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Ask the Meteorologist: Turbulence

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The fear of flying, or “aviophobia,” is shared by many people. One of the biggest causes of this fear is turbulence. Turbulence in an airplane can be discomforting for some, but downright scary for others. There are many ways that turbulence is caused, and clouds are definitely one of them!

Before we get into the logistics of turbulence, let’s breakdown how clouds are formed. When we sit under low pressure, or lower pressure moves towards the forecast region, clouds and storms usually come with it. This is because low pressure allows for air to rise in the atmosphere. When the suns rays heat up the air at the surface of the earth, air will begin to rise. When it does, some parcels of air will cool and condense until they become a cloud. If the parcel gains enough moisture, it will eventually have to precipitate it, and that gives us the rain or snow storms that we see. So basically, a cloud is rising air. The air surrounding the cloud is still sinking. Therefore, if an airplane passes through these two columns of air, it will be displaced as it travels.  This is why you hear pilots say that they will try to fly around the clouds, so they can get the smoothest ride possible.

Another type of turbulence that does not involve clouds is called “Clear Air Turbulence.” This type of turbulence is also caused by different speeds and direction of air flow, but they do not have clouds around to warn pilots. Clear air turbulence is also caused by the rising and sinking of air, where clouds have not yet formed. This types of turbulence is hard to detect, due to the lack of visual cues (clouds).

Another form of CAT occurs in the northern latitudes, where anes fly close to the altitude of the jetstream. Planes will enter or exit this fast moving “river” of air to gain speed or slow down. When an airplane travels from the slower moving air to the faster moving air (or vice versa), they pass through eddies that displace the plane in different directions. The jetstream is invisible, but wind charts let pilots know where the place is that has the highest probability of turbulence.

Now, all of that being said, it is important to know that turbulence is not as dangerous as one may think. Airplanes are designed to take on large amounts of extreme turbulence. It is very rare for a plane to encounter this amount of turbulence. Even the most severe weather will cause only moderate to rough turbulence. There is no cause for concern for pilots. They will most times do nothing different in the cockpit. Modern planes are usually equipped with turbulence moderation to deal with the turbulence while still in autopilot. On average, an airplane will only get displaced 20-40′ when encountering turbulence. It may feel like more, but that’s not the case. The most injuries due to turbulence is caused from not wearing seat belts. Turbulence is not likely to bring down your plane, but it can move the plane enough to throw around luggage and even passengers. Therefore it is always advised to wear your seat belt even when the sign is off. Also, pilots will in most cases, already know where CAT is. Other pilots flying at the same altitude will usually warn other pilots where turbulence is, and it can be avoided is possible.

So next time you fly, if you do feel the shaking of turbulence, look out the window and try to detect what type of turbulence is occurring. Also, remember, while uncomfortable, turbulence is relatively safe.

Meteorologist Seth Phillips

If you would like to submit a question for “Ask the Meteorologist,” click here: http://www.kdrv.com/weather/classroom/


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