Models of Clouds, Precipitation, and Storms: Atmosphere and Precipitation, Ice and Glaciers, Oceans and Coasts, Soils and Mineral‐Water InterfaceAtmosphere and Precipitation

International audienceClouds play an important role in life on Earth. Apart from influencing the radiative balance of the atmosphere and the lifetime of atmospheric trace constituents, they are the essential element in the hydrological cycle.This article provides an introduction to the complex subject of cloud modeling, from their formation up to the production of precipitation, and the development of cloud and storm systems. The elements intervening in cloud modeling are exposed, starting from a description of the physical phenomena. On the basis of the occurring scale problem, a number of approaches for simplification are presented. These simplifications concern the dynamics as well as the microphysics. Bulk and bin modeling approaches as well as cumulus parameterizations are explained. Some numerical problems are discussed. This approach gives an insight into the current state‐of‐the‐art cloud modeling and the necessary balance between the degree of parameterization, the number of physical and chemical processes relevant to a particular problem, and the available computing resources