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Geology & Earth Sciences vocabulary · Weather & Climate

Atmospheric pressure

Meaning in geology & earth sciences, with examples

nounCommon term

In geology & earth sciences, atmospheric pressure means: The pressure caused by the weight of the air above a surface. At sea level it averages about 1013 hectopascals, and it falls as you go higher.

In Turkish: atmosfer basıncı, hava basıncı

How it is used

Also called air pressure or barometric pressure; measured with a barometer in hectopascals (hPa) or millibars. Forecasters talk about high pressure, which usually brings settled weather, and low pressure, which brings cloud and rain.

Example sentences

  1. Atmospheric pressure falls as you climb a mountain.

  2. A rapid drop in atmospheric pressure usually means a storm is coming.

Common collocations

  • high pressure
  • low pressure
  • air pressure
  • barometric pressure
  • sea-level pressure
  • atmosphereThe layer of gases surrounding the Earth, held in place by gravity. It is mostly nitrogen and oxygen, and weather happens in its lowest layer, the troposphere.
  • weatherThe state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time, such as temperature, wind, cloud, humidity and precipitation over hours or days.
  • frontThe boundary between two air masses with different temperature and humidity. When a cold or warm front passes, it often brings cloud, rain and a change in wind.
  • humidityThe amount of water vapour in the air, usually given as relative humidity: the percentage of the maximum amount the air can hold at that temperature.

More terms: Weather & Climate

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