Instrument

CDP
Cloud Droplet Probe

The Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP) is an in situ cloud probe manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It measures the particle size distribution and concentration of cloud particles in the 2-50 μm range. The CDP detects pulses of light scattered by a 658 nm laser to count and size individual cloud droplets. It has a typical measurement rate of 1 Hz and can detect concentrations of up to 2000 particles per cubic centimeter.

NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica's tallest peak, Mount Vinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger (Photography courtesy NASA Images)

Overview

Instrument Details

Measurement Type

Spectrometer/Radiometer

Measurement/Variables

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Particle Size Distribution

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics

Vertical Measurement Regions

Troposphere

Temporal Resolution

1 Hz

Spatial Resolution

Point

Measurement Frequency

455.6 THz

Calibration Details

Currently unavailable

Online Information

https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/instrument/Cloud_Droplet_Probe

Lead Investigator
David Rogers
Technical Contact
David Rogers
Instrument Maker
Droplet Measurement Technologies
Funding Source
Currently unavailable
Overview Publications
Currently unavailable
Repositories
- Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC)
- Global Hydrology Resource Center DAAC (GHRC)

Instrument Operation

Platform

Campaigns, where the platform was used with this instrument

Citation

Cessna Citation II

10 Campaigns · 25 Instruments

OLYMPEX

Olympic Mountains Experiment

2015—2016

Olympic Peninsula in U.S. Washington State

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· 36 Data Products

GCPEx

GPM Cold Season Precipitation Experiment

2012

Ontario, Canada and northern portions of the United States (e.g., New York state, the New England area, etc.)

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· 44 Data Products

MC3E

Mid-latitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment

2011

Central Oklahoma, Southern Plains

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· 34 Data Products

RADEX

Radar Definition Experiment

2014—2015

Southeastern United States, North Carolina (NC); Olympic Peninsula, Washington (WA) State

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· 22 Data Products

IPHEx

Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment

2014

Southern Appalachians, including portions of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia

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· 47 Data Products

DC-8

Douglas DC-8

45 Campaigns · 182 Instruments

GRIP

Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes

2010

Tropical Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Eastern North Pacific, Caribbean Sea

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· 24 Data Products

SARP

Student Airborne Research Program

2009—2026

Southern California, Virginia

Ongoing

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Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2025-06-15	2025-08-02
2025-06-22	2025-08-09
2009-07-12	2009-08-13
2010-06-20	2010-07-30
2011-06-19	2011-07-29
2012-06-17	2012-08-10
2013-06-09	2013-08-02
2014-06-15	2014-08-08
2015-06-14	2015-08-07
2016-06-12	2016-08-05
2017-06-18	2017-08-11
2018-06-18	2018-08-10
2019-06-16	2019-08-09
2021-12-03	2021-12-10
2022-06-12	2022-08-05
2023-06-11	2023-08-04
2023-06-18	2023-08-11
2024-06-16	2024-08-09
2024-06-23	2024-08-16

· 25 Data Products

FIREX-AQ

Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

2019

Northwestern and Southeastern US

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· 27 Data Products

HIWC

High Ice Water Content Radar Study

2015—2022

Southeastern United States, Florida, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Southern California, Hawaii, Pacific Ocean

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· 0 Data Products

ASIA-AQ

Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality

2024

East and Southeast Asia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand

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· 8 Data Products

ATR-42

1 Campaign · 16 Instruments

HyMeX

Hydrological Cycle in Mediterranean Experiment

2012

The Mediterranean

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· 3 Data Products

B-200

Beechcraft B-200 King Air

39 Campaigns · 84 Instruments

LPVEx

Light Precipitation Evaluation Experiment

2010

Gulf of Finland

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· 22 Data Products

WB-57

NASA WB-57

17 Campaigns · 84 Instruments

TC4

Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling

2007

Costa Rica, tropical Eastern Pacific

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· 2 Data Products

G-V

Gulfstream-V

8 Campaigns · 38 Instruments

ACCLIP

Asian Summer Monsoon Chemical & Climate Impact Project

2022

West Pacific, South Korea

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· 8 Data Products

DC3

Deep Convective Clouds & Chemistry

2012

Northeastern Colorado, West Texas to Central Oklahoma, Northern Alabama

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· 19 Data Products

C-130

C-130 Hercules

17 Campaigns · 96 Instruments

NAAMES

North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study

2015—2018

Northwestern Atlantic Ocean

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· 13 Data Products

ARISE

Arctic Radiation - IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment

2014

Alaska, Beaufort Sea

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· 5 Data Products

P-3

P-3 Orion

30 Campaigns · 153 Instruments

ORACLES

Observations of Aerosols above Clouds and their Interactions

2016—2018

Southeastern Atlantic Ocean, Southern Africa

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· 8 Data Products

IMPACTS

Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms

2020—2023

Eastern United States

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· 73 Data Products

ATOMIC

Atlantic Tradewind Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Interaction Campaign

2020

Tropical North Atlantic east of Barbados

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· 1 Data Product

CalNex

California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change

2010

California

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· 0 Data Products

PECAN

Plains Elevated Convection at Night

2015

Great Plains, United States

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· 0 Data Products

Falcon

Dassault Falcon 20-E5

6 Campaigns · 44 Instruments

ACTIVATE

Aerosol Cloud meTerology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment

2020—2022

Western North Atlantic Ocean

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· 12 Data Products

G-1

Gulfstream-159

4 Campaigns · 45 Instruments

CalWater

2015

California, Sierra Nevada Range

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· 0 Data Products

Data Products

Filter data products from this instrument by specific campaigns, platforms, or formats.

