Aerosol impact on the dynamics and microphysics of deep convective clouds

Abstract Mechanisms through which atmospheric aerosols affect cloud microphysics, dynamics and precipitation are investigated using a spectral microphysics two‐dimensional cloud model. A significant effect of aerosols on cloud microphysics and dynamics has been found. Maritime aerosols lead to a rapid formation of raindrops that fall down through cloud updraughts increasing the loading in the lower part of a cloud. This is, supposedly, one of the reasons for comparatively low updraughts in maritime convective clouds. An increase in the concentration of small cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) leads to the formation of a large number of small droplets with a low collision rate, resulting in a time delay of…