Warm Rain, Giant Nuclei and Chemical Balance—A Numerical Model

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Abstract
The role of giant nuclei in initiating warm rain was studied in a one-dimensional, time-dependent cylindrical model. Drop growth from cloud nuclei to raindrops through condensation and collection was calculated by keeping track of the salt mass in drops and by including scavenging of particles by drops. Drop distribution and salt content in rainwater were in reasonably good agreement with observations. It appears that while giant nuclei are important for chemical balance during cloud development, they are not important for warm rain initiation. Instead, cloud droplet concentration seems to be a more critical factor in initiating warm rain. Abstract The role of giant nuclei in initiating warm rain was studied in a one-dimensional, time-dependent cylindrical model. Drop growth from cloud nuclei to raindrops through condensation and collection was calculated by keeping track of the salt mass in drops and by including scavenging of particles by drops. Drop distribution and salt content in rainwater were in reasonably good agreement with observations. It appears that while giant nuclei are important for chemical balance during cloud development, they are not important for warm rain initiation. Instead, cloud droplet concentration seems to be a more critical factor in initiating warm rain.

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