72611 - Cloud Physics

Academic Year 2026/2027

Course contents

  1. Introduction;
  2. Basics of thermodynamics: water in the atmosphere;
  3. Homogeneous nucleation;
  4. Heterogeneous nucleation;
  5. Aerosol's mechanics;
  6. Warm clouds formation and growth;
  7. Cold clouds' structure;
  8. Precipitation;
  9. Hydrodynamics of cloud and precipitation particles;
  10. Precipitation structure;
  11. Measurements;
  12. Charge separation and lightening.

Readings/Bibliography

Notes of the teacher;

Pruppacher and Klett, 1997, Microphysics of clouds and precipitation, Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 954.

Wang, P.K., 2014, Physics and Dynamics of Clouds and Precipitation, Cambridge University Press, pp 451.

Houze, R.H., 2014, Cloud Dynamics, Elsevier, pp. 496.

Teaching methods

Blackboard lectures with use of video projector, when needed.

Assessment methods

The assessment will be a 45 min oral interview on the course topics. the student, if he/she wishes, can present the contents of a scientific article proposed by the teacher

Teaching tools

Blackboard and videoprojector

Office hours

See the website of Federico Porcù

SDGs

Clean water and sanitation Climate Action

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.