How do Thunderstorms Form?
Thunderstorms require three conditions in order to form. The first is called the cumulus stage, the mature stage, and finally the dissipation stage. In the cumulus stage the wind or solar insolation (heating up of the ground beneath the storm) causes the storm to rise. As the storm rises cumulus clouds are form and the moisture that is in the clouds change from a liquid to gas. As the change from liquid to gas occurs heat is also released causing an updraft to occur. As the storm enters the mature stage the clouds again transform into cumulonimbus incus clouds where they begin to combine with the cumulus clouds becoming heavier and the water begins to freeze into ice particles that become rain again as they fall from the clouds. The last stage is the dissipation stage where there becomes a mixture of updrafts and downdrafts. The updrafts are caused from the heat and flow of air that is around the thunderstorm and the downdrafts are caused by the falling rain. This internal turbulence c
