Mountain Wave
What is mountain wave?
A mountain wave is a wavelike air pattern of updrafts and downdrafts that forms above and downwind of a mountain range when fast-moving air strikes the range's steep face. The smooth flow on the upwind lifting side often becomes turbulent on the downwind side, creating powerful downdrafts that can challenge aircraft. Think of it as ripples in a stream forming downstream of a rock—except here the "rock" is a mountain and the ripples are in the air.
Also known as: mountain waves, lee wave
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