Skies more bumpier for aircraft as climate change worsens air turbulence

The skies aircraft fly through are bumpier today than four decades ago, scientists have found, after producing a new analysis showing that turbulence has increased as the climate changed.

New research from the University of Reading in the UK showed that clear-air turbulence, which is invisible and hazardous to aircraft, has increased in various regions around the world.

At a typical point over the North Atlantic — one of the world’s busiest flight routes — the total annual duration of severe turbulence increased by 55 percent from 17.7 hours in 1979 to 27.4 hours in 2020, the research found.

Moderate turbulence increased by 37 percent from 70.0 to 96.1 hours, and light turbulence increased by 17 percent from 466.5 to 546.8 hours, said the study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Warmer air from CO2 emissions is increasing wind shear in the jet streams, strengthening clear-air turbulence in the North Atlantic and globally.