The Current State of Convective Cloud Physics and Active Effects and the Main Directions of Its Development

The reasons for the slowdown in the development of the convective cloud physics and active influences on them in recent decades are discussed. As the results of the analysis showed are that the present period of time is a transitional one for this scientific direction: there is a transition from the stage of studying “elementary” processes in clouds to the stage of studying the formation and development of clouds as a whole, considering their systemic properties. The main tasks arising at the coming stage of its development are formulated. It is noted that such tasks include aggregating the results of studying “elementary” processes in clouds and studying the role of systemic properties of clouds in the formation of macro- and microstructural characteristics of clouds. The state of research on the development of numerical models of convective clouds, within which the aggregation of “elementary” processes in clouds is carried out, is touched upon. As for the study of the role of the system properties of clouds in the formation of their macro- and microstructural characteristics, the study of the role of the interaction of clouds with the atmosphere surrounding them (the property of the hierarchy of systems) and the interaction of processes in clouds, which are the most important structure-forming factors for clouds, seems to be the most important and difficult task in this area of research. Methods and some results of research in this direction are presented, which confirm the significant role of these factors in the formation and development of clouds, in the formation of their macro- and microstructural characteristics.