International Standard Atmosphere
Encyclopedia
The International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) is an atmospheric model
of how the pressure
, temperature
, density
, and viscosity
of the Earth's atmosphere
change over a wide range of altitude
s. It has been established to provide a common reference for temperature and pressure and consists of tables of values at various altitudes, plus some formula
e by which those values were derived. The International Organization for Standardization
(ISO), publishes the ISA as an international standard
, ISO 2533:1975. Other standards organization
s, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) and the United States Government, publish extensions or subsets of the same atmospheric model under their own standards-making authority.
s by which those values were derived. For example, at sea level the standard gives a pressure of 1013.25 hPa
(1 atm
) and a temperature of 15 Celsius, and an initial lapse rate
of −6.5 °C/km (roughly −2 °C/1,000 ft). The tabulation continues to 11 km where the pressure has fallen to 226.32 hPa and the temperature to −56.5 °C. Between 11 km and 20 km the temperature remains constant.
In the above table, geopotential height is calculated from a mathematical model in which the acceleration due to gravity is assumed constant. Geometric height results from the (more accurate) assumption that gravity obeys an inverse square law.
The ISA model is based on average conditions at mid latitudes, as determined by ISO's TC 20/SC 6 technical committee. It has been revised from time to time since the middle of the 20th century.
(ICAO) published their "ICAO Standard Atmosphere" as Doc 7488-CD in 1993. It has the same model as the ISA, but extends the altitude coverage to 80 kilometres (262,500 feet).
The ICAO Standard Atmosphere does not contain water vapour
Some of the values defined by ICAO are:
As this is a Standard, you will not always encounter these conditions outside of a laboratory, but many Aviation standards and flying rules are based on this, altimetry being a major one. The standard is very useful in Meteorology for comparing against actual values.
NRLMSISE-00
is an empirical
, global model
of the Earth's atmosphere
from ground to space. It models the temperature
s and densities
of the atmosphere's components. A primary use of this model is to aid predictions of satellite
orbital decay due to atmospheric drag.
The standard conditions for temperature and pressure
are a model of gas temperature and pressure used in chemistry
.
Atmospheric models
Static atmospheric models describe how the ideal gas properties of an atmosphere change, primarily as a function of altitude....
of how the pressure
Pressure
Pressure is the force per unit area applied in a direction perpendicular to the surface of an object. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure.- Definition :...
, temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
, density
Density
The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
, and viscosity
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...
of the Earth's atmosphere
Earth's atmosphere
The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night...
change over a wide range of altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
s. It has been established to provide a common reference for temperature and pressure and consists of tables of values at various altitudes, plus some formula
Formula
In mathematics, a formula is an entity constructed using the symbols and formation rules of a given logical language....
e by which those values were derived. The International Organization for Standardization
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
(ISO), publishes the ISA as an international standard
International standard
International standards are standards developed by international standards organizations. International standards are available for consideration and use, worldwide...
, ISO 2533:1975. Other standards organization
Standards organization
A standards organization, standards body, standards developing organization , or standards setting organization is any organization whose primary activities are developing, coordinating, promulgating, revising, amending, reissuing, interpreting, or otherwise producing technical standards that are...
s, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
(ICAO) and the United States Government, publish extensions or subsets of the same atmospheric model under their own standards-making authority.
Description
The ISA model divides the atmosphere into layers with linear temperature distributions. The other values are computed from basic physical constants and relationships. Thus the standard consists of a table of values at various altitudes, plus some formulaFormula
In mathematics, a formula is an entity constructed using the symbols and formation rules of a given logical language....
s by which those values were derived. For example, at sea level the standard gives a pressure of 1013.25 hPa
HPA
-Organizations:*Halifax Port Authority, a port authority in Canada*Hamburg Port Authority, the port authority for the Port of Hamburg, Germany*Health Protection Agency, a health organization in the United Kingdom...
(1 atm
Atmosphere (unit)
The standard atmosphere is an international reference pressure defined as 101325 Pa and formerly used as unit of pressure. For practical purposes it has been replaced by the bar which is 105 Pa...
) and a temperature of 15 Celsius, and an initial lapse rate
Lapse rate
The lapse rate is defined as the rate of decrease with height for an atmospheric variable. The variable involved is temperature unless specified otherwise. The terminology arises from the word lapse in the sense of a decrease or decline; thus, the lapse rate is the rate of decrease with height and...
of −6.5 °C/km (roughly −2 °C/1,000 ft). The tabulation continues to 11 km where the pressure has fallen to 226.32 hPa and the temperature to −56.5 °C. Between 11 km and 20 km the temperature remains constant.
