According to scientists, changes in the atmosphere caused by global warming, can increase the level of light turbulence on 59, and strong – to 149 %.
I’m sure almost everyone who has ever flown on passenger planes, is familiar with the unpleasant sensations associated with turbulence: usually the liner starts to shake or it is hitting an air pocket. Every year in the USA for this reason 687 passengers receive minor injuries, 17 passengers and 38 crew, more serious injuries. Among the victims of 120 minors.
However, injuries are not only passengers, but the aircraft, which had to delay the flights to make routine inspections and repairs that flies the airlines a pretty penny. What is the main cause of these frequent atmospheric anomalies?
The author of a recent study by Paul Williams of reading University believes that the main reason lies in the shift of air flow in the lower atmosphere.
This means, he explains that wind speed increases with height, and so continues to the level of 10,000 meters. The fact that the various atmospheric layers follow each other and if the wind shear is too large, then the atmosphere is not enough to compensate for the speed difference between layers and balance in the atmosphere is broken. Small disturbances in the flow can grow exponentially in time and eventually become chaotic and turbulent.
The scientist is not without reason believes that climate change exacerbates the problem because of the increased contrast between the layers of the atmosphere.
