Final answer:
Hail is produced by thunderstorm cells that have strong updrafts, great vertical development, and an abundant supply of supercooled water droplets. The answer that includes all of these characteristics is d. All of the above are correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hail is typically produced by thunderstorm cells that are characterized by strong updrafts, great vertical development, and an abundant supply of supercooled water droplets. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is d. All of the above are correct.
In more detail, hail forms within thunderstorm systems that exhibit a particular set of characteristics. The process involves multiple phase changes of water, and is driven by heat transfer mechanisms such as convection. The mechanism behind the formation of hail begins when water evaporates from the ocean's surface, carrying heat away. This water vapor gets carried aloft by convection currents until it cools and condenses, forming clouds and eventually releasing significant amounts of energy in the atmosphere. This results in the air rising even further. As the rising air reaches colder altitudes, more water vapor condenses, and the resulting cumulus clouds grow in vertical development.
Hailstones form within the updrafts of thunderstorm cells, where supercooled water droplets freeze upon contact with nuclei in the atmosphere. The strong updrafts within the cumulonimbus clouds are essential, as they support the hailstones as they gather more mass until they become too heavy and fall to the ground. This whole system of rising water vapor, condensation, and vertical cloud growth is an example of a positive feedback mechanism because the process is self-reinforcing, continually driving the cloud higher and making the storm more intense.