet cloud, precipitation, and aerosol probes with reasonable additional certification, and even instruments which require further modifications and more complex certifications. Few other observational platforms provide this level of bulk mass discrimination, redundant mass contents, degree of ground truth hydrometeor imagery, and flexibility in accommodating user-supplied instruments.

This payload, coupled with optional remote sensing and aerosol measurements, contextualizes observed hydrometeor populations developing from aerosol activation to fallout as precipitation, a process-level snapshot of observed cloud and precipitation state at flight level. These complementary remote sensing measurements have together provided insights to the development of clouds and precipitation structures from drizzling marine stratocumulus to mixed phase midlatitude cyclones or shallower sea- and lake-effect cloud streets/bands even at high latitudes. An integrated multi-sensor payload effectively supplements the otherwise small sample volumes of traditional cloud physics probes. So too does the improved next-generation UWKA science payload (< 3100 lbs), endurance (< 5.4 hours), and range (< 2100 nm one-way), extending the scope of cloud physics field campaigns in sampling and instrumentation compared to the original platform. Final performance values are dependent on payload and flight conditions. The UWKA facility is part of the NSF FARE-LAOF (Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education – Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities) program and is available by request to NSF researchers through the supporting FIRP solicitation. Here representative data products and processing are presented with attention to final value-added research products.