*** Welcome to piglix ***

Sea level pressure


Atmospheric pressure, sometimes also called barometric pressure, is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth (or that of another planet). In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of air above the measurement point. As elevation increases, there is less overlying atmospheric mass, so that atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing elevation. Pressure measures force per unit area, with SI units of pascals (1 Pa = 1 N/m2). On average, a column of air one square centimetre [cm2] (0.16 sq in) in cross-section, measured from sea level to the top of the Earth's atmosphere, has a mass of about 1.03 kilograms (2.3 lb) and weight of about 10.1 newtons (2.3 lbf). That weight (across one square centimeter) is a pressure of 10.1 N/cm2 or 101 kN/m2 (kPa). A column 1 square inch (6.5 cm2) in cross-section would have a weight of about 14.7 lb (6.7 kg) or about 65.4 N.

Atmospheric pressure is caused by the gravitational attraction of the planet on the atmospheric gases above the surface, and is a function of the mass of the planet, the radius of the surface, and the amount of gas and its vertical distribution in the atmosphere. It is modified by the planetary rotation and local effects such as wind velocity, density variations due to temperature and variations in composition.

The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as 101325 Pa (1.01325 bar), equivalent to 760 mmHg (torr), 29.92 inHg and 14.696 psi.


...
Wikipedia

...