ICE-L

The Ice in Clouds Experiment: More than 50% of the earth's precipitation originates in the ice phase. Ice nucleation, therefore, is one of the most basic processes that lead to precipitation. The poorly understood processes of ice initiation and secondary ice multiplication in clouds result in large uncertainties in the ability to model precipitation production and to predict climate changes. Therefore, progress in modeling precipitation accurately requires a better understanding of ice formation processes. In 2007, ICE focused on airborne measurements of clouds, concentrating on the role of heterogeneous nucleation, along with coordinating ground measurements in mountainous locations such as the Front Range of Colorado and Wyoming. Close collaboration between theory, field, lab, and modeling studies will be emphasized through involvement of participants who specialize in these different approaches.