TRABERT'S FORMULA AND THE DETERMINATION OF THE WATER CONTENT IN CLOUDS

Abstract

With use of cloud data collected in all types of cumulus clouds, it is shown that the constant in the Trabert equation is not actually a constant but varies with the character of the droplet spectrum. Trabert's formula consequently is not suitable, in general, for the determination of liquid-water content from measurements of visibility and droplet size. It is shown how the water content can be determined from these measurements, provided that the whole droplet spectrum and not just an average droplet size is known.