Definition
Turbulence caused by the vertical movement of air associated with convective activity, such as rising warm air, thunderstorms, or thermal currents. The bumpy or rough air results from updrafts and downdrafts mixing with surrounding air at differing speeds and temperatures.
Plain English
Bumpy air caused by warm air rising and cool air sinking. When the sun heats the ground unevenly, or storms develop, the up-and-down movement of air shakes the aircraft as it flies through.
Context Anchor
You may see this term in weather briefings, forecasts, and discussions of thunderstorm or hot-afternoon flying conditions.
Derivation
From the Latin convehere, meaning 'to carry together' — referring to the vertical carrying of air by heat. The word 'convection' describes how heated air rises and cooler air sinks, and that movement is what induces (causes) the turbulence.
Why Pilots Care
It can produce sudden, severe jolts capable of causing loss of aircraft control, structural stress, or injury, often requiring immediate route changes.
Grounding Statement
On a hot summer afternoon, fields, parking lots, and rocks heat unevenly, sending up invisible columns of rising air. Flying through these columns feels like driving over a washboard road.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as “ordinary bumps that happen near clouds.” It specifically means turbulence caused by air moving up and down because of convection.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot scheduled the training flight for early morning to avoid the convectively induced turbulence that typically develops by midday.
Example Sentence 2
Convectively induced turbulence often occurs near towering cumulus clouds even when the sky looks mostly clear.