Airplanes are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, but in rare cases, turbulence can be terrifying or even deadly.
What is atmospheric turbulence?
Turbulence is caused by unsteady air movement caused by changes in wind speed and direction. This means that the aircraft can be affected by the presence of mountain ranges, mountainous terrain, thunderstorms, or extremely cold or hot weather.
Turbulence often causes a rapid drop in the aircraft's altitude (turbulence), and small aircraft are at greater risk because they are more vulnerable to changes in wind speed.
Disturbances can be hidden from view and weather radar, meaning they are not always predictable.
Meteorologist Jennifer Strozas told the New York Times that turbulence is "definitely one of the most difficult things to do in forecasting."
Is atmospheric turbulence getting worse?
A new study reveals that turbulence is on the rise due to climate change and increased carbon dioxide emissions affecting air currents.
Dr Paul Williams, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Reading, found that clear-air disturbances, which occur frequently at high altitudes and in winter, could triple by the end of the century.
His research concluded that air turbulence of all types (mild, moderate, severe and extreme) is increasing around the world, and more dangerous air travel should be expected in the coming years.
Is atmospheric turbulence dangerous?
Turbulence is common and most of the time not dangerous. But in rare cases, it can lead to injuries and possible deaths.
“Turbulence is normal,” commercial pilot Patrick Smith, who runs the AskthePilot blog, told The Washington Post last year. “Every flight experiences some form of turbulence every day. For crews, in general, we view dealing with it as a matter of comfort, not a matter of convenience.” "Necessarily a safety issue."
Pilots are trained to understand the risks of turbulence, and aircraft routes are designed to minimize these risks. However, in some cases, it can cause injuries and deaths. Experts strongly advise staying in your seat and wearing your seat belt while traveling to reduce the risk of injury associated with turbulence.