Climate crisis leads to increased turbulence during flights, increasing costs and increasing risks for passengers and crew, according to a new study released last week. The study notes that warmer air caused by carbon emissions is leading to more unstable flights around the world.

A study published in Geophysical Research Letters found that at a typical location over the North Atlantic – one of the busiest flight paths in the world – total annual duration of severe turbulence increased by 55%from 17.7 hours in 1979 to 27.4 hours in 2020.

Moderate turbulence increased by 37% from 70.0 to 96.1 hours, and light turbulence increased by 17% from 466.5 to 546.8 hours. The researchers found that every additional minute spent in turbulence increases the wear and tear on the aircraft, as well as the risk of injury to passengers and flight attendants.

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The figures presented show that in the United States alone, it could cost between US$150 million and US$500 million. The study also identified a more common form of turbulence called clear air turbulence (CAT). This form of turbulence occurs during clear skies and is usually invisible to aircraft radar.

Clear air turbulence results from differences in wind speed at different altitudes, called wind shear. Wind shear builds up and causes so-called jet streams.

While the study looks at atmospheric data collected over the past four decades, other studies estimate how much clear air turbulence we can expect in the future. One such study showed an average increase in CAT of 9–14% each season for every degree Celsius of global warming.

If the results of the study are put into practice, then in summer there is a tendency to greater turbulence than in winter. The two seasons of the year are known for being the most popular among travelers.

“We knew this was happening, but it’s shocking when we see 55%, which is a pretty high percentage. [de aumento]. It’s a little scary when you see such large values,” said Isabelle Smith, a meteorologist and graduate student at the University of Reading, who was not involved in the study, published last week.

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Via: Edge

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