WEATHER

BASICS(METEOROLOGY):
ATMOSPHERIC WATERS
Introduction of Cloud Physics:
Nucleation, Growth, and Distribution
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CLOUD PHYSICS
CLOUD PHYSICS 3

» The study of the physical processes that lead to the formation, growth and precipitation
of atmospheric clouds. These aerosols are found in the troposphere, stratosphere,
and mesosphere, which collectively make up the greatest part of
the homosphere. Clouds consist of microscopic droplets of liquid water (warm clouds),
tiny crystals of ice (cold clouds), or both (mixed phase clouds). Cloud droplets initially
form by the condensation of water vapor onto condensation nuclei when
the supersaturation of air exceeds a critical value according to Köhler theory. Cloud
condensation nuclei are necessary for cloud droplets formation because of the Kelvin
effect, which describes the change in saturation vapor pressure due to a curved surface.
At small radii, the amount of supersaturation needed for condensation to occur is so
large, that it does not happen naturally. Raoult's law describes how the vapor pressure is
dependent on the amount of solute in a solution. At high concentrations, when the cloud
droplets are small, the supersaturation required is smaller than without the presence of a
nucleus.
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» In warm clouds, larger cloud droplets fall at a higher terminal velocity; because at a
given velocity, the drag force per unit of droplet weight on smaller droplets is larger than
on large droplets. The large droplets can then collide with small droplets and combine to
form even larger drops. When the drops become large enough that their downward
velocity (relative to the surrounding air) is greater than the upward velocity (relative to
the earth) of the surrounding air, the drops can fall to the earth as precipitation. The
collision and coalescence is not as important in mixed phase clouds where the Bergeron
process dominates. Other important processes that form precipitation are riming, when a
supercooled liquid drop collides with a solid snowflake, and aggregation, when two solid
snowflakes collide and combine. The precise mechanics of how a cloud forms and
grows is not completely understood, but scientists have developed theories explaining
the structure of clouds by studying the microphysics of individual droplets. Advances
in weather radar and satellite technology have also allowed the precise study of clouds
on a large scale.
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NUCLEATION
NUCLEATION 6

» The initial process that occurs in the formation of a crystal from a solution, a liquid, or a
vapor, in which a small number of ions, atoms, or molecules become arranged in a
pattern characteristic of a crystalline solid, forming a site upon which additional particles
are deposited as the crystal grows.
» Nucleation processes are classed as heterogeneous or homogeneous. In the former, the
surface of some different substance, such as a dust particle or the wall of the container,
acts as the center upon which the first atoms, ions, or molecules of the crystal become
properly oriented; in the latter, a few particles come into correct juxtaposition in the
course of their random movement through the bulk of the medium.
Heterogeneous nucleation is more common, but the homogeneous mechanism
becomes more likely as the degree of supersaturation or supercooling increases.
Substances differ widely in the likelihood that they will crystallize under conditions in
which the crystalline state is the inherently stable one; glycerol is a well-known example
of a compound prone to supercooling
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GROWTH
GROWTH

» The growth of crystals, which can occur by natural or artificial processes. Crystal
growth generally comes about by means of the following processes occurring in
series: (1) diffusion of the atoms (or molecules, in the case of molecular crystals
such as(hydrocarbons or polymers) of the crystallizing substance through the surro
unding environment (or solution) to the surface of
the crystal, (2) diffusion of these atoms over the surface of the crystal to special sit
es on the surface, (3) incorporation of
atoms into the crystal at these sites, and (4) diffusion of the heat of crystallization a
way from the crystal surface. The rate of
crystal growth may be limited by any of these four steps. The initial formation of th
e centers from which crystal growth proceeds is known as nucleation.
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» Droplet growth by diffusion: growth of an individual droplet by diffusion of water vapor,

growth rate in term of mass or radius, other questions needed to solve for growth rate,
evaporation of droplet, Bergeron process.
» Droplet growth by collisions and coalescences: Droplet terminal fall speed, growth due
to collection smaller, uniform droplet, collision efficiency, growth equation in terms of
radius, growth due to collision with smaller droplets of non-uniform size.
» Growth of ice crystals: formation of ice crystals, diffusional growth of ice crystals
branching versus faceting, collision-coalescence versus the Bergeron process.
DISTRIBUITION
DISTRIBUTION

Cloud drop size distribution The number of droplets per unit volume is called the number
density, and is denoted by N. The units of N are 𝑚−3 . The number density of drops having
diameters in the range between D1 and D2 is called the drop-size distribution function. The
units of nd are 𝑚−4 . The differential of number density is:

dN = nd (D)dD