Campaigns

Platforms

Formats

GRIP CLOUD MICROPHYSICS V1http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GRIP/MULTIPLE/DATA201

CampaignsGenesis and Rapid Intensification Processes

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

GPM GROUND VALIDATION UND CITATION CLOUD MICROPHYSICS GCPEX V2http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GPMGV/GCPEX/MULTIPLE/DATA203

CampaignsGPM Cold Season Precipitation Experiment

PlatformsCessna Citation II

GPM GROUND VALIDATION WYOMING KING AIR CLOUD MICROPHYSICS LPVEX V1http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GPMGV/LPVEX/MULTPLE/DATA202

CampaignsLight Precipitation Evaluation Experiment

PlatformsBeechcraft B-200 King Air

GPM GROUND VALIDATION UND CITATION CLOUD MICROPHYSICS MC3E V1http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GPMGV/MC3E/MULTIPLE/DATA201

CampaignsMid-latitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment

PlatformsCessna Citation II

ARISE 2014 C-130 In-Situ Cloud Data10.5067/AIRCRAFT/ARISE_Cloud_AircraftInSitu_C130_Data_1

CampaignsArctic Radiation - IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment

PlatformsC-130 Hercules

FormatsICARTT

GPM GROUND VALIDATION UND CITATION CLOUD MICROPHYSICS IPHEx V1http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GPMGV/IPHEX/MULTIPLE/DATA201

CampaignsIntegrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment, Radar Definition Experiment

PlatformsCessna Citation II

NCAR Particle Probes IMPACTS V110.5067/IMPACTS/PROBES/DATA101

CampaignsInvestigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms

PlatformsP-3 Orion

UND Cloud Microphysics IMPACTS V110.5067/IMPACTS/MULTIPLE/DATA101

CampaignsInvestigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms

PlatformsP-3 Orion

NAAMES C-130 Cloud In Situ Data, Version 110.5067/ASDC/NAAMES_Cloud_AircraftInSitu_Data_1

CampaignsNorth Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study

PlatformsC-130 Hercules

FormatsICARTT

ACTIVATE Falcon In Situ Cloud Data10.5067/ASDC/ACTIVATE_Cloud_AircraftInSitu_Falcon_Data_1

CampaignsAerosol Cloud meTerology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment

PlatformsDassault Falcon 20-E5

FormatsICARTT

FIREX-AQ DC-8 In-Situ Cloud Data10.5067/ASDC/FIREXAQ_Cloud_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsFire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT

FIREX-AQ DC-8 In-Situ Aerosol Data10.5067/ASDC/FIREXAQ_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsFire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT

GPM Ground Validation UND Citation Cloud Microphysics OLYMPEX V1http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GPMGV/OLYMPEX/MULTIPLE/DATA201

CampaignsOlympic Mountains Experiment

PlatformsCessna Citation II

FIREX-AQ Merge Data Files10.5067/ASDC/FIREXAQ_Merge_Data_2

CampaignsFire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT

ACTIVATE Falcon Aircraft Merge Data Files10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/ACTIVATE_Merge_Data_1

CampaignsAerosol Cloud meTerology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment

PlatformsDassault Falcon 20-E5

FormatsICARTT

ASIA-AQ DC-8 In-Situ Cloud Data10.5067/SUBORBITAL/ASIA-AQ/DATA001/DC8/Cloud_AircraftInSitu_1

CampaignsAirborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT

SARP 2019 Data10.5067/SUBORBITAL/SARP/DATA001/2019

CampaignsStudent Airborne Research Program

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT, HDF

ORACLES Cloud Aircraft InSitu Data10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/ORACLES_Cloud_AircraftInSitu_Data_1

CampaignsObservations of Aerosols above Clouds and their Interactions

PlatformsP-3 Orion

FormatsICARTT

DC3 In-Situ NSF/NCAR GV-HIAPER Cloud Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/DC3_Cloud_AircraftInSitu_NSF-GV-HIAPER_Data_1

CampaignsDeep Convective Clouds & Chemistry

PlatformsGulfstream-V

CDPCloud Droplet Probe

Overview

Instrument Details

Instrument Operation

Data Products

CDP
Cloud Droplet Probe