If you’re a frequent flyer you might have noticed that flight turbulence is on the rise. mid-flight bumpiness was not uncommon before but used to be relatively scarce and mild, nowadays the unpleasant issue seems to happen more frequently and experts are looking into the reasons why and how to avoid it. Yair Ben-Dor has more.
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00:00If you're a frequent flyer, you might have noticed that flight turbulence is on the rise.
00:05Mid-flight bumpiness was not uncommon before, but used to be relatively scarce and mild.
00:11Nowadays, the unpleasant issue seems to happen more frequently,
00:14and experts are looking into the reasons why and how to avoid it.
00:18According to Forbes, there are three general types of turbulence.
00:22Boundary layer, mountain wave, and clear air.
00:26Boundary layer turbulence is caused by the interaction of fluid with a solid boundary,
00:31like the ground, while mountain wave turbulence
00:34is caused by the wind blowing over mountains or hills.
00:38The turbulent air can cause airplanes to lose altitude unexpectedly.
00:43Daily Passport reports clear air turbulence is the one becoming far
00:47more likely to impact flights than it has in previous years.
00:52Clear air turbulence is caused when different air masses collide,
00:56each with varying wind speeds and directions.
00:59The number of such turbulent instances has grown steadily over the years,
01:04with severe cases rising 55%.
01:07And the reason for the increase is global warming.
01:11A decade of research on the matter from the University of Reading in England
01:16has shown that climate change will increase clear air turbulence.
01:20The best advice? Keep your seatbelt buckled, your chair upright, your tray table stowed,
01:26and listen to the instructions of your flight crew. They know what they're doing.