Light scattering by ice particles in the Earth's atmosphere and related laboratory measurements

The microphysical properties of ice crystals, such as size, shape, concavity and roughness, are important in the context of radiative properties of ice and mixed phase clouds. Limitations of current cloud probes to measure such properties can be circumvented by acquiring light scattering patterns instead of particle images. Recent in situ cloud data from the SID-3 probe is shown which is consistent with ice particles with rough surfaces being dominant.