U.S. Standard Atmosphere

Extracted from U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and tte U.S. Air Force, Washington, 1976. Z = geometric altitude, T = temperature, P = pressure, g = acceleration of gravity, M = molecular weight, a = velocity of sound, i = viscosity, k = thermal conductivity, X = mean free path, p = density, and H = geopotential altitude. The notation 1.79.—5 signifies 1.79 X 10 . ... 

Tyson, R.K., 1997, Principles of Adaptive Optics, 2nd Edition, Academic Press U.S. Standard Atmosphere, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, N.A.S.A. and U.S.A.P., Washington, 91, 1976... 

Figure 1. Temperature and density profile according to the U. S. Standard Atmosphere (1962) and the IUGG nomenclature...

Data from the Flandbook of Environmental Chemistry (1986), U.S. Standard Atmosphere NOAA/NASA/U.S. (1976), and Walker (1977). 

U.S. Standard Atmosphere (1976) NOAA, NASA, U.S. Air Force. NOAA-SFR 76-1562,... 

Fig. 13.2 Atmospheric pressure variations as a function of altitude. (From the U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1962.) Correction factors on the right axis serve to convert values at sea level (Fig. 13.1) to solubility values at desired altitude (dividing by the factor) or to normalize data at a given altitude to the corresponding value at 0 masl (multiplying by the factor). The last conversion is needed to read intake (recharge) temperatures from Fig. 13.1, which is for sea level (i.e., 760mmHg) (Mazor, 1975).

Temperature profiles have been measured for many years throughout the troposphere and are well summarized (41,243,244). The representative profiles for various seasons and latitudes in Table I are taken from the U.S. Standard Atmosphere Supplements (1966). 

U. S, Standard Atmosphere Supplements, 1962, Govt. Printing Office, Washington, D.C. (1962). 

The temperature obtained here is for the tangential height of 21 km and agrees with that of the U.S. Standard Atmospheric Supplements, 1966, as compiled in the "Handbook of Geophysics and Space Environments". This means, that this altitude, the 02( g) molecules are in thermal equilibrium with ground state N2 molecules the collisional deactivation is faster than activation of oxygen photochemical processes (12). Thus, we were able to confirm that the present spectrometer measures the effective spectrum necessary to determine rotational temperatures with a satisfactory accuracy. The rotational temperatures of the O2 ( F ) molecule, at other altitudes were similarly obtained, the final report will be presented elsewhere (13). 

Fig. 1-5. Vertical temperature structure of the atmosphere. The solid curve represents the U.S. Standard Atmosphere, and the horizontal bars indicate the range of monthly means observed between equator and north pole. [Adapted from U.S. Standard Atmosphere (1976).]...

The U.S. Standard Atmosphere (Table A.8) gives mean conditions at 45°N latitude. From Figure 1.2 we note that the change of temperature with altitude varies with latitude. Throughout this book we will need the variation of atmospheric properties as a function of altitude. For this we will generally use the U.S. Standard Atmosphere. 

FIGURE 1.3 U.S. Standard Atmosphere temperature and saturation water vapor mixing ratio at 45°N and at the equator. 

We will have frequent occasion to require stratospheric temperature and number concentration as a function of altitude. Approximate global values based on the U.S. Standard Atmosphere are given in Table 5.1. The number concentration of air is... 

The U.S. Standard Atmosphere (1976) is an idealized, steady-state representation of mean annual conditions of the Earth s atmosphere from the surface to 1000 km at latitude 45° N, as it is assumed to exist during a period with moderate solar activity. The defining meteorological elements are sea-level temperature and pressure and a temperature-height profile to 1000 km. The 1976 Standard Atmosphere uses the following sea-level values that have been standard for many decades ... 

The parameters included in this condensed version of the U.S. Standard Atmosphere are ... 

FIGURE 1. Temperature-height profile for U.S. Standard Atmosphere. FIGURE 3. Mean molecular weight as a function of geometric altitude. 

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