With sunny skies and calm winds, it’s a surprise to reach cruise altitude and find a bumpy ride. Though computer modeling is beginning to overcome many limitations in turbulence prediction, the products aren’t always accurate and don’t convey the nature of the problem. So, it’s pretty important for pilots to be well versed in what causes turbulence. Fortunately we can distill it all to two root causes: buoyancy and friction. These are the building blocks of virtually all turbulence types.
Staying In One Piece
Key Takeaways:
- Turbulence primarily stems from two root causes: buoyancy (e.g., thermals, convective storms) and friction (e.g., mechanical, mountain wave, clear air, and wake turbulence).
- Convective turbulence is generated by ground heating and unstable air, leading to updrafts/downdrafts in clouds; its severity can be predicted using tools like CAPE.
- Mechanical turbulence results from wind interacting with ground objects, and mountain wave turbulence occurs when strong winds create waves over mountain ranges, potentially causing extreme conditions.
- Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) is caused by strong wind shear near the jet stream, while wake turbulence is generated by the wingtips of other aircraft.
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