Automated Analysis and Quality Assurance of Ice-Nucleating Particle Data: The PINE INP Analysis Software PIA

Büttner, Nicole; Fösig, Romy; Böhmländer, Alexander; Lacher, Larissa; Vogel, Franziska; Tarn, Mark; Bogert, Pia; Nadolny, Jens; Murray, Benjamin; Möhler, Ottmar

doi:10.5194/egusphere-2025-5586

Preprints

https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5586

Preprints

29 Dec 2025

| 29 Dec 2025

Status: this preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).

Automated Analysis and Quality Assurance of Ice-Nucleating Particle Data: The PINE INP Analysis Software PIA

Nicole Büttner, Romy Fösig, Alexander Böhmländer, Larissa Lacher, Franziska Vogel, Mark Tarn, Pia Bogert, Jens Nadolny, Benjamin Murray, and Ottmar Möhler

Abstract. The presence of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) in the atmosphere plays a crucial role in shaping cloud radiative properties, influencing their lifespan, and affecting precipitation and storm dynamics. To enable continuous and high-resolution monitoring of INP concentrations, the Portable Ice Nucleation Experiment (PINE) was developed. Complementing this, the PINE INP Analysis (PIA) software was created to ensure a standardised and reproducible data processing workflow. This work presents the setup of software version 3.0.0 and the structure of the processed data. The two main components of the software – the automated quality control of the data and the algorithm to distinguish between aerosols and droplets versus ice crystals based on their optical size – are described in detail. The second part of this study provides recommendations for quality assurance of PINE measurements. It outlines procedures for conducting background checks to detect potential contamination within the chamber, evaluates the consistency between adjacent temperature sensors, and discusses how large aerosol particles 10 can impact measurement uncertainty.

Received: 12 Nov 2025 – Discussion started: 29 Dec 2025

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Nicole Büttner, Romy Fösig, Alexander Böhmländer, Larissa Lacher, Franziska Vogel, Mark Tarn, Pia Bogert, Jens Nadolny, Benjamin Murray, and Ottmar Möhler

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Nicole Büttner, Romy Fösig, Alexander Böhmländer, Larissa Lacher, Franziska Vogel, Mark Tarn, Pia Bogert, Jens Nadolny, Benjamin Murray, and Ottmar Möhler

Data sets

PINE-04-02 CORONA 2020-21 Franziska Vogel et al. https://doi.org/10.35097/sqmdyj7ckbccq9zy

PINE-04-02 CORONA_new 21 Franziska Vogel et al. https://doi.org/10.35097/c78mxhyjyd269pr9

Data from the Portable Ice Nucleation Experiment (PINE) during the CountIce (part 1) 2021-2022 campaign Mark Tarn and Benjamin Murray https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17451019

Nicole Büttner, Romy Fösig, Alexander Böhmländer, Larissa Lacher, Franziska Vogel, Mark Tarn, Pia Bogert, Jens Nadolny, Benjamin Murray, and Ottmar Möhler

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Latest update: 29 Dec 2025

Short summary

We developed a new Python software tool that standardises and automates the analysis of data from a cloud simulation chamber. It identifies ice-forming particles in the atmosphere and ensures consistent data quality through built-in checks, making results more comparable across studies. We also analysed measurement data to provide recommendations for improving instrument reliability and long-term monitoring of atmospheric ice-forming particles. This helps to better understand how clouds behave.