Know Everything about Aircraft Turbulence and enjoy that next Flight to Your Favourite Destination

Have you been in an airplane before? Even on your first flight you must have had a bumpy ride at some point on that flight, similar to a automobile on a rough road. Were you afraid? This experience can be traumatizing and terrifying for some people and might develop into a phobia for flying. If you are affected by this kind of fear you would feel superior flying whether you knew all the plain truth about this phenomenon and that is what this article is about to present to you.
This situation being described is referred to as aircraft turbulence. It is created by irregular and random air motion, whether as a result of different masses of air moving at different speeds and colliding with apiece other, or of the same air masses behaving in an irregular fashion (turbulent flow) as a result of certain factors. Turbulence can shake any aircraft no matter how huge or the personality of the occupants – affecting the most powerful as much as the most lowly. It should be famous that aircraft turbulence occurs in cloudy region as much as it does in clear skies (atmosphere devoid of visible hydrometeors or water droplets). The latter case is often referred to as Clear Air Turbulence (CAT). 
It is important to know that there are several types (or degrees) of Aircraft Turbulence depending on how well developed the condition causing it is. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) classifies turbulence into the following:
Slight Turbulence – Experienced as light, erratic changes in the altitude and/or attitude of the aircraft. Loose objects sway from side to side and occupants feel a slight strain against their seat belts.
Moderate Turbulence – In this case loose objects might roll from one side to the other as both aircraft and occupants experience rapid jolts or bumps with greater strain against their seat belts.
Severe Turbulence – Here, loose objects are tossed from one corner to another; it becomes increasingly difficult to place food, particularly drinks into the mouth without spilling. There are abrupt changes in the altitude and attitude as air speed changes rapidly. The aircraft might go temporarily out of control as occupants are forced violently against their seat belts and travel along the aisle is virtually impossible. If inside a big cloud system, you might occasionally hear violent winds slap the body of the aircraft. This is the point where some people might start to pray for country while others call on their gods.
Extreme Turbulence – This might cause structural alteration to the aircraft as it is tossed about so violently that it becomes virtually impossible to control. Even though they sometimes occur, but by and massive they are very rare and pilots with basic knowledge of where they do will generally refrain them. The favourable weather conditions for this type of turbulence are generally found in mature thunderstorm clouds and particularly during take-off and landing. Fortunately Doppler Radars are being installed in major airports around the globe to detect the predisposing conditions and signal pilots accordingly. Some aircrafts are also equipped to detect them. Nothing can resist the awesome power of nature. Most times the Atmosphere’s reaction against man is a backlash of man’s action against it. When the region reacts violently, know how to defend your life by knowing why it acts the way it does. There’s always something new, refreshing, exhaustive and very authoritative about the weather and the region at cheap-bargain-mall.com/globalweather.html that you will need when the weather threatens to snuff life out of you as it has done to many. 
THE CAUSES OF TURBULENCE
Thermals: On sunny and hot days with calm winds, massive bubbles of air similar to very massive balloons but invisible to the eye rise and settle at certain points in the region where their temperature equals that of the surrounding air. High flying birds tend to settle on them when they spread their wings and seem motionless. The effect of these thermals on aircraft is generally slight turbulence.
Transition Zones between Land and Water Bodies (rivers, seas, or oceans): As aircrafts cross from land to water or vice versa, they also experience turbulence, generally slight turbulence. This is due mainly to the difference in the thermal properties of the two surfaces.
Mountains, Large buildings and Obstacles: Winds blowing against massive buildings and mountains create eddies (irregular air movement). Mountains create some of the most hazardous turbulence when the conditions are favourable. Winds blowing crossways mountain ranges take on a wave motion as the air flows upward over the mountains and then drops down the other side. This up and down motion can continue for more than 150km downwind and even extend far above them, often giving false values of air pressure in that vicinity. Aircrafts riding on these waves will definitely experience moderate to severe turbulence depending on its height relative to the mountain range.
Thunderstorms: The cloud system responsible for thunderstorms is cumulonimbus (CB) clouds. From aircraft window it appears like a mountain of a cloud. Thunderstorms constitute the worst enemy of aircrafts and of flying generally because of a myriad of problems they can cause. In this case, however, we are considering turbulence. The totality of activities within mature CB clouds constitutes thunderstorms. Because they form as a result of very vigorous atmospheric activity they also adopt a very dynamic nature. For instance they can suck in air from the surrounding into the system (entrainment), or vertically from below the cloud base (updrafts), as well as discharge massive bursts of wind downward (downdrafts or downbursts) all of which can create from slight turbulence when flying approach them to moderate, severe or even extreme turbulence when flying through their core and depending on how well developed they are. Near the ground they create wind shear (see below) which MUST be avoided by aircrafts on approach to landing or take-off. Microbursts (short-lived, short-spaced downward air motion) are also a common phenomenon within thunderstorms. 
Wind Shear: This means a massive change in wind speed and/or direction over a short distance. This can occur both in the horizontal or vertical directions. In considering horizontal flow, certain regions known as COL regions (between two Lows and two Highs) are typical wind shear zones and might create slight to moderate turbulence.
Jet Streams: At the ground level warmer air from lower latitudes move pole-ward and at some point a boundary is formed with colder air from the Polar Regions. This triggers some dynamical forces that create very strong currents (stream) of wind sometimes reaching or even exceeding 400km/h, high up above the ground. They generally move from the west to the easterly (westerlies).Winds progress in strength from the outer part until they reach a maximum at the middle or core. These wind changes over relatively short distances can cause slight to moderate turbulence for aircrafts.
Although turbulence is an annoying part of flying, it is often an unavoidable part of it as well. Do not let the fear of turbulence ground you, just remember that as long as you are buckled into your seat belt you are safe. Truth is, turbulence isn’t as hazardous as it might seem. On your next flight, after you’ve had some ride in it, tell yourself ‘thank GOD for yet another innocuous flight’.