Do you get worried when you are flying and the airplane encounters some turbulence? Do you tighten your seatbelt and say a little prayer as the bumps get bigger? While very few planes crash because of in-flight turbulence, it sure can make flying uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, some recent research indicates that as the atmosphere warms up, turbulence at flying levels might become more frequent. Dr. Paul Williams and a colleague from the University of Reading have shown that clear air moderate to severe turbulence has been increasing and some computer simulations suggest that as the atmosphere warms, differences in wind speed between layers in the atmosphere may increase, and those differences help drive the bumpy conditions that we love to hate. You can read more about it from the Buffalo News here.
The best thing you can do to prevent on-board injuries is to keep your seatbelt on when you are seated in your airplane seat in case the plane encounters any rough air. And remember that it may be uncomfortable, but as long as you are seated your chance of injury is not that large and the plane should come through just fine.
