scale height

A measure of the decrease of atmospheric pressure with height; when the atmospheric temperature is constant with height, the pressure varies exponentially with height, and the scale height is the height interval over which the pressure changes by a factor of 1/e. Also known as e-folding height.

Related terms:

• height-change line
• height-change chart
• height pattern
• constant-height chart
• e-folding height
• cyclonic scale
• Wentworth scale
• Linke scale
• Richter Magnitude Scale
• geopotential height