The Poetry of the Clouds
Turbulence Research in Clouds
The film "The Poetry of the Clouds" at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization exemplifies innovative fundamental research into the microphysics of clouds. Specifically how clouds and rain relate to each other, and what happens to each and every droplet of rain.
In the film, Professor Dr. Eberhard Bodenschatz and his team of scientists from MPIDS explain how a 5.5-ton steel see saw was taken from the lab in Goettingen to the Environmental Research Station at Schneefernerhaus atop Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze.
The physicists and engineers of the MPIDS designed and built the seesaw’s steel structure over many years. The seesaw serves as a multifunctional foundation and supports up to four high-speed cameras. The cameras capture the dynamics of individual droplets, all in 3D. This research provides insights into the mechanism of rain formation and could improve, in highly turbulent clouds, our ability to predict rain.