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  • © 2016

Aviation Turbulence

Processes, Detection, Prediction

  • Update of the current state of knowledge and research in the area of aviation-scale turbulence

  • Covers the full range of topics important to forecasters, engineers, and researchers interested in better understanding the nature of aviation-scale turbulence, remote and in-situ sensing of turbulence and forecasting and verification of turbulence

  • Written by recognized aviation turbulence researchers

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Table of contents (25 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xv
  2. Background

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Nature of Aviation Turbulence

      • Robert Sharman
      Pages 3-30
    3. A History of Weather Reporting from Aircraft and Turbulence Forecasting for Commercial Aviation

      • Tom Fahey, Emily N. Wilson, Rory O’Loughlin, Melissa Thomas, Stephanie Klipfel
      Pages 31-58
  3. Turbulence Detection Methods and Applications

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 95-95
    2. Airborne In Situ Measurements of Turbulence

      • Larry B. Cornman
      Pages 97-120
    3. Doppler Radar Measurements of Turbulence

      • Larry B. Cornman, Robert K. Goodrich
      Pages 121-148
    4. Remote Turbulence Detection Using Ground-Based Doppler Weather Radar

      • John K. Williams, Gregory Meymaris
      Pages 149-177
    5. Relationships Between Lightning and Convective Turbulence

      • Wiebke Deierling, John K. Williams
      Pages 179-192
  4. Nowcasting, Forecasting, and Verification

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 211-211
    2. A Summary of Turbulence Forecasting Techniques Used by the National Weather Service

      • David R. Bright, Steven A. Lack, Jesse A. Sparks
      Pages 213-226
    3. An Airline Perspective: Current and Future Vision for Turbulence Forecasting and Reporting

      • Melissa Thomas, Stephanie Klipfel, Emily N. Wilson, Tom Fahey
      Pages 227-242
    4. Automated Turbulence Forecasting Strategies

      • John A. Knox, Alan W. Black, Jared A. Rackley, Emily N. Wilson, Jeremiah S. Grant, Stephanie P. Phelps et al.
      Pages 243-260
    5. Aviation Turbulence Forecast Verification

      • Philip G. Gill
      Pages 261-283
    6. Aviation Turbulence Ensemble Techniques

      • Piers Buchanan
      Pages 285-296
  5. Observational and Modeling Studies

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 297-297

About this book

Anyone who has experienced turbulence in flight knows that it is usually not pleasant, and may wonder why this is so difficult to avoid. The book includes papers by various aviation turbulence researchers and provides background into the nature and causes of atmospheric turbulence that affect aircraft motion, and contains surveys of the latest techniques for remote and in situ sensing and forecasting of the turbulence phenomenon. It provides updates on the state-of-the-art research since earlier studies in the 1960s on clear-air turbulence, explains recent new understanding into turbulence generation by thunderstorms, and summarizes future challenges in turbulence prediction and avoidance.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Research, National Center for Atmospheric, Boulder, USA

    Robert Sharman

  • School of Earth Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Todd Lane

About the editors

Dr. Robert Sharman is a project scientist at the Research Applications Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, CO, U.S.A.   Over the last 20 years he has been deeply involved in aviation turbulence research programs there, and oversees development of automated turbulence prediction systems and research into free atmosphere turbulence characterization using high resolution fluid dynamical numerical simulations to better define the turbulence structures associated with severe turbulence encounters by aircraft. 

Dr. Sharman is author or co-author of over 60 scientific articles in professional journals, primarily on the subjects of aviation turbulence prediction, turbulence characterization, topographically-induced, convectively-induced and shear-induced gravity waves and turbulence.  He is a recipient of the SCIENTFIC AMERICAN Top 50 Scientists Award for 2003.


Dr. Todd Lane is currently an Associate Professor and Reader in the School of Earth Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia. He obtained his PhD from Monash University, Australia in 2000 and between 2000-2005 he was a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist at National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado USA. Over his career his research has focused on many aspects of meteorology, including thunderstorms, atmospheric gravity waves, topographic flows, and turbulence. Over the last 15 years he has applied state-of-the-art computer models to problems in aviation turbulence, with particular emphasis on the links between thunderstorms, waves and clear-air turbulence. 

Dr. Lane is author or co-author of over 50 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals. He was 2014-2015 President of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, and is currently a Chief Investigator of the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science. He has received awards from the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, the American Meteorological Society, the Australian Academy of Science, and NASA. 



Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Aviation Turbulence

  • Book Subtitle: Processes, Detection, Prediction

  • Editors: Robert Sharman, Todd Lane

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23630-8

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Engineering, Engineering (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-23629-2Published: 06 July 2016

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-79513-3Published: 31 May 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-23630-8Published: 27 June 2016

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XV, 523

  • Number of Illustrations: 79 b/w illustrations, 67 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Aerospace Technology and Astronautics, Atmospheric Sciences, Geophysics and Environmental Physics

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access