{
  "abstract": "The size and spatial clustering of water droplets in warm clouds influence cloud evolution and radiation properties and thus are of fundamental importance for the Earth's energy balance and water cycle. Some proposed mechanisms for droplet growth and precipitation initiation in warm clouds require strong droplet clustering. Resolving such clustering on sub-cm scales remains a challenge. The most detailed observations, collected from aircraft, showed weak mm-scale droplet clustering averaged over kilometer scales in stratocumulus clouds. Here we present spatially resolved in-situ holographic measurements from a tethered aerostat, demonstrating that clustering in shallow cumulus clouds is significantly stronger and far more localized than previously thought. These findings challenge current cloud microphysics frameworks, with implications for precipitation initiation and cloud modeling.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Physics, University of Göttingen",
    "Laboratory for Fluid Physics, Pattern Formation and Biocomplexity, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization",
    "Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Charleston",
    "Department of Physics, Michigan Technological University",
    "Department of Physics, Cornell University"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Birte Thiede",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3248-0910"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Michael L. Larsen",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7969-3863"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Freja Nordsiek",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5185-3634"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Oliver Schlenczek",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7247-465X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yewon Kim",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-0668-2460"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Eberhard Bodenschatz",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2901-0144"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Gholamhossein Bagheri",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3707-4754"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8c4kcmy30vd6c.bib",
  "cited_by": 7,
  "doi": "10.1073/pnas.2602976123",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "8c4kcmy30vd6c",
  "issns": [
    "0027-8424",
    "1091-6490"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2602976123",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2306|Atmospheric aerosols and clouds"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7172379188",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13462724",
  "pmid": "42550910",
  "published": "2026-08-04",
  "publisher": "National Academy of Sciences",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8c4kcmy30vd6c.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-05T13:21:11Z",
      "native_id": "W7172379188",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2602976123"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "earth",
      "origin": "openalex:2306|Atmospheric aerosols and clouds",
      "subfield": "climate"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Highly localized droplet clustering in shallow cumulus clouds",
  "title_text": "Highly localized droplet clustering in shallow cumulus clouds",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T13:21:21Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8c4kcmy30vd6c",
  "venue": "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences",
  "versions": []
}