Article
Article
Clear-air turbulence
Article By:
Wurtele, Morton G. Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California.
Ehernberger, L. J. Dryden Flight Research Facility, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Edwards, California.
Last reviewed:November 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.140000
Turbulence above the boundary layer but not associated with cumulus convection. The atmosphere is a fluid in turbulent motion. That turbulence of a scale sensed by humans in aircraft is primarily associated with the boundary layer within a kilometer or so of the Earth, where it is induced by the surface roughness, or in regions of deep convection such as cumulus cloud development or thunderstorms. However, aircraft occasionally encounter turbulence when flying at altitudes well above the surface and far from convective clouds. This phenomenon has been given the rather unsatisfactory name of clear-air turbulence (CAT).
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
