The kinetic potential of nucleation theory is used to describe droplet growth processes in a cloud. Drizzle formation is identified as a statistical barrier-crossing phenomenon that transforms cloud droplets to drizzle size with a rate dependent on turbulent diffusion, droplet collection, and size distribution. Steady-state and transient drizzle rates are calculated for typical cloud conditions. We find drizzle more likely under transient conditions. The model quantifies an important indirect effect of aerosols on climate-drizzle suppression in clouds of higher droplet concentration.
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McGraw et al. (2003) studied this question.
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