Dual-Aircraft Joint Observation of Cloud Microphysics in Typhoon Trami (2024) over the South China Sea

Supported by the Experiment on Typhoon Intensity Change in Coastal Areas, Phase II (EXOTICCA-II), under the auspices of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee, the Shanghai Typhoon Institute (STI) and the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) conducted an inaugural manned aircraft-based collaborative field experiment targeting Typhoon Trami (2024) over the South China Sea. This pioneering experiment utilized two modified aircraft platforms: the King Air 350i, equipped with advanced instruments such as a Ka-band cloud radar (KPR) and a Droplet Measurement Technology (DMT) cloud particle measurement system, which focused on studying cloud microphysical processes within the typhoon’s spiral rainbands; and the Challenger 605 aircraft operated by the HKO, with a deployed dropsonde system to gather vertical wind speed, temperature, and humidity profiles. The comprehensive data collected from this experiment provide vital insights into the warm-cloud processes that influence typhoon precipitation and act to validate the use of modified manned aircraft for typhoon observation. This successful joint effort marks a milestone in China’s typhoon observation, establishing a robust technical foundation for future large-scale observational campaigns and international collaborations across the western North Pacific.