Aviation Turbulence Induced by the Interaction between a Jet Stream and
Deep Convection
Abstract
On December 18, 2022, Hawaiian Airlines flight HA35 encountered severe
turbulence in a cloud-free region without warning. We simulated this
incident using the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) with a
convective permitting grid. We found that the turbulence formed due to
the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) generated by strong vertical wind
shear. At low altitudes, deep convection caused a decrease in wind speed
in both upstream and downstream regions. At upper levels, the jet
descended and accelerated after flowing over the convection, which acted
like a barrier and produced a situation similar to a downslope
windstorm. The low Scorer parameter above the jet and the self-induced
critical level created the locally enhanced descending jet stream, which
destabilized the flow through KHI.