Climate change has had a negative effect on Earth and its inhabitants, like raising the planet's temperature, making storm stronger, and so on. But it looks like it's also affecting air travel as well, as plane rides will be bumpier due to more frequent and stronger turbulence.
According to a report from CNN, an increasing number of researches are showing that the increasing temperature of the Earth will increase the turbulence being experienced during air travel. The routes that are most affected is the heavily-traveled transatlantic routes in the Northern Hemisphere, or the route between North America and Europe.
Dr. Paul Williams of the University of Reading in the U.K. said that the north-south temperature difference is being strengthened. This somehow "drives the jet stream," which means "more clean-air turbulence" and a bumpier ride.
The report adds that clean-air turbulence is the most common cause of extreme bumps during plane rides, which can lead to serious injury. An Aeroflot flight from Moscow, Russia to Bangkok, Thailand experienced this kind of turbulence earlier this week and it has caused significant injuries to some passengers.
Clean-air turbulence is said to be found mostly around 30,000 - 40,000 feet above ground, the height that most commercial planes fly at. It occurs mostly around jet streams, which are an invisible current of rapidly moving air.
Williams and his colleague showed that the warming weather has increased turbulences of all severities. But the largest increase is in "severe turbulence," similar to the one that hit the Aeroflot flight.
Williams said that there is 149 percent increase in "severe turbulence" and these kinds of turbulence have the "potential to cause more serious injuries." The year 2016 has already seen an increase in turbulence-related injuries.
AOL reports that the FAA has investigated 44 turbulence-related injuries last year, which is more than double to the 2015 figures. Check out the video below for more news about the "severe turbulence" experienced during the Aeroflot flight.
