In thermals, what happens to air between thermals?

In thermals, what happens to air between thermals?

• A. There is increased sinking
• B. There is increased lifting
• C. There is no vertical movement
• D. It becomes calm

Answer: (A)

Thermals are rising columns of warm air. The air that rises in a thermal is fed by air from around it, and the surrounding air must move to complete the circulation. In the spaces between thermals, the circulation tends to carry air downward, so you naturally encounter sinking air there. That downward motion between updraft cores is what you feel as increased sinking when you fly between thermals. The idea that the gap is lifting, or that there is no vertical movement or calm, doesn’t fit the typical pattern of how multiple thermals create alternating rising cores and sinking gaps.

Thermals are rising columns of warm air. The air that rises in a thermal is fed by air from around it, and the surrounding air must move to complete the circulation. In the spaces between thermals, the circulation tends to carry air downward, so you naturally encounter sinking air there. That downward motion between updraft cores is what you feel as increased sinking when you fly between thermals. The idea that the gap is lifting, or that there is no vertical movement or calm, doesn’t fit the typical pattern of how multiple thermals create alternating rising cores and sinking gaps.