A detailed numerical investigation of turbulent liquid jets in quiescent air is conducted, with the focus on the processes leading to liquid atomization. Spectral refinement of the interface is employed to provide an accurate description of the phase interface, even at the subcell level. The ghost fluid method is used to handle the different material properties of the phases and the surface tension force in a sharp manner. A temporally evolving turbulent planar jet is simulated for several values of the Reynolds and Weber numbers, and statistics are extracted. Direct visualization of the flow structures allows one to lay out a clear picture of the atomization process. Early interface deformation is caused by turbulent eddies that carry enough kinetic energy to overcome surface tension forces. Then, liquid protrusions are stretched out into ligaments that rupture following Rayleigh's theory or due to aerodynamic forces. This numerical study provides a wealth of much-needed detailed information on the turbulent atomization process, which is invaluable to large eddy simulation modeling.