Whose work first explained why thunderstorms build tall clouds?

Thunderstorm clouds grow tall because warm, moist air rises rapidly and condenses, releasing latent heat that fuels further uplift. Early dynamic meteorology, especially through Vilhelm Bjerknes’s work and later 20th-century storm research, helped explain these processes mathematically. This led to modern thunderstorm forecasting and severe weather science. The result is a better understanding of hail, lightning, tornadoes, and heavy rain.