Research suggests climate change could make turbulence stronger, more frequent

A plane flies through a storm.
(Image credit: Remy Gabalda/AFP/Getty Images)

More and more research is showing that as the planet becomes warmer due to climate change, there will be an increase in turbulence by the middle of this century, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, scientists say.

"Climate change is strengthening the north-south temperature difference that drives the jet stream," Dr. Paul Williams of the University of Reading told CNN. "A stronger jet stream is less stable and means more clear-air turbulence." Clear-air turbulence is caused by quick changes in the speed or direction of air movement, and it most commonly takes place in and around the jet stream, an invisible current of fast-moving air that can be found around 30,000 to 40,000 feet above the ground.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.