The occurrence of earthquakes can have significant consequences for commercial airlines. While the ground may shake, it’s not just the physical effects that airlines need to be concerned about. Seismic waves released during earthquakes, such as P waves and S waves, can propagate through different media, including gases like the atmosphere. These disturbances can cause microscopic waves that may affect flights.
However, the infrasound waves created by these earthquakes weaken as they travel through the air, causing them to have minimal impact on aircraft flying overhead. This attenuation process ensures that vibrations from an earthquake do not affect planes in the sky.
While aircraft are generally safe from the physical effects of earthquakes, they may encounter issues related to safety and navigation during an earthquake event. For instance, power outages at air traffic control stations due to earthquakes can disrupt navigation equipment and communication capabilities, impacting the ability to locate aircraft. However, most air traffic control stations have backup generators and emergency response plans in place to address such situations.
In conclusion, passengers flying during an earthquake event should not be overly concerned. Aircraft are designed to withstand most environmental disruptions, and air traffic control has measures in place to mitigate any potential challenges. Despite the occurrence of earthquakes below, passengers are often unaware of these events until after landing, as the impact on flights is usually minimal.