Continental Cumulus Research Articles

An Empirical Examination of Cumulus Entrainment

Abstract Most analytic theories and laboratory models of cumulus entrainment predict that the rate of influx of ambient fluid into a convective element depends inversely on the diameter of the updraft zone. A study of 15 continental cumulus congestus clouds containing apparent bubble-like rising elements failed to demonstrate the predicted radius dependence. Application of a standard one-dimensional entrainment computation to the measured cloud and environment conditions revealed no significant correlation between cloud dimensions and entrainment.

The Microstructure and Colloidal Stability of Warm Clouds: Part I - The Relation between Structure and Stability

Observations on the droplet spectra of different kinds of warm clouds have shown that systematic differences in microstructure exist between the various cloud types. These differences in microstructure are related in a simple way to differences in observed colloidal stability.

The Microstructure and Colloidal Stability of Warm Clouds: Part II - The Causes of the Variations in Microstructure

An attempt is made to explore the causes of the differences in microstructure between the Hawaiian orographic cloud, maritime cumuli and continental cumuli, observations on which were discussed in Part I of this series.