Atmospheric Gravity Waves and Aircraft Turbulence Encounters

Abstract

We describe aircraft turbulence-atmospheric gravity wave events which occurred during a 2-day period over the Continental Divide. The waves are observed by two microbarograph networks an each side of the divide and last for several hours at a time. We show them to be unstable modes of the jet stream, corresponding to propagating internal gravity waves. We also show that the position of aircraft-reported turbulence coincides with the critical levels of the waves.