At the European Geosciences Union conference in Vienna, scientists revealed growing evidence that global warming significantly increases clear-air turbulence—a dangerous form of in-flight disturbance without visual warning.
Professor Paul Williams, a leading atmospheric scientist from the University of Reading, noted that turbulence levels along some of the world’s busiest flight routes could double, triple, or even quadruple in the coming decades. “The jet stream regions in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres are being affected,” he warned.
Clear-air turbulence forms at high altitudes, often where contrasting air masses meet and move at different speeds. Since it’s invisible to pilots and radar, it can strike without warning—tos, to aircraft hundreds of feet, causing damage to the plane, and injuring passengers and crew. As global temperatures rise and wind patterns alter, such incidents are expected to become more frequent and severe, prompting renewed calls for better turbulence forecasting and climate action. Read More
News Credit: Inside Climate News
Picture Credit: J. David Ake/Getty Images