While storms and undulating mountain winds can affect the amount of turbulence we experience on flights, there’s one other factor that is being worsened by climate change. For now, it’s completely undetectable to pilots.
By now, you’ve probably heard about the Singapore Airlines flight that encountered severe turbulence and suddenly plunged 6,000 feet just hours before reaching its destination.
The intense disturbance caused a British national on board to go into cardiac arrest and die, while 71 of 211 passengers and 18 crew members were injured.
With modern, turbulence-detecting technology and experienced pilots guiding the plane on a well-travelled path, how could this have happened?
Investigations are ongoing, but the suspected culprit is clear air turbulence (CAT), a type of inconsistency with gravity waves in the atmosphere. Even using current technology, CAT is completely undetectable.
In some bad news for wary flyers, experts say this kind of turbulence will become more common and unpredictable as climate change worsens.
There are many causes of turbulence, but the most common types are caused by the meeting of opposing wind patterns.
Visible weather events such as storms can make for a bumpy flight, and pilots can consult their radar, sonar, and radios to avoid them. Geographical conditions, such as mountain ranges, can also spew undulating winds that jostle a plane.
Wake turbulence, on the other hand, is caused by other planes taking off or landing in front of another. The jet stream created by the plane in front shifts the air flow for the plane behind, leading to a momentarily unsteady flight path. Here, communication and instruments on board can help avoid these disturbances.
Clear air turbulence, on the other hand, is completely invisible. It’s caused by warm air rising into cooler air – a phenomenon that is expected to happen a lot more as our planet’s climate changes.
Pilots can’t detect this type of turbulence on their radars, so it occurs without warning unless it is flagged by a plane up ahead. In its worst forms, CAT can cause planes to shift off course, lurch powerfully, or lose altitude suddenly.
CAT is what the Singapore Airlines flight most likely encountered in the Bay of Bengal, which is already notorious for severe turbulence caused by thunderstorms.
Turbulence will likely get worse
According to a study from the University of Reading, instances of severe turbulence have increased by 55 percent since the late 1970s.
Especially bumpy flights have been attributed to sudden changes in wind and velocity at high altitudes, likely due to higher air temperatures, which are affecting transatlantic flights the most.
As a result of climate change, pockets of higher temperatures at high altitudes are expected to become more common, leading to more reports of turbulent flights.
Anticipating this trend, pilots are calling for the aviation industry to invest in systems that enable them to better locate and identify turbulence during flights.
What’s important to remember is that turbulence is almost always harmless. While injuries have occurred in severe cases, there have been no reports of plane damage due to turbulence. Granted, being shaken around in the sky can heighten the anxiety of the most seasoned traveller.
What occurred on the Singapore Airlines flight was a tragic anomaly, one that will surely incentivise passengers to wear their seatbelts and cause in-flight safety and onboard technologies to be improved.
Deputy Editor & Content Partnership ManagerLondon, UK
I’m Jessica (She/Her). I’m the Deputy Editor & Content Partnership Manager at Thred. Originally from the island of Bermuda, I specialise in writing about ocean health and marine conservation, but you can also find me delving into pop culture, health and wellness, plus sustainability in the beauty and fashion industries. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
Actor Jason Bateman recently caught heat for telling Charli XCX she might change her opinion on not wanting kids. Why are we still inferring that happily coupled, child-free women are unfulfilled?
I’d like to think we’ve made some strides in the motherhood conversation – and to some extent we have. But I still feel the tail winds of disappointment when I tell my elders there’ll be no children on the...
The ongoing Winter Olympic Games have seen many acts of defiance against the Trump administration. How will the situation play out when the US hosts in 2028?
When Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympics in 1896, one of his main aims was to promote mutual understanding among athletes. He believed that competing on the track instead of the battlefield could encourage peace and help prevent war.
However, countless...
Anxiety, depression, and emotional problems are on the rise across the globe, cutting across boundaries of culture, geography, and socio-economic status. The World Health Organisation says ‘one in seven’ have a mental health disorder in 2026.
According to the World Health Organisation, ‘one in seven adolescents worldwide has a mental health disorder.’ Such statistics obviously cannot be ignored.
This generation of teens is the first to be raised in an...
Why has the precedent that ‘British culture is dying’ invaded every aspect of our lives recently? From TikTok commentary to culture-war politics, who is really influencing the supposed shift in British culture?
Claims that Muslims and BAME communities are erasing British culture have become a popular rhetoric in recent political spheres in the UK, but also around the Global North as a whole. Popular, but not new.
Here's my take...
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
0 comments
