Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Weather inquiry - The relationship between altitude and air pressure

The relationship between altitude and air pressure

The relationship between altitude and atmospheric pressure is that with the increase of altitude, atmospheric pressure will decrease accordingly.

Atmospheric pressure refers to the force exerted by the atmosphere on a unit area, usually expressed in atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure decreases with the elevation. This is because with the increase of height, the effect of gravity on the atmosphere gradually weakens, and the thickness of the atmosphere becomes thinner, which reduces the pressure of the atmosphere on the ground.

With the increase of altitude, the air density decreases, which also leads to the decrease of air pressure. Air density is related to temperature and pressure. With the increase of altitude, the temperature decreases, the air density decreases, and then the air pressure decreases.

The air pressure changes with the change of altitude, and this change is continuous. Near the sea level, the air pressure is about 10 13 hectopascals, which gradually decreases with the elevation. At an altitude of 1000 meters, the air pressure is about 950hPa, and at an altitude of 2000 meters, the air pressure is about 900hPa.

There is a negative correlation between altitude and air pressure. With the increase of altitude, the air pressure gradually decreases. This relationship is mainly due to the change of atmospheric thickness and air density. For the study of meteorology and geography, it is very important to understand this relationship because it affects the study of climate, weather forecast and air pollution.

Influencing factors of air pressure:

1. Altitude: As the altitude increases, the atmospheric pressure gradually decreases, so the higher the altitude, the lower the atmospheric pressure at the same time and place.

2. Temperature: At the same altitude, the higher the temperature, the lower the air pressure. This is because the speed of gas molecules increases at high temperature, the resilience after collision decreases, and the pressure of air also decreases.

3. Humidity: At the same height, the greater the humidity, the lower the air pressure. This is because the molecular weight of water vapor is smaller than that of air molecules, which will occupy a part of space, thus increasing the average free path of gas molecules and reducing the pressure of air.

4. Atmospheric circulation: Atmospheric circulation refers to the pressure difference between different parts of the earth, which will cause the movement and flow of gas. For example, the tropical depression over the equator will make air flow to the poles, thus creating a high pressure area at high latitudes, which will affect the air pressure.

5. Geographical location: Pressure is also affected by different geographical locations on the earth. For example, the low pressure zone near the equator and the high pressure zone near the poles will affect the global atmospheric circulation, thus affecting the air pressure.