nevertheless, both
states can coexist for a wide range
of environmental conditions.5, 7
Aerosols, liquid or solid
particles suspended in the atmosphere, serve as Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) and therefore affect the concentration
of activated cloud droplets.8 Changes in droplet concentration affect key cloud properties such as the time it takes for the onset
of significant collision and coalescence between droplets, a process critical for rain formation.»
In the United
States, new research from the City College
of New York on the effects
of particle pollution on weather patterns around Manhattan has shown that
aerosols can either increase or decrease local rainfall, sometimes creating situations where one area will be deluged while a neighboring town will remain dry.