CHAPTER 5: PRESSURE

By
Joseph Okolla
OBJECTIVES
 To describe horizontal and vertical variations in
atmospheric pressure and how pressure
distributions are shown on MET charts.
 To indicate the units of measurement for
atmospheric pressure and related conversions.
 To outline the MET aspects relating to altimetry.
INTRODUCTION
 The study of atmospheric pressure forms the foundation
of the science of meteorology.
 Weather closely dependent on the distribution of
pressure at the surface
 hence charts of sea-level pressure, supplemented by other
charts for higher levels
 constitute the basis of weather forecasting
 Pressure differences provide the forces responsible for
the generation of wind and hence changes in weather.
DEFINITION
 Pressure of the atmosphere is the force exerted on a surface
of unit area by the activity of the molecules composing the
fluid.
 UNITS OF PRESSURE
 Pressure as force per unit area
 From metric system
 Metric unit of pressure is 1 dyne per square centimetre
 The value is small for the measurement of atmospheric pressure,
 bar is defined as one million of these units.
 mb, one thousandth part of a bar or 1000 dynes per square centimetre is used
 Earlier pressure was measured in terms of the length of mercury in
the barometer
 Conversions
 1000 mb = 750.1 mm = 29.53 in = 105 N/m2
 1 mb = 102 Pascals = 1 hectopascal (hPa)
 Note: 1 Newton = 105 dynes
EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON
PRESSURE
 The higher the temperature the lower the air density
becomes and vice versa
 But atmospheric pressure increases with increase in air
density
 Therefore pressure will increase as temperature falls, and
decreases as temperature rises.
EFFECT OF GRAVITY AND HEIGHT ON
PRESSURE
 As pressure decreases, height increases
 pressure varies inversely to height
 Since air is compressible
 the rate of decrease is not constant.
 This implies that density of air is higher in the lower levels and lower in
the upper levels
 Up to about 7 km the rate of fall is about 1 hPa per 10
metres, the rate becomes about 1 hPa per 130 metres.
INSTRUMENT USED
 In the usual instrument for measuring pressure
 the weight of the overlying air is balanced against the weight of
mercury
 There are some other instruments used in which mercury is
not applied.
INSTRUMENT USED cont..
Mercury Barometer
 A 1 mt tube of Hg inverted in a Hg reservoir the Hg in tube
sinks to about 170 mm above the reservoir and this indicates
atmospheric pressure
 Measurement given in hPa or ins
Aneroid barometer
 Barometer without Hg in it
 KEW AND FORTIN BAROMETERS

10
 ANEROID BAROMETERS

11
PRESSURE VARIATIONS
 Pressure decreases with height.
 For a given height interval the decrease in pressure
 depend upon the mean temperature of the air.
 In the ISA surface pressure assumed to be 1013.25 hPa,
PRESSURE VARIATIONS cont..
Pressure Approximate Height
850 hPa 5000 ft amsl
700 hPa 10 000 amsl
500 hPa 18 000 amsl
400 hPa 24 000 amsl
300 hPa 30 000 amsl
200 hPa 40 000 amsl
100 hPa 53 000 amsl
50 hPa 68 000 amsl
Pressure/Temperature
Relationship
Pressure/Height Calculations
 For small intervals less than 50 hPa
 Formula applied H=96T/P feet or 29.25T/P metres
Pressure/Height Calculations
Height Height Decrease
per
hPa
MSL 27 ft
2000 ft amsl 30 ft
20 000 amsl 50 ft
40 000 amsl 100 ft
Pressure/Height Calculations
 For larger intervals, the difference in two heights can be
expressed by the formula:
 h2 - h1 = 221.1T(log P1 – Log P2)
Pressure/Height Calculations
TYPES OF PRESSURE
 Pressure at the level of barometer called CLP
 converted to other values for aviation
 QFE- This is the cistern level pressure reduced to
aerodrome level.
 QNH- This is the QFE or aerodrome level pressure
reduced to mean sea level pressure assuming
International Standard Atmosphere.
 QNE- This is not pressure but a height indicated on the
main-scale of the altimeter whose sub-scale is set to a
pressure of 1013.25 hPa and aircraft on the ground.
OTHER PRESSURE SETTINGS
 MSL Mean sea level means that the aircraft uses a
reference pressure converted to sea level, QNH.
 Altitude The vertical distance between actual level and
MSL.
 True Altitude The exact vertical distance above MSL.
 differs from the indicated altitude if the temperature deviates
from ISA
OTHER PRESSURE SETTINGS cont..
 Corrected (approximately true) Altitude Corrected
Altitude is the value we get when the indicated altitude is
corrected for temperature and barometric error
 Called true altitude
 Pressure Altitude The altitude in the standard atmosphere,
where the pressure is the same as that of the air where the aircraft
is at the moment.
 Flight Level (FL) Flight Level is one of a number of levels,
based on the datum pressure of 1013 hPa, separated by notified
intervals and expressed in hundreds of feet.
OTHER PRESSURE SETTINGS cont..
 Standard Pressure Setting The ISA MSL pressure
1013 hPa which can be at, above, or below MSL is called
the standard setting.
 Altimeter Setting Refers to the value set on the
altimeter subscale.
 When current value is set of QNH the altimeter should always
indicate ”true altitude” when the wheels are on the runway.
 Elevation The vertical distance from mean sea level to a
stated level.
OTHER PRESSURE SETTINGS cont..
 Height The vertical distance from a fixed level.
 Pressure Systems The synoptic chart represents
the distribution of pressure at a given time.
 The observations reduced to a common level (QFF). The
isobars on the chart are usually given in intervals of 2 to 4 hPa.
 Isobar A line joining places of equal pressure
MEAN-SEA LEVEL PRESSURE
CHARTS
 Earth’s surface made of plains, mountains, seas etc
 Hence variation in terrain
 To obtain accurate surface pressure charts, surface
pressure readings made with respect to a common datum
 Mean-sea level is the usual datum applied
 Observations from different points plotted on chart
 Isobars drawn to connect places with same values
MEAN-SEA LEVEL PRESSURE CHARTS
cont..