<
https://theconversation.com/freak-wind-gusts-made-worse-by-climate-change-threaten-airline-passenger-safety-258823>
"Unexpected severe turbulence injured crew and passengers on a Qantas Boeing
737 during descent at Brisbane on May 4 2024. The subsequent Australian
Transport Safety Bureau investigation suggested the severity of the turbulence
caught the captain by surprise.
This is not an isolated event. Thunderstorms featuring severe wind gusts such
as violent updrafts and downbursts are hazardous to aircraft. Downbursts in
particular have been known to cause many serious accidents.
Our new research suggests global warming is increasing the frequency and
intensity of wind gusts from thunderstorm “downbursts”, with serious
consequences for air travel.
We used machine learning techniques to identify the climate drivers causing
more thunderstorm downbursts. Increased heat and moisture over eastern
Australia turned out to be the key ingredients.
The findings suggest air safety authorities and airlines in eastern Australia
must be more vigilant during takeoff and landing in a warming world."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
