THE USE OF PRESSURE ALTITUDE AND ALTIMETER CORRECTIONS IN METEOROLOGY

Abstract

This discussion presents a scheme that has been found to be very convenient for the three-dimensional representation of the pressure and temperature fields in the atmosphere both for forecasting and for aircraft operations. The terms pressure altitude (zp), altimeter correction (D) and specific temperature anomaly (S) are defined and their physical interpretation discussed. The hydrostatic equation, the geostrophic and gradient wind equations, and the thermal wind equations are stated in terms of these parameters. All necessary tables and calculation diagrams including a thermodynamic chart called the pastagram are presented. Applications of the proposed scheme to pressure-height computations, wind calculations, aircraft operations and general synoptic analysis are given together with a number of examples.