Description
Compare supplied upper- and lower-level pressures.
Atmospheric values depend on pressure order, vertical datums, moisture definitions and reference conditions. Specific humidity uses moist-air mass as its denominator, whereas mixing ratio uses dry-air mass. A pressure-order flag differs from a temperature inversion, and a logarithmic-pressure weight can represent extrapolation.
Compare supplied upper- and lower-level pressures.
When to use this tool
Use Radiosonde Pressure Inversion Pair when you already have lowerLevelPressure, upperLevelPressure and need to compare supplied upper- and lower-level pressures.
How to use the tool and how it works
- Enter lowerLevelPressure, upperLevelPressure. Use the units and conventions below.
- Run the tool. Correct any format, range, or cross-field input error before interpreting the output.
- Read pressureChange, inversion. Inspect inversion before interpreting the associated values.
Require both pressures positive; return upper-lower and inversion=true strictly when upper>lower.1
| Input field | Meaning and units | Accepted input |
|---|---|---|
| lowerLevelPressure | Lower Level Pressure | Required. Finite number; strictly above 0. |
| upperLevelPressure | Upper Level Pressure | Required. Finite number; strictly above 0. |
| Output field | Interpretation | Returned shape |
|---|---|---|
| pressureChange | Pressure Change | Required. Finite number. |
| inversion | Inversion | Required. Boolean. |
{
"input": {
"lowerLevelPressure": 900,
"upperLevelPressure": 920
},
"output": {
"pressureChange": 20,
"inversion": true
}
}Limitations and assumptions
- Equality is not inversion. This is a supplied pressure-order flag, not a temperature inversion, altitude retrieval or sensor-quality diagnosis.
- Inputs must satisfy both the field types and the cross-field conditions above. Invalid input causes an error; a successful false flag or documented placeholder is a different result.
- Numeric calculations use binary floating point unless exact decimal-integer arithmetic is explicitly stated. No hidden measurement tolerance or decimal rounding is added; nonfinite or out-of-contract results are rejected. Numeric signed-zero results are exported as zero.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use calibrated profile and station data with the complete atmospheric model. Preserve datum, humidity and pressure conventions and assess uncertainty before interpreting local terms as an observed layer, state or forecast.
References
Similar or alternative tools
- Pressure Level Log Interpolation Weight
Calculate a supplied logarithmic-pressure interpolation coordinate.
- Boundary Layer Height Datum Offset
Subtract a supplied ground-height datum from a layer height.