Comparative Measurements of Cloud Liquid Water Using Heated Wire and Cloud Replicating Devices

Abstract

Liquid water concentrations in cumulus clouds have been measured from an aircraft using the Johnson-Williams hot wire device. From simultaneous continuous cloud replicator records, liquid water contents have been computed from the observed drop size distributions. Comparisons between data from the hot wire and replicator devices indicate that both instruments are fairly accurate in measuring liquid water contents at least up to 3.5 gm m?3, with the closest agreement when the median volume diameter of the cloud droplets was under 30 ?m.