| Layer | Level Name |
Base Geopotential Height h (in km) |
Base Geometric Height z (in km) |
Lapse Rate (in °C/km) |
Base Temperature T (in °C) |
Base Atmospheric Pressure p (in Pa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Troposphere Troposphere The troposphere is the lowest portion of Earth's atmosphere. It contains approximately 80% of the atmosphere's mass and 99% of its water vapor and aerosols.... |
0.0 | 0.0 | −6.5 | +15.0 | 101325 |
| 1 | Tropopause Tropopause The tropopause is the atmospheric boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere.-Definition:Going upward from the surface, it is the point where air ceases to cool with height, and becomes almost completely dry... |
11.000 | 11.019 | +0.0 | −56.5 | 22632 |
| 2 | Stratosphere Stratosphere The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. This is in contrast to the troposphere near the Earth's surface, which is cooler... |
20.000 | 20.063 | +1.0 | −56.5 | 5474.9 |
| 3 | Stratosphere Stratosphere The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. This is in contrast to the troposphere near the Earth's surface, which is cooler... |
32.000 | 32.162 | +2.8 | −44.5 | 868.02 |
| 4 | Stratopause Stratopause The stratopause is the level of the atmosphere which is the boundary between two layers, stratosphere and the mesosphere... |
47.000 | 47.350 | +0.0 | −2.5 | 110.91 |
| 5 | Mesosphere Mesosphere The mesosphere is the layer of the Earth's atmosphere that is directly above the stratosphere and directly below the thermosphere. In the mesosphere temperature decreases with increasing height. The upper boundary of the mesosphere is the mesopause, which can be the coldest naturally occurring... |
51.000 | 51.413 | −2.8 | −2.5 | 66.939 |
| 6 | Mesosphere Mesosphere The mesosphere is the layer of the Earth's atmosphere that is directly above the stratosphere and directly below the thermosphere. In the mesosphere temperature decreases with increasing height. The upper boundary of the mesosphere is the mesopause, which can be the coldest naturally occurring... |
71.000 | 71.802 | −2.0 | −58.5 | 3.9564 |
| 7 | Mesopause Mesopause The mesopause is the temperature minimum at the boundary between the mesosphere and the thermosphere atmospheric regions. Due to the lack of solar heating and very strong radiative cooling from carbon dioxide, the mesopause is the coldest place on Earth with temperatures as low as -100°C... |
84.852 | 86.000 | — | −86.2 | 0.3734 |
In the above table, geopotential height is calculated from a mathematical model in which the acceleration due to gravity is assumed constant. Geometric height results from the (more accurate) assumption that gravity obeys an inverse square law.
The ISA model is based on average conditions at mid latitudes, as determined by ISO's TC 20/SC 6 technical committee. It has been revised from time to time since the middle of the 20th century.
ICAO Standard Atmosphere
The International Civil Aviation OrganizationInternational Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
(ICAO) published their "ICAO Standard Atmosphere" as Doc 7488-CD in 1993. It has the same model as the ISA, but extends the altitude coverage to 80 kilometres (262,500 feet).
The ICAO Standard Atmosphere does not contain water vapour
Some of the values defined by ICAO are:
| Height km & ft | Temperature °C | Pressure hPa | Lapse Rate °C/1000 ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 km MSL | 15.0 | 1013.25 | −1.98 (Tropospheric) |
| 11 km 36 000 ft | −56.5 | 226.00 | 0.00 (Stratospheric) |
| 20 km 65 000 ft | −56.5 | 54.70 | +0.3 (Stratospheric) |
| 32 km 105 000 ft | −44.5 | 8.68 |
As this is a Standard, you will not always encounter these conditions outside of a laboratory, but many Aviation standards and flying rules are based on this, altimetry being a major one. The standard is very useful in Meteorology for comparing against actual values.
Other standard atmospheres
The U.S. Standard Atmosphere is a set of models that define values for atmospheric temperature, density, pressure and other properties over a wide range of altitudes. The first model, based on an existing international standard, was published in 1958 by the U.S. Committee on Extension to the Standard Atmosphere, and was updated in 1962, 1966, and 1976. The U.S. Standard Atmosphere, International Standard Atmosphere and WMO (World Meteorological Organization) standard atmospheres are the same as the ISO International Standard Atmosphere for altitudes up to 32 km.NRLMSISE-00
NRLMSISE-00
NRLMSISE-00 is an empirical, global model of the Earth's atmosphere from ground to space. It models the temperatures and densities of the atmosphere's components. A primary use of this model is to aid predictions of satellite orbital decay due to atmospheric drag...
is an empirical
Empirical
The word empirical denotes information gained by means of observation or experimentation. Empirical data are data produced by an experiment or observation....
, global model
Mathematical model
A mathematical model is a description of a system using mathematical concepts and language. The process of developing a mathematical model is termed mathematical modeling. Mathematical models are used not only in the natural sciences and engineering disciplines A mathematical model is a...
of the Earth's atmosphere
Earth's atmosphere
The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night...
from ground to space. It models the temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
s and densities
Density
The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
of the atmosphere's components. A primary use of this model is to aid predictions of satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
orbital decay due to atmospheric drag.
The standard conditions for temperature and pressure
Standard conditions for temperature and pressure
Standard condition for temperature and pressure are standard sets of conditions for experimental measurements established to allow comparisons to be made between different sets of data...
are a model of gas temperature and pressure used in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
.