On Aug 2, 8:36 am, "Szczepan Bialek" wrote:
"dave" nospam wrote ...

Sorry if I sound like a buffoon to you meteorologists. I'm simply a
layman that knows nothing about this but wants to learn. I did some
searching and it is said that warm rising air keeps clouds up. Is it
possible the static charge in the clouds could also have an effect?

Of course yes. " Thus charged water clusters can function as electron
reservoirs for chemical reactions involving electron transfer to or from the
reacting species"
See:http://www.watercluster.com/

The stronger charged water clusters migrate higher. So the thunderstorm
clouds are very high.
S*

It is a mystery why the clouds of vapour don't condense though. It is
as if some magical force is holding them apart. At ground level in
some forms of mist you can actually see the droplets in suspension.

It doesn't make sense that they don't fall to earth.

But in lenticular clouds for example, we know that a strong wind is
blowing where they develop. This wind loses moisture owing to the
physics of water and latent heat etc. And this stream carries as much
moisture away as it deposits.