What does "Wake Turbulence" refer to?

"Wake Turbulence" refers to the disturbance caused by an aircraft's passage through the air. When an aircraft flies, it generates lift, which leads to the formation of vortices, or swirling air patterns, at the wingtips. These vortices create turbulence that can affect the airflow around other aircraft flying nearby, especially during takeoff and landing phases. Understanding this phenomenon is crucial for air traffic control and flight safety, as following distances and departure intervals are often adjusted to mitigate the risk of wake turbulence encounters, particularly for smaller aircraft following larger ones.

The other options mentioned do not accurately describe wake turbulence: pressure changes during flight relate more to aerodynamic principles rather than turbulence caused by other aircraft; noise generated by jet engines refers to sound pollution but is not the same as wake turbulence; and thermal conditions affecting lift pertain to factors such as air temperature and density rather than the disturbances caused by an aircraft's movement through the atmosphere.