3D in-situ measurements of entrainment-related cumulus clouds properties using a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles
Résumé
Entrainment-related shallow cumulus clouds properties have largely been studied using large-eddy simulation. These previous studies have led to various cumulus clouds parameterizations. On the other hand, simultaneous in-situ 3D sampling of individual cloud at spatial and temporal resolutions comparable to Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is still lacking. The need to fill in this 3D observational data insufficiency and to validate previous LES findings has propelled the Skyscanner project; using the concept of a multi-UAV-based adaptive sampling strategy. This project is a joint collaboration with institutes specializing in aviation, robotics, and atmospheric science. In order to capture 3D cloud properties simultaneously, the multi-UAVs path planning relies on a cumulus cloud conceptual model. This model that relates the evolution of geometrical and microphysical properties of individual clouds has been derived from LES numerical experiments using MesoNH-LES and potentially WRFLES models. In addition to the interaction with individual cloud properties, the multi-UAVs path planning is sensitive to the evolution of the convective boundary layer and the cloud spatial extent. The synchronized swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) focuses mainly on locating and quantifying the evolution of the entrainment-related cloud properties including the subsiding shell around individual shallow cumulus clouds.