Title

Enrichment of surface-active compounds in coalescing cloud drops

Authors

Ilya Taraniuk, Weizmann Institute of Science
Alexander Kostinski, Michigan Technological UniversityFollow
Yinon Rudich, Weizmann Institute of Science

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-9-2008

Abstract

Surfactants often found in tropospheric aerosols, can affect the onset and development of clouds. Due to high dilution during droplet growth, the effects of surfactants on cloud microphysical processes have been mostly neglected. However, while cloud growth by coalescence conserves the combined volume of all cloud droplets, it reduces the combined surface area. This could lead to enrichment of water‐insoluble surfactants (WIS) and to reduced surface tension of droplets forming in warm processes. Measurements of individual raindrops reveal the presence of water insoluble surfactants. Our field and laboratory studies as well as simple theoretical arguments suggest that by causing varying and size‐dependent surface tension, WIS can affect cloud microphysics.

Publisher's Statement

Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union. Article deposited here in compliance with publisher policies. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL034973

Publication Title

Geophysical Research Letters

Recommended Citation

Taraniuk, I., Kostinski, A., & Rudich, Y. (2008). Enrichment of surface-active compounds in coalescing cloud drops. Geophysical Research Letters, 35(19), 1-4. http://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL034973
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/physics-fp/218

Version

Publisher's PDF