Barometer - Altitude Compensation
Due to decreased/increased air pressure with increased/decreased altitude the reading of barometric pressures at other elevations than sea level must be compensated.
Add compensation values to the barometric readings from the table below:
| Altitude | Compensation Value (add to scale) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| feet | meters | inches Hg | mm Hg | psia | kg/cm2 | kPa | hPa | mBar |
| -1000 | -305 | -1.1 | -28 | -0.5 | -0.04 | -4 | -37 | -37 |
| -800 | -244 | -0.9 | -22 | -0.4 | -0.03 | -3 | -30 | -30 |
| -600 | -183 | -0.7 | -17 | -0.3 | -0.02 | -2 | -22 | -22 |
| -400 | -122 | -0.4 | -11 | -0.2 | -0.02 | -1 | -15 | -15 |
| -200 | -61 | -0.2 | -6 | -0.1 | -0.01 | -1 | -7 | -7 |
| 0 (sea level) |
0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 200 | 61 | 0.2 | 6 | 0.1 | 0.01 | 1 | 7 | 7 |
| 400 | 122 | 0.4 | 11 | 0.2 | 0.015 | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| 600 | 183 | 0.6 | 16 | 0.3 | 0.022 | 2 | 22 | 22 |
| 800 | 244 | 0.9 | 22 | 0.4 | 0.030 | 3 | 29 | 29 |
| 1000 | 305 | 1.1 | 27 | 0.5 | 0.037 | 4 | 36 | 36 |
| 1200 | 366 | 1.3 | 33 | 0.6 | 0.044 | 4 | 43 | 43 |
| 1400 | 427 | 1.5 | 38 | 0.7 | 0.051 | 5 | 50 | 50 |
| 1600 | 488 | 1.7 | 43 | 0.8 | 0.058 | 6 | 57 | 57 |
| 1800 | 549 | 1.9 | 48 | 0.9 | 0.065 | 6 | 64 | 64 |
| 2000 | 610 | 2.1 | 54 | 1.0 | 0.073 | 7 | 71 | 71 |
| 2200 | 671 | 2.3 | 59 | 1.1 | 0.080 | 8 | 78 | 78 |
| 2400 | 732 | 2.5 | 64 | 1.2 | 0.087 | 8 | 85 | 85 |
| 2600 | 792 | 2.7 | 69 | 1.3 | 0.093 | 9 | 92 | 92 |
| 2800 | 853 | 2.9 | 74 | 1.4 | 0.100 | 10 | 98 | 98 |
| 3000 | 914 | 3.1 | 79 | 1.5 | 0.107 | 11 | 105 | 105 |
| 3200 | 975 | 3.3 | 84 | 1.62 | 0.114 | 11 | 112 | 112 |
| 3400 | 1036 | 3.5 | 89 | 1.72 | 0.121 | 12 | 118 | 118 |
| 3600 | 1097 | 3.7 | 94 | 1.81 | 0.128 | 13 | 125 | 125 |
| 3800 | 1158 | 3.89 | 99 | 1.91 | 0.134 | 13 | 132 | 132 |
| 4000 | 1219 | 4.08 | 104 | 2.00 | 0.141 | 14 | 138 | 138 |
| 4200 | 1280 | 4.27 | 109 | 2.10 | 0.148 | 14 | 145 | 145 |
| 4400 | 1341 | 4.46 | 114 | 2.19 | 0.154 | 15 | 151 | 151 |
| 4600 | 1402 | 4.65 | 118.9 | 2.28 | 0.161 | 16 | 157 | 157 |
| 4800 | 1463 | 4.84 | 123.7 | 2.38 | 0.167 | 16 | 164 | 164 |
| 5000 | 1524 | 5.03 | 128.5 | 2.47 | 0.174 | 17 | 170 | 170 |
| 5200 | 1585 | 5.21 | 133.2 | 2.56 | 0.180 | 18 | 176 | 176 |
| 5400 | 1646 | 5.40 | 138.0 | 2.65 | 0.186 | 18 | 183 | 183 |
| 5600 | 1707 | 5.58 | 142.6 | 2.74 | 0.193 | 19 | 189 | 189 |
| 5800 | 1768 | 5.76 | 147.3 | 2.83 | 0.199 | 20 | 195 | 195 |
| 6000 | 1829 | 5.94 | 151.9 | 2.92 | 0.205 | 20 | 201 | 201 |
| 6200 | 1890 | 6.12 | 156.6 | 3.01 | 0.212 | 21 | 207 | 207 |
| 6400 | 1951 | 6.30 | 161.1 | 3.09 | 0.218 | 21 | 213 | 213 |
| 6600 | 2012 | 6.48 | 165.7 | 3.18 | 0.224 | 22 | 219 | 219 |
| 6800 | 2073 | 6.66 | 170.2 | 3.27 | 0.230 | 23 | 225 | 225 |
| 7000 | 2134 | 6.83 | 174.7 | 3.36 | 0.236 | 23 | 231 | 231 |
| 7200 | 2195 | 7.01 | 179.2 | 3.44 | 0.242 | 24 | 237 | 237 |
| 7400 | 2256 | 7.18 | 183.6 | 3.53 | 0.248 | 24 | 243 | 243 |
| 7600 | 2316 | 7.35 | 188.0 | 3.61 | 0.254 | 25 | 249 | 249 |
| 7800 | 2377 | 7.53 | 192.4 | 3.70 | 0.260 | 25 | 255 | 255 |
| 8000 | 2438 | 7.70 | 196.8 | 3.78 | 0.266 | 26 | 261 | 261 |
| 8200 | 2499 | 7.87 | 201.1 | 3.86 | 0.272 | 27 | 266 | 266 |
| 8400 | 2560 | 8.03 | 205.4 | 3.94 | 0.278 | 27 | 272 | 272 |
| 8600 | 2621 | 8.20 | 209.7 | 4.03 | 0.283 | 28 | 278 | 278 |
| 8800 | 2682 | 8.37 | 213.9 | 4.11 | 0.289 | 28 | 283 | 283 |
| 9000 | 2743 | 8.53 | 218.2 | 4.19 | 0.295 | 29 | 289 | 289 |
| 9200 | 2804 | 8.70 | 222.4 | 4.27 | 0.300 | 29 | 295 | 295 |
| 9400 | 2865 | 8.86 | 226.5 | 4.35 | 0.306 | 30 | 300 | 300 |
| 9600 | 2926 | 9.02 | 230.7 | 4.43 | 0.312 | 31 | 306 | 306 |
| 9800 | 2987 | 9.18 | 234.8 | 4.51 | 0.317 | 31 | 311 | 311 |
| 10000 | 3048 | 9.34 | 238.9 | 4.59 | 0.323 | 32 | 316 | 316 |
Example - Barometer reading on the top of Ben Nevis mountain, Scotland
Ben Nevis in Scotland is 1344 m high. A barometer at this elevation must be added approximately 151 mBar to compensate for the difference in pressure from sea level.
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