What, Exactly, is Turbulence?
 

With the Midwest and Southwest incidents in the news recently, it got me to thinking I really don't understand the science of turbulence.

So when you're bopping along at 35,000 feet, and you suddenly drop, oh, 3000 feet, is that caused by the upper-level equivalent of a wind shear -- essentially, a downdraft of air that pushes the plane down at a greater force than the engines are propelling it forward?

Similarly, a sudden rise -- is that caused by a powerful updraft of air?

Or, am I completely missing it and some other force is at play?

Not to ignore your questions (I don't know the answer) but what incidents do you speak of?

Air routes are just like other roads. In some localities they are poorly paved.

Up and downdrafts are a factor, and head and tailwinds (affecting airspeed) are too. The wings produce lift based on the speed of the air passing over them. If you fly through a rotating column of air, you'll get abrupt changes in lift, causing the aircraft to rise or fall.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=433460


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=432757

Nah, it's a voodoo thing. Some old snaggletoothed woman in a hut in Jamaica has a stick-and-mud effigy of your airplane made with a few stray carpet fibers from the real thing.

The overwhelming majority of the time, potential turbulence is easy to forecast and visualize on a flight route (cumulous clouds for example). Clear air turbulence is the kicker, as it rears its ugly head with no visual indicators. Check this site out for some educational reading :

http://www.casa.gov.au/airsafe/trip/turbulen.htm

The best people to talk with about air movement, turbulence, clouds and thermals are guys and gals who fly without engines - like sailplane, hangglider and paraglider pilots. They use air currents and thermals to get from place to place, and in some cases turbulence is something they seek as it indicates rising air. Of course, they also have a saying that goes something like " If you could see what the air was doing around you, you'd never fly in it!"

And I thought the turban causes turbulence :D

The ability to see it would be really cool, but I agree - it would probably cause long-term fear of flying. :)

Airplanes do not suddenly drop 3000' due to turbulance. A sudden 10' drop would be extreme.

Turbulance is caused by flying through parcels of air which are moving in different directors or at different speeds.