What is the Hypsometric equation used for?

In radiosonde observation, the hypsometric equation can be used to compute the height of a pressure level given the height of a reference pressure level and the mean virtual temperature in between.

What is the hydrostatic balance equation?

dpdz=−ρg. [2.18] This equation is called the Hydrostatic Equation.

How is meteorology thickness calculated?

The constant a = ℜd /|g| = 29.3 m K–1. The height difference of a layer bounded below and above by two pressure levels P1 (at z1) and P2 (at z2) is called the thickness of that layer. To use this equation across large height differences, it is best to break the total distance into a number of thinner intervals, Δz.

How is geopotential height calculated?

Geopotential is defined by units of m**2/s**2 both on pressure levels and on the surface (orography). The geopotential height is the geopotential divided by the WMO-defined gravity constant of 9.80665 m/s**2, which is constant for all latitudes and all heights.

What does a Hypsometric curve show?

hypsometric curve, also called Hypsographic Curve, cumulative height frequency curve for the Earth’s surface or some part thereof. A hypsometric curve is essentially a graph that shows the proportion of land area that exists at various elevations by plotting relative area against relative height.

How do you draw a Hypsometric curve?

How do I read the graph?

Find 10% on the horizontal axis.
Draw a line up from 10% until it reaches the hypsometric curve (the dark red curve).
Now, draw a line across to the vertical axis (at approximately 0.5 km).
So, you find that 10% of the Earth’s surface has an elevation of 0.5 km or higher.

What is hydrostatic equilibrium in meteorology?

The state of a fluid with surfaces of constant pressure and constant mass ( or density) coincident and horizontal throughout. Complete balance exists between the force of gravity and the pressure force.

What is Z in hydrostatic equation?

The Hydrostatic equation. Consider a rectangle of air with dimensions dx, dy and dz, where these are very small increments in the eastward, northward and upward directions, as pictured below. The area of the horizontal surfaces is dA – dx dy. We consider the force balance in the vertical, positive z, direction.

What is meteorology thickness?

“Thickness” is a measure of how warm or cold a layer of the atmosphere is, usually a layer in the lowest 5 km (17,000 feet) of the troposphere; high values mean warm air, and low values mean cold air.

What height is 850 hPa?

850 hPa Temperature This is the temperature approximately 1.5 km above sea level, usually just above the boundary layer.

What is 500 hPa geopotential height?

around 5.5 km above
500 hPa Geopotential Height On average this level is around 5.5 km above sea level, and it is often referred to as a steering level, because the weather systems beneath, near to the Earth’s surface, roughly move in the same direction as the winds at the 500 hPa level.

What is geometric and geopotential altitude?

Geometric altitude The height above ground. Geopotential altitude An altitude defined for ease of calculations where the measured altitude would be physically compatible with the assumption that the acceleration of gravity is constant as altitude changes.

What is the hypsometric equation for atmospheric pressure?

The hypsometric equation is expressed as: where: In meteorology, p 1 {\\displaystyle p_{1}} and p 2 {\\displaystyle p_{2}} are isobaric surfaces. In altimetry with the International Standard Atmosphere the hypsometric equation is used to compute pressure at a given height in isothermal layers in the upper and lower stratosphere.