5. Clouds and Precipitation

Precipitation Processes — Quiz

Test your understanding of precipitation processes with 5 practice questions.

Practice Questions

Question 1

Using a Marshall–Palmer drop size distribution N(D)=N_0e^{-ΛD} with N_0=8000 m^{-3} mm^{-1} and Λ=4 mm^{-1}, estimate the concentration of drops with diameter D>1 mm.

Question 2

Given a warm cloud with liquid water content LWC=0.30 g m^{-3} and droplet concentration N=150 cm^{-3}, estimate the mean droplet radius r using LWC=(4/3)πρ_w N r^3 with ρ_w=1000 kg m^{-3}.

Question 3

If a cloud has an inflow of water vapor of 20 mm and yields 14 mm of precipitation, what is its precipitation efficiency (in %)?

Question 4

Which ambient temperature range is most favorable for efficient riming of ice crystals in mixed-phase clouds?

Question 5

What is the primary process distinguishing warm-rain from cold-rain precipitation formation?