aerosol formation due to ions in the atmosphere is not well understood, although it seems to play an important role in cloud formation. the ions in the atmosphere can enhance cloud formation and can increase nucleation as well as impeding the evaporation from the surfaces of the droplets. recently there has been some experimental work to find the relation between ions concentrations and cloud i...

The sensitivity of cloud optical properties with respect to parameters that affect aerosol activation is examined. Of particular interest are the effect of volatile gases (such as HNOs), slightly soluble and surfactant species. An adiabatic parcel model is used to simulate cloud droplet formation. Cloud optical properties are calculated from these simulations.

Clouds, a key component of the climate system, form when water vapor condenses upon atmospheric particulates termed cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Variations in CCN concentrations can profoundly impact cloud properties, with important effects on local and global climate. Organic matter constitutes a significant fraction of tropospheric aerosol mass, and can influence CCN activity by depressin...

[1] This paper provides a prototype study on combining the advanced satellite observations of rainfall, clouds, and aerosols to examine their interrelationships. Monthly satellite observations from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) for July (2000–2005) were analyzed to assess how urban aerosols affect cloud droplet size and ...