Final answer:
Cumulonimbus clouds are formed through a combination of phase change and convection, where evaporated water condenses at higher, colder altitudes, releasing heat and causing the air mass to rise. This process creates large clouds and is driven by a positive feedback mechanism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Towering cumulonimbus clouds are typically produced by a combination of phase change and convection. When water evaporates from the oceans, it removes heat from the ocean surface. As this water vapor is carried upwards by convection and encounters colder air, it condenses into liquid droplets.
This process releases heat into the atmosphere, causing the air to further expand and rise, creating cumulonimbus clouds that can extend up to 20.0 km into the stratosphere. This is driven by a positive feedback mechanism, where the process intensifies and accelerates itself, leading to the potential formation of violent weather phenomena such as thunderstorms, lightning, hail, and even hurricanes.