Altitude

where airliners typically cruise to reduce fuel consumption. The blue layer is the ozone layer, fading further to the mesosphere. The term altitude has several distinct meanings, so it is necessary to specify which is being used unless it is obvious from the context. In aviation altitude is usually measured using a barometric altimeter set to use either the local sea level pressure or the standard sea level pressure as the basis for zero altitude. GPS and radio altimeters are also used, especially close to the ground during landings. Barometric altitudes displayed to pilots are only approximate since the pressure variations in the atmosphere vary with location and time and the altitude shown is directly related only to the pressure, but they are a particularly useful standard for separating the paths of aircraft. There are several types of altitude in aviation: • Indicated altitude is the reading on the altimeter when it is set to the local barometric pressure at mean sea level. In UK aviation radiotelephony usage, the vertical distance of a level, a point or an object considered as a point, measured from mean sea level; this is referred to over the radio as altitude.(see QNH) • Absolute altitude is the vertical distance of the aircraft above the terrain over which it is flying. It can be measured using a radar altimeter (or "absolute altimeter"). Also referred to as "radar height" or feet/metres above ground level (AGL). • True altitude is the actual elevation above mean sea level. It is indicated altitude corrected for non-standard temperature and pressure. • Height is the vertical distance above a reference point, commonly the terrain elevation. In UK aviation radiotelephony usage, the vertical distance of a level, a point or an object considered as a point, measured from a specified datum; this is referred to over the radio as height, where the specified datum is the airfield elevation (see QFE) • Pressure altitude is the elevation above a standard datum air-pressure plane (typically, 1013.25 millibars or 29.92" Hg). Pressure altitude is used to indicate "flight level" which is the standard for altitude reporting in the U.S. in Class A airspace (above roughly 18,000 feet). Pressure altitude and indicated altitude are the same when the altimeter setting is 29.92" Hg or 1013.25 millibars. • Density altitude is the altitude corrected for non-ISA International Standard Atmosphere atmospheric conditions. Aircraft performance depends on density altitude, which is affected by barometric pressure, humidity and temperature. On a very hot day, density altitude at an airport (especially one at a high elevation) may be so high as to preclude takeoff, particularly for helicopters or a heavily loaded aircraft. These types of altitude can be explained more simply as various ways of measuring the altitude: • Indicated altitude – the altitude shown on the altimeter. • Absolute altitude – altitude in terms of the distance above the ground directly below • True altitude – altitude in terms of elevation above sea level • Height – vertical distance above a certain point • Pressure altitude – the air pressure in terms of altitude in the International Standard Atmosphere • Density altitude – the density of the air in terms of altitude in the International Standard Atmosphere in the air ==Satellite orbits==

Atmospheric layers The Earth's atmosphere is divided into several altitude regions. These regions start and finish at varying heights depending on season and distance from the poles. The altitudes stated below are averages: • Troposphere: surface to at the poles, at the Equator, ending at the Tropopause • Stratosphere: Troposphere to • Mesosphere: Stratosphere to • Thermosphere: Mesosphere to • Exosphere: Thermosphere to The Kármán line, at an altitude of above sea level, by convention defines represents the demarcation between the atmosphere and space. The thermosphere and exosphere (along with the higher parts of the mesosphere) are regions of the atmosphere that are conventionally defined as space. High altitude and low pressure Regions on the Earth's surface (or in its atmosphere) that are high above mean sea level are referred to as high altitude. High altitude is sometimes defined to begin at above sea level. Temperature profile The temperature profile of the atmosphere is a result of an interaction between radiation and convection. Sunlight in the visible spectrum hits the ground and heats it. The ground then heats the air at the surface. If radiation were the only way to transfer heat from the ground to space, the greenhouse effect of gases in the atmosphere would keep the ground at roughly , and the temperature would decay exponentially with height. However, when air is hot, it tends to expand, which lowers its density. Thus, hot air tends to rise and transfer heat upward. This is the process of convection. Convection comes to equilibrium when a parcel of air at a given altitude has the same density as its surroundings. Air is a poor conductor of heat, so a parcel of air will rise and fall without exchanging heat. This is known as an adiabatic process, which has a characteristic pressure-temperature curve. As the pressure gets lower, the temperature decreases. The rate of decrease of temperature with elevation is known as the adiabatic lapse rate, which is approximately 9.8 °C per kilometer (or per 1000 feet) of altitude. As an average, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defines an international standard atmosphere (ISA) with a temperature lapse rate of 6.49 °C per kilometer (3.56 °F per 1,000 feet). The actual lapse rate can vary by altitude and by location. Finally, only the troposphere (up to approximately of altitude) in the Earth's atmosphere undergoes notable convection; in the stratosphere, there is little vertical convection. == Humans ==

Medicine recognizes that altitudes above start to affect humans, and there is no record of humans living at extreme altitudes above for more than two years. As the altitude increases, atmospheric pressure decreases, which affects humans by reducing the partial pressure of oxygen. The lack of oxygen above can cause serious illnesses such as altitude sickness, high altitude pulmonary edema, and high altitude cerebral edema. The higher the altitude, the more likely are serious effects. It can take days or weeks to adapt to high altitude. However, above , (in the "death zone"), altitude acclimatization becomes impossible. There is a significantly lower overall mortality rate for permanent residents at higher altitudes. Additionally, there is a dose response relationship between increasing elevation and decreasing obesity prevalence in the United States. In addition, the recent hypothesis suggests that high altitude could be protective against Alzheimer's disease via action of erythropoietin, a hormone released by kidney in response to hypoxia. However, people living at higher elevations have a statistically significant higher rate of suicide. The cause for the increased suicide risk is unknown so far. For endurance events (races of 5,000 metres or more) the predominant effect is the reduction in oxygen which generally reduces the athlete's performance at high altitude. Sports organizations acknowledge the effects of altitude on performance: the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), for example, marks record performances achieved at an altitude greater than with the letter "A". Athletes also can take advantage of altitude acclimatization to increase their performance. The same changes that help the body cope with high altitude increase performance back at sea level. These changes are the basis of altitude training which forms an integral part of the training of athletes in a number of endurance sports including track and field, distance running, triathlon, cycling and swimming. == Other organisms ==

Decreased oxygen availability and decreased temperature make life at high altitude challenging. Despite these environmental conditions, many species have been successfully adapted at high altitudes. Animals have developed physiological adaptations to enhance oxygen uptake and delivery to tissues which can be used to sustain metabolism. The strategies used by animals to adapt to high altitude depend on their morphology and phylogeny. For example, small mammals face the challenge of maintaining body heat in cold temperatures, due to their small volume to surface area ratio. As oxygen is used as a source of metabolic heat production, the hypobaric hypoxia at high altitudes is problematic. There is also a general trend of smaller body sizes and lower species richness at high altitudes, likely due to lower oxygen partial pressures. These factors may decrease productivity in high altitude habitats, meaning there will be less energy available for consumption, growth, and activity. However, some species, such as birds, thrive at high altitude. Birds thrive because of physiological features that are advantageous for high-altitude flight. ==See also==