Mystery of Large Cloud Bottoms: Why Are They Flat?

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The flat bottoms of large clouds occur due to a layer of air with different temperature or pressure that inhibits cloud formation. This phenomenon is similar to the flat, anvil-shaped tops of tall clouds like thunderheads. The abruptness of this layer, rather than a gradual transition, is explained by convective cloud formation, where warm, humid air rises until it cools to its dew point, leading to condensation. The cloud base forms at this point, and as long as the temperature and humidity are uniform at a given height, the result is a relatively flat cloud base.
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Why are the bottoms of large clouds flat?
 
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Because there's a layer of air there with a different temperature or pressure (depending) that's not conducive to cloud formation. It's the same reason that very tall clouds, thunderheads for instance, have flat "anvil-shaped" tops.
 
Why is this layer so abrupt instead of being like a transitional gradient?
 
in convective cloud formation, warm humid air rises until the point that it is cooled sufficiently for water to condense (i.e. reaches its dew point). This point is called the cloud base, and significant condensation will not occur below it. As long as the air has a fairly uniform temperature at a given height, and the rising air is of fairly uniform humidity, this should give a pretty flat cloud base.
 

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