What is the definition of the tropopause. tropopause altitude varies with latitude. The tropophere is 55 to 65 thousand feet at the equator and 25 to 30 thousand feet at the poles. That is a variation of 16.7 to 19.8 km at the equator and 7.6 to 9.1 km at the poles. That is a variation of 10.1 to 12.3 miles at the equator and 4.7 to 5.6 miles at the poles. |
Density decreases with altitude. The first figure show on the right how the molecules of air get spaced out as the pressure decreases. However the curves showing the red and blue line decrease of density and pressure with no scale on the X axis except the subjective low to high is dumb. The next chart showing quantification pressure in millibars is far more informative. 99.9% of the Atmosphere is below 48km 99.0% of the Atmosphere is below 32km 90.0% of the Atmosphere is below 17km 50.0% of the Atmosphere is below 5.5km but but but... Is 50% or 500 millibar defined as the tropopause? Does latitude change the mean tropopause height? Does a high pressure area and low pressure area effect the mean tropopause height? |
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/sndprf/sndprf.htm W. Paul Menzel APPLICATION OF GOES-8/9 SOUNDINGS TO WEATHER FORECASTING AND NOWCASTING
Explanation of the geostationary sounders measuring atmospheric radiances in eighteen infrared spectral bands.