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Everything about Geopotential height

Type of altitude above mean sea level

Geopotential height, also known as geopotential altitude or geopotential elevation, is a vertical coordinate representing the work involved in lifting one unit of mass over one unit of length through a hypothetical space in which the acceleration of gravity is assumed constant. Geopotential heights are referenced to Earth's mean sea level, taking its best-fitting equigeopotential as a reference surface or vertical datum. In SI units, a geopotential height difference of one meter implies the vertical transport of a parcel of one kilogram; adopting the standard gravity value, it corresponds to a constant work or potential energy difference of 9.80665 joules. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: Geopotential heightA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: Persistent Positive Anomalies in Geopotential Heights Promote Wildfires in Western North AmericaInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: Artifacts introduced in the point evaluation of functions expanded into a degree 360 spherical harmonic seriesThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: The Arctic oscillation signature in the wintertime geopotential height and temperature fieldsCited 3,487 times
  5. Go sideways: Barometric formulaA closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: Reference atmospheric modelA closely related topic

📖 Definitions

Noun The work that must be done at a given altitude in raising a unit mass from sea level to that altitude against the earth's gravitational field.

🗂️ The subject at a glance

  1. Definition
  2. Role in planetary fluids
  3. Usage

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

📚 Books worth reading

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