Groundbreaking Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud Experiment has wound up with much praise for producing one of the most comprehensive data sets of tropical cloud properties ever collected.
Launched in January, data collected in the experiment will enhance the understanding of tropical clouds and improve weather and climate forecasts.
Charles Darwin University played a key role in the experiment providing facilities and invaluable logistic support to the ‘on-location’ project teams.
The experiment involved over 200 scientists from 10 countries and 30 institutions, and was one of the largest weather experiments to be undertaken anywhere in the world. It included 20 missions by five research aircraft flying at altitudes ranging from 60 feet to 55,000 feet and the launch of 1000 weather balloons from various sites around Darwin.
It is hoped the research will ultimately improve our ability to forecast regional weather and simulate climate change and allow scientists to study the development and movement of the monsoon low.