Stunting the growth of drizzle drops

The effect of solar heating on drop growth was examined using a Lagrangian parcel model with detailed microphysics. Results show that since solar heating increases rapidly with drop size, larger drops tend to evaporate preferentially throughout the cloud, narrowing the drop-size spectrum. This narrowing, and its influence on drizzle production, depends on the concentration of drops in the cloud: at intermediate drop concentrations, solar heating suppresses drizzle production; at larger concentrations, solar heating has a weaker effect and infrared cooling can enhance drizzle production.