Section 02

Lesson 5/6/7
Atmospheric Pressure, Temperature and Density

 Definition of Atmospheric Pressure

 Measurement of Pressure
 QFF, QFE, QNH
 Pressure Variation at Surface Level
 Pressure Variation with Height
 Density
 International Standard Atmosphere
 Gas Laws
Atmospheric Pressure
 Pressure is defined as force per
unit area.
 Atmospheric pressure is the force
exerted at the earth’s surface by a
column of air above it.
 Pressure at a point acts uniformly
in all directions.
 Units of pressure are:
 millibar
(mb).
 hectopascal (hPa).
 1mb = 1 hPa
 Atmospheric Pressure
Atmospheric pressure is defined as the
force per unit area exerted against a
surface by the weight of the air column
above that surface.

The pressure at point

"X" increases as the
weight of the air above
it increases. The
pressure at point "X"
decreases if the weight
of the air above it
decreases.
 Measurement of
Atmospheric Pressure
Vacuum

Mercury
barometer
Aneroid Barometer
Barograph Recorder
 QFE
 Is the prevailing atmospheric/aerodrome
pressure at the airfield elevation
 QFF
 Is the local station barometric pressure
adjusted to mean sea level assuming an
isothermal column of air at station
temperature
 It is only used on surface synoptic charts
 It is expressed to one decimal point.
 QNH
 Is a pressure setting which when set on an
altimeter sub-scale will cause it to read the
airfield elevation above mean sea level.
 ISA conditions are assumed for the air
column
 It is always expressed in integer values.
Pressure Variation
 Pressure varies widely from day to
day.
 Usual range of variation,
 970 mb to 1030 mb.
 Lowest recorded,
 870 mb, Typhoon Tip, Oct. 1979.
 Highest recorded,
 1084 mb, Agata, Siberia, Dec. 1968.
Extremes
of Surface
Pressure
Variation
60
Horizontal Pressure Variation

 Isobars
 Highs/Anticyclones
 Ridges
 Lows/Cyclones
 Troughs
 Pressure Gradient
 Pressure Gradient Force
 Isallobars
Isobars
 A line drawn on a weather map
connecting points of equal
pressure is called an isobar.
 The isobars are generated from
mean sea level pressure reports.
 The pressure values are given in
hectopascals (or millibars).
 Surface Isobar Charts
 Reporting stations are not all at
Mean Sea Level.
 Local Barometric Pressure is
adjusted to Mean Sea Level using
an Isothermal column of air.
 Mean Sea Level Pressure plotted
on Synoptic Charts is known as the
QFF.
 Typical Surface Pressure Patterns
COL Weather over land
TROUGH - formed by the Winter: Poor vis; radiation fog
extension of a low
Summer: CB/TS in late afternoon

COL - a zone of slack

pressure gradients with
calm or light variable
winds

RIDGE - formed by the

extension of an
anticyclone
 Patterns of Pressure Distribution

 Anticyclones or highs: are regions where the pressure at its centre is

highest relative to its surroundings. The circulation is clockwise in
the northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern
hemisphere.
 Ridge: a region of isobars extending away from a high centre with
no sharp curvature. Pressure along the line of the ridge is higher
than its surroundings.
 Patterns of Pressure Distribution
 Depressions or lows (or cyclones): are regions where the pressure at
its centre is lowest relative to its surroundings. The circulation is
anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the
southern hemisphere.
 Trough: is a region of isobars extending away from a low centre
and may have sharp curvature. Pressure along the line of the
trough is lower than its surroundings
 Cols: is a region of nearly uniform pressure situated between a pair
of highs and a pair of lows.
Pressure
Variation
with
Height
 Pressure changes aloft

 Pressure decreases with height

 Pressure also varies horizontally aloft.
 This is due to horizontal variations of mean
temperature in layers in the atmosphere.
 Pressure changes aloft

 Rate of pressure decrease with height decreases

significantly nearer the tropopause
 Pressure is determined by the density of air
above
 Density
 Density = Mass per unit volume
(kg/m3)
 When air is heated, density
becomes less
 With an increase in height, both
pressure and density decrease
Density variations
Density of dry and moist air
 Dry air = 78% N2 , 21% O2
 Molecular weight: N2 = 28
O2 = 32
= 60
H20 = 18
 Therefore moist air is less dense
than dry air
The Relationship between Pressure,
Temperature and Density

 Air behaves according to the Gas Law

 Pressure = Temperature x Density x Gas Constant
•p=TxxC
 or leaving out the constant

•pTx
 Pressure is directly proportional to Temperature
and Density
 Gas Law Continued

 If Temperature held constant:

p 
 Thus air at a higher pressure is more dense than air
at a lower pressure.
 If the Pressure is held constant:
T x  = Constant
 Thus at a given atmospheric pressure, air that is cold
is more dense than air that is warm.
Summary of conclusions from Gas Laws
 Density of air
 Increases with increasing air pressure
 i.e. decreasing altitude
 Increasesif the temperature is decreased
 Decreases if the air pressure decreases
 i.e. increasing altitude
 Decreases if the temperature increases.
 Summary of conclusions from Gas Laws

 Note that the controlling factor in the atmosphere is

air pressure.
 Therapid decrease of pressure with height
overcomes the tendency of the decreasing
temperature with height to increase density.
 Pressure and Height
Calculations
 At sea level pressure 1013hPa
and 15°C
 1hPa = 27 ft height change
 At 500 hPa
 1hPa = 50 ft height change
 Radiosonde data is used to
calculate the “thickness” of the
atmosphere at various locations
International Standard Atmosphere

MSL Temperature 15°C; 288K

MSL Pressure 1013.25 mb, 29.92 ins Mercury.

MSL Density 1225 gm/m3

Decreasing 1.98°C/1000 ft (6.5°C/km) to 11000 m (36090 ft).

Temperature Isothermal at –56.5°C to 20,000 m (65617 ft).
Increasing at 0.3°C/1000ft (1°C/km) to 32,000 m (104987 ft).
Standard Pressure
Levels
Pressure (mb) Approx. Height
1000 Mean sea level
700 10,000 ft.
500 18,000 ft.
400 24,000 ft.
300 30,000 ft.
250 34,000 ft.
200 39,000 ft.
150 45,000 ft.