Progress in Impacts of Aerosol on Cloud Properties and Precipitation

Aerosol-cloud-precipitation interaction is one of the most challenging problems in atmospheric research. A comprehensive review of aerosol impacts on sheet cloud and convective cloud are discussed. The proper explanations are given for the most recent findings in this field. Some results of observations and numerical simulations have shown the uncertainty of the impacts of aerosol on cloud liquid water content and surface precipitation, including optical thickness. It is emphasized that the comprehensive research both by observations (including satellite, radar, aircraft, and surface field measurements) and numerical simulations should be reinforced in the impacts of aerosol on microphysical property and structure of cloud, as well as the influence of aerosol on macro physical property of cloud and precipitation.