Physics and Dynamics of Clouds and Precipitation

This key new textbook provides a state-of-the-art view of the physics of cloud and precipitation formation, covering the most important topics in the field: the microphysics, thermodynamics and cloud-scale dynamics. Highlights include: the condensation process explained with new insights from chemical physics studies; the impact of the particle curvature (the Kelvin equation) and solute effect (the Köhler equation); homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation from recent molecular dynamic simulations; and the hydrodynamics of falling hydrometeors and their impact on collision growth. 3D cloud-model simulations demonstrate the dynamics and microphysics of deep convective clouds and cirrus formation, and each chapter contains problems enabling students to review and implement their new learning. Packed with detailed mathematical derivations and cutting-edge stereographic illustrations, this is an ideal text for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses, and also serves as a reference for academic researchers and professionals working in atmospheric science, meteorology, climatology, remote sensing and environmental science.

Preface; 1. Observation of clouds; 2. The shape and size of cloud and precipitation particles; 3. Molecular structures of water substance; 4. Bulk thermodynamic equilibrium among water vapor, liquid water, and ice; 5. Surface thermodynamics of water substance; 6. Aerosol in the atmosphere; 7. Nucleation; 8. Hydrodynamics of cloud and precipitation particles; 9. Diffusion growth and evaporation of cloud and precipitation particles; 10. Collision, coalescence, break-up and melting; 11. Cloud drop population dynamics in warm rain process; 12. Fundamental cloud dynamics; 13. Numerical cloud models; 14. Cloud electricity; 15. Clouds-environment interaction; References; Index.

Pao K. Wang is a Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he has been teaching and conducting research for more than 30 years. He has won many recognitions for his contributions in atmospheric science including the Alexander von Humboldt Award, an S. C. Johnson Distinguished Fellowship and election as a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and the Meteorological Society of Taiwan. Professor Wang has been the principal investigator of numerous research grants sponsored by NSF, EPA, NASA and DOE, covering topics in cloud physics, cloud dynamics, aerosol physics, air pollution and historical climatology. He is an associate editor of Atmospheric Research and European Journal of Physics-Plus, a member of the international advisory board of Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and is also currently an advisory committee member of the Research Center for Environmental Change (RCEC), Academia Sinica, Taiwan.