The role of giant and ultragiant nuclei in the formation of early radar echoes in warm cumulus clouds

Blyth et al examine the role of UGN in the development of the early radar echoes. They present observations of the early stages of several small cumulus clouds made with an aircraft and a high-sensitivity radar during the Small Cumulus Microphysics Study, and examine if the early radar echoes can be reproduced in a simple parcel model with collision and coalescence calculations that include giant and ultragiant nuclei.