New research suggests transatlantic flights ‘to get more turbulent’

Taken from: http://www.myclimateandme.com/2013/04/09/new-research-suggests-transatlantic-flights-to-get-more-turbulent/

Research led from Reading University, England claims flights across the North Atlantic could get a lot bumpier in the future due to climate change, and according to scientists, planes are already encountering stronger winds. The study, published in Nature Climate Change and covered in an article by the BBC, suggests that by 2050 passengers could expect to be bounced around both more frequently and more intensely.

Williams and Joshi compared an unchanged (pre-industrial) climate with one that contained double the carbon dioxide. Their Research suggested that a warmer climate could lead to double the amount of airspace being affected and the average strength of that turbulence could increase by 10% to 40%.

Currently, pilots rely on forecasts of clear air turbulence (CAT) and reports from planes that have already made the journey across the Atlantic earlier in the day for information about possible flight conditions. Nigel Gait, International Aviation Manager at the Met Office explains ‘our new automated forecasts of turbulence predict the likelihood of turbulence up to 36 hours ahead based on detailed analysis of the predicted winds. This will assist airlines to avoid the worst areas for turbulence whatever the wind patterns on a particular day‘

We think this is a really interesting area, so we are planning to talk to Climate Scientists at the Met Office to see what their research into this area says. While we’re busy doing that, we would love to hear your thoughts on this story or any personal experience of air turbulence that you’ve had.