Dangerous clear-air turbulence is worsening due to global warming

arstechnica.comPublished: 5/7/2025

Summary

"Global warming appears to be significantly increasing clear-air turbulence, a dangerous phenomenon invisible from the cockpit that could pose serious risks to pilots and damage aircraft. Projections suggest turbulence intensity could double, triple, or quadruple over busy flight routes in the next few decades, with jet stream regions in both hemispheres affected. The increase is linked to rising vertical wind shear—a difference in wind speed and direction at various altitudes—rather than overall wind speed fluctuations."