Already working in its second phase (April 17 – March 19), the HD(CP)² project addresses cloud and precipitation (CP) processes which constitute one of the largest uncertainties in current weather and climate prediction models. This CP roadblock is addressed by a number of scientific questions that all deal with very different aspects of cloud formation, evolution and precipitation. The project utilizes the ICON-LEM (ICOsahedral Non-hydrostatic Large Eddy Model) that provides an previously unknown horizontal resolution of 156m to actually resolve CP processes. High-resolution hindcast simulations are performed over very diverse regions, such as Germany and the Tropical Atlantic. A first look at the different hindcast simulations can be done here.

The first funding period of HD(CP)² focused on the optimization of the ICON model for the large-eddy simulations and on the improvement of ground, in situ and satellite based observations of cloud and precipitation events. A project-own observation campaign was run and its data is freely available to the scientific community.