That unpleasant feeling when the captain asks everyone to return to seats and buckle up because of turbulence may be getting more common and more serious, according to British scientists.
A team led by Dr. Paul Williams at the University of Reading has studied the relationship between climate change and trans-Atlantic clear air turbulence, and has concluded that incidents strong enough to harm unbuckled passengers could become 3 times more likely.
The study modeled the effect of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere on wind shear and turbulence at 39,000 feet, normal flying altitude for trans-Atlantic flights. Based on estimates that CO2 will double within the century, they found that the average amount of light turbulence is likely to go up by 59 per cent, light-to-moderate by 75 per cent, moderate by 94 per cent and severe by 149 per cent.
For a more detailed (and illustrated) report from the University, click HERE
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