Clear Air Turbulence: Aviation’s Invisible Threat
From orbital debris in space to unpredictable changes in weather patterns, humanity has created many roadblocks for the future of aviation and space exploration, due to our incessant pollution of Earth. One such problem that worries scientists around the world is Clear Air Turbulence (CAT). Usually occurring in cloudless regions at high altitudes of over 6,000 meters (or 20,000 feet), this type of turbulence poses a uniquely dangerous threat, as it is hard to detect purely through cockpit instruments.
This topic has seen a resurgence in the public eye, owing to the recent Singapore Airlines SQ321 fatality, where an elderly passenger suffered a heart attack, and many others were injured. The buffeting of the aircraft was likely caused by the severe thunderstorms happening over the area it was flying above, the Irrawaddy river in Myanmar. The upward and downward currents heavily disrupted the smooth vertical and horizontal flow of air. The passengers, most of whom were not wearing seatbelts at the time, were flung towards the ceiling and back again due to the sudden change in acceleration.
This vicious scenario may be a sign of things to come.
With the ever-increasing pursuit of safety in modern aeronautics, CAT still poses a major problem, costing the aviation industry an estimated $200 million every year. The increased rate of global warming means that stronger vertical temperature gradients are created, leading to unpredictable jet streams. As well as this, studies show that an increase in carbon dioxide concentrations could drastically increase the rate of moderate-to-severe turbulence. Scientists at the University of Reading project that the frequency of CAT-related events will double by 2050.
All of this means that the aviation industry has to be wary about the future of air transport.
Currently, many resources are being spent on forecasting and even reducing the effects of CAT. NASA engineers are working on ground-mounted infrasonic microphones that could provide early warnings for pilots. Austrian firm Turbulence Solutions are also developing systems that could theoretically reduce the effects of turbulence by 80%. It’s in humanity’s best interest to safeguard the future of air travel, and Clear Air Turbulence should be one of our focus points.
