Air bumps, also known as turbulence, are primarily caused by thermal (convective) turbulence.
Understanding Thermal Turbulence
Thermal turbulence arises from uneven heating of the Earth's surface. This differential heating creates pockets of warm air that rise and cooler air that descends.
How It Works:
- Uneven Heating: The sun heats the Earth's surface, but some areas absorb more heat than others (e.g., dark soil vs. light sand).
- Warm Air Ascends: The warmer air becomes less dense and rises, creating a vertical current.
- Cool Air Descends: The cooler, denser air sinks to replace the rising warm air.
- Convective Currents: This process of rising warm air and descending cool air forms convective currents.
- Aircraft Interaction: When an airplane flies through these areas of rising and falling air, it experiences bumps or turbulence.
Example:
Imagine a pot of boiling water. The warm water rises, and the cooler water descends, creating currents that move the surface. In the same way, the atmosphere is constantly in motion because of these thermal differences. An aircraft essentially encounters these atmospheric currents, leading to bumpy conditions.
Key Takeaway:
Air bumps occur when airplanes fly through pockets of rising warm air and descending cool air that are created from the Earth's surface. This is a direct result of the uneven heating of the Earth's surface and is called thermal or convective turbulence.
