A 70-Year History of Marine Stratocumulus Cloud Field Experiments off the Coast of California

Abstract

On 10 September 1923, the first research aircraft flight to investigate marine stratocumulus clouds took place. As we approach the 70th anniversary of this historic flight, it is important to look back at what we have learned from the field experiments designed to study these clouds, both in cloud-data analysis and in field-experiment methodology. In this note, marine stratus and stratocumulus field experiments conducted off the coast of California are reviewed.