Why Are There Clouds?

Thanks to the awesome science YouTube channel @animalogic for supporting this video. Check them out!

LEARN MORE
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To learn more about this topic, start your googling with these keywords:
- Lifting Condensation Level (LCL): The altitude at which the water vapor in rising air begins to condense
- Adiabatic Cooling: describes the process by which an air blob cools as it rises (and as air pressure drops)
- Latent heat: the energy absorbed by water molecules during evaporation and released during condensation
- Energy of Vaporization: The amount of energy it takes for a liquid to evaporate
- Ideal Gas Law: The rule about how a volume of gas at a constant temperature and pressure always has the same number of molecules
- Supercell: A really big thunderstorm. Like, the biggest.

CREDITS
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Emily Elert | Script Writer & Narrator
Kate Yoshida | Script Editor
Ever Salazar | Illustration and Animation
Nathaniel Schroeder | Music

Our staff: Alex Reich, Peter Reich, Emily Elert, Ever Salazar, Kate Yoshida, and Henry Reich

MinuteEarth is produced by Neptune Studios LLC

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OUR LINKS
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REFERENCES
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Abraham. F.F. (1974) Homogeneous Nucleation Theory: The Pretransition Theory of Vapor Condensation. Academic Press

Cameron Balloons (Accessed February 2015) Web Resource

Grützun, V. (Accessed February 2015) Cloud Microphysics Part I. Lecture Notes. Web Resource

Grützun, V., personal communication, 2015

Houze, R.A., Jr. (2014) Cloud Dynamics. Academic Press. eBook

Pruppacher, H.R., Klett, J.D. (2010) Microphysics of Clouds and Precipitation. eBook Springer Science & Business Media, Jun 25, 2010.

The Weather Window (Accessed March 2015) Web Resource

[gravityvertigo]

I can't believe that when I saw the title I was like "Well that's a silly idea for a video, everyone knows that" cuz then I was like "WOW that's so cool I've never seen it illustrated like this!!!" Me of little faith...

[AnikiDomo]

It's been a long time since i've learned about something so commonplace that i truly said out loud "That is amazing" o.o

[boop]

Great video. Very informative and interesting at the same time. We need more geography/science creators like you. You are the people that educate, inspire and interest people into these subjects. Thank you so much

[animalogic]

Great video & thanks for the shoutout!

[brianpso]

I follow this channel since it's birth and I gotta say that this is one of my favorite videos. The explanation was so clear, and the drawing made it even easier to understand. Clouds are way more fascinating than before to me, thanks a lot for this video.

[nekkoinu]

I always wondered why clouds have flat bottom and also storm clouds shaped like pillars. Thank you minute earth

[LeoWattenberg]

0:20 this is exactly what I'm doing right now. Just sneezing over and over again.

[fyukfy]

2:50, oh that channel looks pretty cool, 2:51, OK nevermind

[isaacthefallenapple]

Great! This one really looked amazing. You are absolutely outdoing yourselves here, guys. I didn't think I could still learn so much about clouds.

[sheldonchoi]

This is the best easiest way to explain adiabatic cooling of evaporation. In a simple content, it contains a lot of theories difficult to understand in textbook alone. Superb job! More on the atmospheric topic would be much appreciated. :)

[IN]

For me the most amazing thing is that all the energy required to move that much water is all powered by the sun, that a lots and lots and lots of energy.

[slpk]

Actually, if you wanted to make a cloud from scratch, you'd first need to invent the universe.

[grNephrite]

Just yesterday I was wondering why all the clouds seem to have a "bottom" at the same altitude. This really helps with explaining why. Thanks so much.

[heckler]

Aren't  particles, via heterogeneous nucleation, also a part of the cloud making process? The video seems to imply the water  condenses _just because_ of the ideal gas law.
cf. Craig Bohren, _"Clouds in a Glass of Beer"_ pp.4-6

[blayral]

A brilliant "minute", as always on this channel. Thanks a lot for your creativity and work on making complex stuff easily understandable.

[PersonaRandomNumbers]

Huh. So that's why clouds are flat at the bottom. Nifty.

[Akwatypus]

Wow, I've never really thought why clouds are flat from the bottom. This is the first time it's been explained to me. :D

[yyjpyy]

Watching this video made wonder how can anyone not be fascinated by science and the natural world.

[yusoffm]

So lightning is not produced by Thor's hammer hitting his anvil? Damn..

[teslaromans]

The video that brought me the answer to a life-long question… I love this channel