Use of multiplatform in-situ observation to study vertical structure and microphysics of clouds during southwest monsoon over Western Ghats, India

Combination of radiosonde profiles with collocated in-situ ground and aircraft measurements is used for the first time to study the vertical structure and microphysics of clouds during southwest monsoon over the Western Ghats, India. The morphology of clouds is detailed with the help of radiosonde observations and classified as low, mid, and high-level clouds depending on the cloud base height. Radiosonde sounding profiles indicated occurrences of both single and multi-layered clouds with higher occurrences of single-layered (∼35%) clouds during monsoon transition period (June and September) and two-layered (∼42%) during core monsoon period (July and August). Dominance of low (∼30%) and high-level (∼60%) clouds were noticed compared to mid-level clouds over the observational site during the southwest monsoon.