Composition
The Earth's planetary atmosphere is water vapour which is carbonic acid rain water
which therefore has an approximate natural pH of 5.0 to 5.5 (slightly acidic)
The temperature of the troposphere decreases
increased altitude
So how does that water get up into the sky
Consider the water on the surface of Earth
Warm, moist air is less dense than the air around it
so it begins to rise higher into the sky.
Cumulus
fresh/sweet/potable/river water, will usually be affected by the physical environment and may not be in this pH range.
Water other than atmospheric water vapour fallen as fresh rain
temperature is measured with the Environmental Lapse Rate
which is the numeric difference between the temperature of the planetary surface
Remember that water is made up of tiny particles
that those particles are in motion.
when the water rises to an elevation where the temperature is cool enough
it will start to condense into liquid form.
What clouds look like wispy curls high in the air?
Cirrus
Atmospheric water vapour holds suspended gasses in it (not by mass), 78.08% nitrogen as N2, 20.95% oxygen as O2, 0.93% argon,
trace gases, and variable amounts of condensing water (from saturated water vapor).
the temperature of the tropopause divided by the altitude.
Functionally, the ELR equation presumes that the planetary atmosphere
As long as the air above isn’t completely saturated with water vapor
meaning it has less than 100 percent humidity
However, the water vapor will not readily condense without help from other particles.
The air making up our atmosphere is full of microscopic floating particles of dust, soil, smoke, sea salts, and other matter.
Stratus
releases out of equilibrium carbonic acid and low levels of other ions.
Respiration from animals
that there is no mixing of the layers of air
either by vertical atmospheric convection or winds that could create turbulence.
The warmer the water is
the more thermal energy the particles have. On average, as the temperature increases
So if clouds are liquid or solid water
why don’t they immediately fall out of the sky as rain or snow?
On hot summer days, these clouds generally cause thunderstorms, heavy rains, and hail.
Cumulonimbus
releases to atmosphere carbonic acid water as; saturates, condensates, vapour or gas (invisible steam)
Combustion of hydrocarbons
The difference in temperature derives from the planetary surface
absorbing most of the energy from the sun, which then radiates outwards and heats the troposphere
Another important source of water vapor is plants.
Plants draw water through their roots, stems, and leaves by regularly letting water vapor and other gases out of the pores (tiny holes) in their leaves.
Think about the fine dust particles you can often see floating in a shaft of light.
These particles are solid, but their mass is so small that they remain airborne with even the slightest of updrafts
Thunderhead clouds that are dark puffy clouds.
Cumulonimbus