+ Visit NASA.gov + Advanced Search   + About the Server   + Animation List   + How to Use the Server   + RSS Feeds   + Podcasts   + Opportunities Previous Animation Next Animation Particulates Effect on Rainfall Normal rainfall droplet creation involves water vapor condensing on particles in clouds. The droplets eventually coalesce together to form drops large enough to fall to Earth. However, as more and more pollution particles (aerosols) enter a rain cloud, the same amount of water becomes spread out. These smaller water droplets float with the air and are prevented from coalescing and growing large enough for a raindrop. Thus, the cloud yields less rainfall over the course of its liftime compared to a clean (non-polluted) cloud of the same size. The split screen compares a normal rain producing cloud (left) with the lack of rain produced from a cloud full of aerosols from pollution.    This is the standard definition version of the Particulates Effect on Rainfall animation MPEG. Duration: 23.0 seconds Available formats:   320x240 (29.97 fps) MPEG-1   905 KB   150x112     JPEG         3 KB   75x56         JPEG         1 KB   320x240     JPEG         6 KB   320x240 (29.97 fps) X-FLV       854 KB How to play our movies Animation Number: 10010 Completed: 2003-12-03 Animator: Susan Twardy (HTSI) (Lead) Scientist: J. Marshall Shepherd (NASA/GSFC) Writer: Kathryn A. Stofer Goddard TV Tape: G2003-067 Keywords: SVS >> Aerosols SVS >> Byrne SVS >> Clouds SVS >> Condensation SVS >> Earth Science SVS >> Gonnelli SVS >> Pollution SVS >> Raindrop SVS >> Rainfall     Please give credit for this item to NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab Back to Top + Privacy Policy and Important Notices + Reproduction Guidelines NASA Official: Content Contact: Curator: