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What Is Altitude In Geography

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What Is The Difference Between Elevation Relief And Altitude

What is an Altitude? | Don’t Memorise

The elevation of an object is its height above sea level. Sometimes elevation and altitude are using interchangeable, however, altitude is the vertical distance between an object and the earths surface.

So if for example, a plane was flying over a mountain range, the planes altitude would be the verticle distance from the plane to the surface of the mountain range whereas the elevation of the plane would be the height of the plane above sea level.

Relief is the difference in height elevation between geographic features. We could for example use relief to describe the elevation, direction, and angle of slope of a mountain range. We could also simply say that relief is the opposite of flatness.

Distribution Of Airports By Altitude

Like the worlds population distribution, most commercial airports are located at lower altitudes. More than a third of airports are sited at altitudes of less than 100 feet , and three-quarters are sited at less than 1,000 feet . Aircraft taking off at higher altitudes require a longer runway due to lower air density.

Samuel Johnson’s Dictionaryrate This Definition:

  • Altitudenoun

    1. Height of place space measured upward.

    Ten masts attachd make not the altitude,Which thou hast perpendicularly falln.William Shakespeare, King Lear.

    Some define the perpendicular altitude of the highest mountains to be four miles others but fifteen furlongs.Brown.

    She shines above, we know, but in what place,How near the throne, and heavns imperial face,By our weak opticks is but vainly guessd Distance and altitude conceal the rest.Dryden.

    2. The elevation of any of the heavenly bodies above the horizon.

    Even unto the latitude of fifty-two, the efficacy thereof is not much considerable, whether we consider its ascent, meridian, altitude, or abode above the horizon.Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.

    Has not a poet more virtues and vices within his circle, cannot he observe them and their influences in their several situations, in their oppositions and conjunctions, in their altitudes and depressions?Thomas Rymer, Tragedies of last Age.

    3. Situation with regard to lower things.

    Those members which are pairs, stand by one another in equal altitude, and answer on each side one to another.John Ray.

    4. Height of excellence superiority.

    Your altitude offends the eyesOf those who want the power to rise.The world, a willing stander-by,Inclines to aid a specious lye.Jonathan Swift.

    5. Height of degree highest point.

    He did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue.William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

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    High Altitude And Low Pressure

    Regions on the Earth‘s surface that are high above mean sea level are referred to as high altitude. High altitude is sometimes defined to begin at 2,400 meters above sea level.

    At high altitude, atmospheric pressure is lower than that at sea level. This is due to two competing physical effects: gravity, which causes the air to be as close as possible to the ground and the heat content of the air, which causes the molecules to bounce off each other and expand.

    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 333 K , and the temperature would decay exponentially with height.

    Finally, note that only the troposphere of altitude) in the Earth’s atmosphere undergoes notable convection in the stratosphere, there is little vertical convection.

    High Altitude And Low Air Pressure

    Weather and Climate

    Regions on the surface of the Earth or in its atmosphere that are high above mean sea level are said to be high altitude. High altitude is often said to begin at 2,400 metres above sea level.

    At high altitude, atmospheric pressure is lower than that at sea level. This is because of two effects. These effects are gravity and the heat in the air. Gravity makes the air to be as close as possible to the ground. The amount of heat in the air makes the molecules move quickly and push against each other. This makes the air expand. So most of the air will be in the lower atmosphere, closer to sea level, and all the air pushing against each other is called air pressure. So air pressure is less the higher you go.

    As the air expands from heat, it rises to where the air pressure is less. As it rises, it can expand and it begins to cool. Because of this, high altitude air is cold. This causes an alpine climate. This climate affects the ecology at high altitude.

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    Which Country Has Lowest Elevation

    The MaldivesThe Maldives made up of a chain of nearly 1 200 mostly uninhabited islands in the Indian Ocean is the lowest country in the world. Not one of its coral islands is more than six feet above sea level making the country vulnerable to a rise in sea level associated with climate change.Feb 7 2014

    How Does Altitude Influence The Climate

    Altitude, as we said before, has a direct influence on temperature and pressure, and therefore on the climate as well. Thus, it is possible to establish a series of thermal floors as we ascend in the altitude of a specific relief : “floors” because, like the floors of an elevator, they follow each other as one ascends.

    In the intertropical regions of the globe, for example, for every 1.8 meters of altitude the temperature will drop by 1 ° C with respect to that of sea level.

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    How Do You Explain Elevation

    An elevation is a rise or the raising of something. Mountains have an elevation based on how high they are and your mood has an elevation as you get happier. Elevation is a noun that tells how high something is raised above a surface or ground line. Its also a term for measuring things like temperatures or degrees.

    What Is The Distance Per Degree Of Longitude

    What is Altitude?

    The distance per degree of longitude at the Equator is about 111.32 km and at the poles, 0.

    latitude and longitude, coordinate system by means of which the position or location of any place on Earths surface can be determined and described.

    Latitude is a measurement on a globe or map of location north or south of the Equator. Technically, there are different kinds of latitudegeocentric, astronomical, and geographic but there are only minor differences between them. In most common references, geocentric latitude is implied. Given in degrees, minutes, and seconds, geocentric latitude is the arc subtended by an angle at Earths centre and measured in a north-south plane poleward from the Equator. Thus, a point at 30°1520 N subtends an angle of 30°1520at the centre of the globe similarly, the arc between the Equator and either geographic pole is 90° , and thus the greatest possible latitudes are 90° N and 90° S. As aids to indicate different latitudinal positions on maps or globes, equidistant circles are plotted and drawn parallel to the Equator and each other they are known as parallels, or parallels of latitude.

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    What Is Elevation Of Property

    However in real estate the term ground elevation is usually used to find out the height of a structure starting from the ground. For example the architectural drawing of a house features exterior elevation which suggests dimensions for exterior walls the way they are faced and materials used. Apr 08 2020 08:42:46.

    Regions In The Atmosphere

    The Earth’s atmosphere is divided into several regions, based on altitude. The regions have different temperatures and winds and what things are in it. The regions are:

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    Military Dictionary And Gazetteerrate This Definition:

  • altitude

    Height, or distance from the ground, measured upwards, and may be both accessible and inaccessible. Altitude of a shot or shell, is the perpendicular height of the vortex of the curve in which it moves above the horizon. Altitude of the eye, in perspective is a right line let fall from the eye, perpendicular to the geometrical plane.

  • True Versus Absolute Altitude

    Biosphere and Altitude

    In aviation, there are five types of altitude. Two of the types are true altitude and absolute altitude.

    As with the geography term altitude, true altitude is the altitude the airplane above mean sea level. True altitude is expressed as the distance above mean sea level .

    Absolute altitude is the distance between the airplane and the height of the ground below the airplane. Absolute altitude is expressed as the distance above ground level .

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    History And Etymology For Altitude

    Middle English, “height, angular height of a celestial body above the horizon,” borrowed from Latin altitdin-, altitd“height, high position, downward extension, depth,” from altus“extending upward, tall, high, extending downward, deep” + -i--i- + -tdin-, -td-tude altus going back to dialectal Indo-European *al-to- , of uncertain origin

    Note: Traditionally equated with Germanic *ala-“old,” and further to a verbal base *al-“nourish” , on the assumption that the verbal adjective *al-to-“fully grown, nourished” leads to both “old” and “high.” However, both the Latin and Celtic etyma refer primarily or exclusively to points situated above the ground, not human or animal growth, so such a connection is questionable.

    Altitude Above Sea Level

    Altitude is measured in comparison to sea level, since it is always straight and what is below is submerged. However, there is no uniform sea height across the globe , and each country uses a certain sea level as a convention to measure its altitudes. But this difference in levels is so tiny that it is almost negligible.

    The problem of the level of the sea is that with the passage of time has changed. As global warming melts the poles and adds more water , the sea level rises by millimeters. On the other hand, the sea is affected by tides, as well as by tectonic movements that generate coasts of emersion and submergence .

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    Altitude In Aviation And In Spaceflight

    In aviation, the altitude can be measured and shown in several different ways. The height is either from the average sea level , or from the ground .

    Airplanes can find their altitude by using air pressure. The air gets thinner the higher it is . This pressure can be measured and this can be converted into a height above sea level. The instrument for measuring altitude is the altimeter . The common pressure altimeter is a type of barometer with a dial showing distance instead of atmospheric pressure.

    There are several types of aviation altitude.

    In simple terms, these types of altitude can be explained as ways of measuring the altitude:

    The density of the air also affects how well an aircraft works. Density altitude is affected by barometric pressure, humidity and temperature. On a very hot day, density altitude at an airport may be so high that aircraft can not take-off. This most often affects helicopters or an aircraft that is carrying a large amount of cargo.

    Examples Of Altitude In A Sentence

    Altitude. The Geographers Dictionary.

    altitudesaltitudealtitudealtitudePEOPLE.comaltitude NBC Newsaltitude USA TODAYaltitude Ars Technicaaltitude alaltitude CNNaltitude Washington Postaltitude BostonGlobe.com

    These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘altitude.’ Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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    Dictionary Of Nautical Termsrate This Definition:

  • altitude

    The elevation of any of the heavenly bodies above the plane ofthe horizon, or its angular distance from the horizon, measured in thedirection of a great circle passing through the zenith. Also the thirddimension of a body, considered with regard to its elevation above theground.–Apparent altitude is that which appears by sensibleobservations made on the surface of the globe.–Altitude of the pole.The arc of the meridian between the pole of the heavens and the horizonof any place, and therefore equal to its geographical latitude.–Altitudeof the cone of the earth’s and moon’s shadow, is the height of the oneor the other during an eclipse, and is measured from the centre of thebody.–Altitude of a shot or shell. The perpendicular height of thevertex of the curve in which it moves above the horizon.–Meridianaltitude. The arc of the meridian,–or greater or less altitude,measured from the horizon, of a celestial object in its passage over themeridian, above or below the pole, of the place of the observer. InPolar regions two such transits of the sun, and in England similarly,circumpolar stars afford double observations for the determination oftime or latitude. The general term is understood by seamen to denotemid-day, when the passage and meridian altitude of the sun affords thelatitude.–True altitude is that produced by correcting the apparentone for parallax and refraction.

  • Altitude Facts For Kids

    Altitude means height above the ground or above the sea level. Common uses include aviation , and geography/surveying. In geometry it is also used as the height of the object itself. Generally, altitude is the distance one thing is above another thing. This is in the vertical or “up” direction. For the height of the ground , the word elevation is also used and might be a better choice. . Buildings and other things on the ground usually just use the word height.

    Vertical distance measurements in the “down” direction are commonly referred to as depth.

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    Difference Between Altitude And Elevation

    May 31, 2012

    Altitude vs Elevation

    Altitude and elevation are two concepts widely used in day to day lives. These two terms are usually interchangeable but are preferred in different places. Altitude is the height of an object above the mean sea level while elevation is the height of a place above mean sea level. The concepts of altitude and elevation are very important in understanding fields such as aviation, geography, geology, oceanography, navigation and even military applications. In this article, we are going to discuss what altitude and elevation are, their application, in which fields the terms altitude and elevation are used, the similarities between altitude and elevation, the definitions of altitude and elevation, and finally the difference between altitude and elevation.

    Elevation

    Elevation is a common word that can be seen in many places. City and town detail boards, railway stations, airports, railway lines, bus stands are some of the places that elevation is displayed. Elevation is defined as the height measured from a fixed reference point. This reference point is the mean sea level according to the mathematical model of the earth as an equally distributed mass.

    Elevation is also known as the geometric height. Elevation is used to refer points placed on the surface of the earth. Heights of places such as railway stations, cities, and towns are referred as the elevation of those places. Elevation is a very important property discussed in geography.

    Altitude

    What Are Latitudes Class 8

    Altitude Adaptation

    Latitude is the distance measurement to the north or south of the Equator. It is determined by 180 imaginary lines forming circles east-west around the Earth parallel to the Equator. Such lines are referred to as parallels. An imaginary ring connecting all points sharing a parallel is a circle of latitude.

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    Choose The Right Synonym For Altitude

    height, altitude, elevation mean vertical distance either between the top and bottom of something or between a base and something above it. height refers to something measured vertically whether high or low. a wall two meters in heightaltitude and elevation apply to height as measured by angular measurement or atmospheric pressure altitude is preferable when referring to vertical distance above the surface of the earth or above sea level elevation is used especially in reference to vertical height on land. fly at an altitude of 10,000 meters Denver is a city with a high elevation

    Effects Of High Altitude On Humans

    Altitudes above 1,500 metres start to affect humans. Humans cannot live in very high altitudes above 5,500â6,000 metres . Atmospheric pressure decreases at high altitudes. This affects humans because there is less oxygen to breathe. This can cause illnesses such as altitude sickness, high altitude pulmonary edema , and high altitude cerebral edema .

    The human body can deal with high altitude by breathing faster, having a higher heart rate, and changing the blood itself to have more red blood cells that can carry oxygen. This can take days or weeks to happen. This works for people who live in the high mountains, and mountain climbers. For climbers, this is called acclimatization. Pilots and other people who go quickly to high altitudes need to be in a space suit, pressure suit, or inside a pressurized airplane, so the air is still the same as at the ground. Above 8,000 metres , the human body cannot make the needed changes and will eventually die. Several of the world’s tallest mountains are this high, the climbers usually take oxygen tanks with them, and only stay for a few hours at the highest levels.

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