Turbulent times

Dr Paul Williams from the University of Reading and East Anglia have identified the likelihood of increased turbulence in aircraft over the coming half-century. The research focused on clear-air turbulence in winter, which is particularly problematic to airlines, because clear-air turbulence is invisible to pilots and satellites, and winter is when it peaks. Williams's original algorithm takes gridded atmospheric data from a computer model output; the same sort of model that would predict the weather. Using a grid of tens of kilometers means that the data points are tens of kilometers apart, but now scientists have developed methods of taking data of this resolution and estimating where the turbulence will be using dozens of different measures to do these calculations. Levels of turbulence are all measured in terms of G-force that is felt by the plane. Whenever a pilot passes through turbulence he or she is supposed to log it. The PIREP database hold records of not only turbulence but other hazards such as icing of the wings.