Historical Review

Abstract

As one studies the meteorological literature, it soon becomes evident that cloud microphysics is a very young science. In fact, most of the quantitative information on clouds and precipitation, and the processes which are involved in producing them, has been obtained since 1940. Nevertheless, the roots of our present knowledge can be traced back much further. Although a complete account of the development of cloud physics is not available, a wealth of information on the history of meteorology in general can be found in the texts of Middleton (1965), Schneider-Carius (1962, 1955), and Humphreys (1942, 1937). Based on these and other sources we shall sketch here some of the more important events in the history of cloud physics. In so doing we shall be primarily concerned with developments between the 17^th century and the 1940’s. since ideas prior to that time were based more on speculation and philosophical concepts than scientific fact. As our scope here is restricted to west European and American contributions, we emphasize again that no claims for completeness are made.