Geopotential Height

up:: 034 MOC Atmospheric Physics

Given a Geopotential $\Phi$, the geopotential height is defined as

$$Z(z):=\frac{\Phi (z)}{g_0}={\int }_0^z\frac{g}{g_0}dz$$

where $g_0$ is the gravitational field at $z=0$, the usual $9.81\frac{m}{s}$.

When $g\approx g_0$, one has $Z(z)\approx z$, differing from it when $g\ne g_0$, i.e. at higher altitudes.

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References

• WALLACE, John Michael; HOBBS, Peter Victor. Atmospheric science: an introductory survey. 2nd ed ed. Amsterdam Paris: Academic press, 2006.