Cloud Microphysics: Growth and Precipitation

This lecture focuses on the processes explaining how cloud particles grow and eventually form precipitation particles, covering warm cloud processes, cold cloud processes, and additional cloud processes. It discusses vapor deposition, collision-coalescence, and break-up and evaporation in warm clouds, explaining the microphysics behind cloud droplets, raindrops, and drizzle drops. The lecture also delves into diffusion equations for isolated droplets, heat conduction, and the growth equation for droplets. It explores the growth of a population of droplets, collision efficiency, coalescence efficiency, and stochastic collection equations. The session concludes with discussions on the growth of ice crystals, including habits, aggregation, riming, and secondary ice production, as well as the fall velocity of cloud droplets and raindrops.