Drizzle is a meteorological precipitation phenomenon characterized by very small, uniform water droplets, typically less than 0.5 mm in diameter, that fall from low stratus or stratocumulus clouds. It forms in shallow, stable cloud layers where collision–coalescence processes are weak but sufficient to produce liquid droplets that can overcome updrafts and reach the surface. Drizzle is associated with high relative humidity, low cloud bases, and weak vertical motions, often leading to reduced visibility and persistent, low-intensity liquid water flux. It plays a significant role in boundary-layer thermodynamics, cloud–aerosol interactions, and surface energy and moisture budgets.
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