Hydrostatic Equation

The Hydrostatic Change in Pressure calculator computes the change in pressure based on the density of air, change in height and acceleration due to gravity.

INSTRUCTIONS: Choose units and enter the following:

• (rho) Density of Air.
• (dH) Change in Height

Change in Pressure (ΔP): The change in pressure is returned in pascals.  However, this can be automatically converted to compatible units via the pull-down menu.

The Math / Science

The hydrostatic equation is one of the most important and most basic equations in meteorology. Understanding the equation makes it easier to physically interpret analysis and thickness charts. The equation is:

dP/dz = - density*gravity