A suspension of liquid-water droplets, ice particles or both in an atmosphere. Clouds interact with solar and thermal radiation; their net radiative effect depends on height, water content, particle size distribution and coverage.
Radiative cooling can promote condensation and turbulence; net heating can promote evaporation or sublimation. Cloud altitude alone does not determine lifetime, because optical thickness, environmental radiation, entrainment and moisture supply all matter.
A liquid-water particle suspended in a cloud. Number, size distribution and liquid-water content are separate properties; increasing number at fixed total water shifts the characteristic radius downward.
Growth of liquid cloud droplets by collisions followed by merging. Differences in droplet fall speeds and collection efficiency affect the process. Increasing droplet number at fixed liquid-water content can reduce typical sizes and delay drizzle, but cloud mixing and water-content adjustments prevent a universal precipitation response.
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