Barometer Corrections

Although electronic and computerized barometers have all but eliminated the margin of
error for atmospheric pressure calculations, such machines are often expensive and
unwieldy. Yet the alternatives, the mercurial and aneroid barometers, are frequently
biased by environmental conditions and even by the physical properties of mercury itself
(especially its capillarity). Tiny errors can creep into the measurements and calculations,
often resulting in an inaccuracy that renders the value measurement useless. To guard
against this, the following tables are presented as an aid to barometer corrections.
For the average person, these tables will simply represent more work that is probably not
necessary for the task at hand (the weather hobbyist, science fair project, etc.) However,
for the engineer who requires the utmost accuracy in calculations, these tables will be an
invaluable aid.
Note: In general, aneroid barometers are not satisfactory for accurate measurements. If
one must be used, it should be compensated for temperature and frequently calibrated
against a standard mercurial barometer as the slightest jar can cause substantial errors.
Instructions for Use

Tables II, III, and IV apply to mercurial barometers.

Table IV applies to aneroid barometers.

Table I applies to small-bore, single-tube mercury columns. U-tubes and

manometers, in which both legs have roughly the same size of bore, and largebore, single-tube columns do not require capillarity correction.

The temperature corrections from Table II apply to any mercury column when
brass scales calibrated in inches at 62F and a density factor for mercury based on
32F are used.

Tables III and V apply to all mercury columns in which a density factor based on
45 latitude and sea level altitude is used. These corrections are small and are
usually ignored or are taken into account by using a density factor based on the
latitude and altitude of the datum point.

Example of Use
Assume a barometer reading of 20.013" Hg at 70F, 1000 ft altitude, 45 latitude, and 30
ft above the datum plane for which a reading is desired.
Barometer reading:
Latitude correction (table III)
Altitude correction (table V)
Elevation correcton (table IV) (.3 x .102)

29.013" Hg
-.048"
-.002"
+.031"

Temperature correction (table II)

Corrected barometer reading

-.019"
28.885" hg

Table I
Correction of Small Bore Single-tube Mercury Columns for Capillarity
Height of meniscus--inches
I D tube inches

.01

.02

.03

.04

.05

.06

.07

.08

Correction to be added to hg column reading--inches

.15

.024 .047 .069 .092 .116

.20

.011 .022 .033 .045 .059 .078

.25

.006 .012 .019 .028 .037 .047 .059

.30

.004 .008 .013 .018 .023 .029 .035

.042

.40

.004 .006 .008 .010 .012 .014

.016

.50

.002 .004 .005 .006 .006

.007

Table II
Correction for Relative Expansion of Mercury and Brass Scale to 32F Standard

Observed reading of the barometer, in inches

Temp
hg
col

25 25.5 26 26.5 27 27.5 28 28.5 29 29.5 30 30.5 31.0

40

.026 .026 .027 .027 .028 .028 .029 .029 .030 .030 .031 .031 .032

42

.030 .031 .032 .032 .033 .033 .034 .035 .035 .036 .036 .037 .038

44

.035 .036 .036 .037 .038 .038 .039 .040 .040 .041 .041 .042 .043

46

.039 .040 .041 .042 .043 .043 .044 .045 .046 .046 .047 .048 .049

48

.044 .045 .046 .047 .047 .048 .049 .050 .051 .052 .053 .054 .054

50

.048 .048 .050 .051 .052 .053 .054 .055 .056 .057 .058 .059 .060

52

.053 .054 .055 .056 .057 .058 .059 .060 .061 .062 .064 .065 .066

54

.057 .059 .060 .061 .062 .063 .064 .066 .067 .068 .069 .070 .071

56

.062 .063 .064 .066 .067 .068 .069 .071 .072 .073 .074 .076 .077

58

.066 .068 .069 .070 .072 .073 .074 .076 .077 .078 .080 .081 .082

60

.071 .072 .074 .075 .077 .078 .080 .081 .082 .084 .085 .087 .088

62

.076 .077 .079 .080 .082 .083 .085 .086 .088 .089 .091 .092 .094

64

.080 .082 .083 .085 .086 .088 .090 .091 .093 .095 .096 .098 .099

66

.085 .086 .088 .090 .091 .093 .095 .096 .098 .100 .101 .103 .105

Correction to be subtracted from observed reading

68

.089 .091 .093 .094 .096 .098 .100 .102 .103 .105 .107 .109 .110

70

.094 .095 .097 .099 .101 .103 .105 .107 .109 .110 .112 .114 .116

71

.096 .098 .100 .102 .103 .105 .107 .109 .111 .113 .115 .117 .119

72

.098 .100 .102 .104 .106 .108 .110 .112 .114 .116 .118 .120 .122

73

.100 .102 .104 .106 .108 .110 .112 .115 .116 .118 .120 .122 .124

74

.103 .105 .107 .109 .111 .113 .115 .117 .119 .121 .123 .125 .127

75

.105 .107 .109 .111 .113 .115 .117 .119 .122 .124 .126 .128 .130

76

.107 .109 .111 .113 .116 .118 .120 .122 .124 .126 .128 .131 .133

77

.109 .112 .114 .116 .118 .120 .122 .125 .127 .129 .131 .133 .136

78

.112 .114 .116 .118 .120 .123 .125 .127 .129 .132 .134 .136 .138

79

.114 .116 .118 .121 .123 .125 .127 .130 .132 .134 .137 .139 .141

80

.116 .118 .121 .123 .125 .128 .130 .132 .135 .137 .139 .142 .144

81

.118 .121 .123 .125 .128 .130 .132 .135 .137 .140 .142 .144 .147

82

.121 .123 .125 .128 .130 .133 .135 .137 .140 .142 .145 .147 .149

83

.123 .125 .128 .130 .133 .135 .138 .140 .142 .145 .147 .150 .152

84

.125 .128 .130 .133 .135 .138 .140 .143 .145 .148 .150 .153 .155

85

.127 .130 .132 .135 .137 .140 .143 .145 .148 .150 .153 .155 .158

86

.130 .132 .135 .137 .140 .142 .145 .148 .150 .153 .155 .158 .161

87

.132 .134 .137 .140 .142 .145 .148 .150 .153 .155 .158 .161 .163

88

.134 .137 .139 .142 .145 .147 .150 .153 .155 .158 .161 .163 .166

89

.136 .139 .142 .144 .147 .150 .153 .155 .158 .161 .164 .166 .169

90

.138 .141 .144 .147 .150 .152 .155 .158 .161 .163 .166 .169 .172

92

.143 .146 .149 .152 .154 .157 .160 .163 .166 .169 .172 .174 .177

94

.147 .150 .153 .156 .159 .162 .165 .168 .171 .174 .177 .180 .183

96

.152 .155 .158 .161 .164 .167 .170 .173 .176 179 .182 .185 .188

98

.156 .160 .163 .166 .169 .172 .175 .178 .181 .185 .188 .191 .194

100

.161 .164 .167 .171 .174 .177 .180 .183 .187 .190 .193 .196 .200

Table III
Correction of Mercurial Barometer for Latitude in Inches Hg to Reduce to 45
Latitude
To be added to barometer readings for latitudes above 45, or subtracted from barometer
readings for latitudes below 45.
Reading of the barometer, in inches
Latitude

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

90 0.047 0.049 0.052 0.054 0.057 0.060 0.062 0.065 0.067 0.070 0.073 0.075 0.078

85

.046

.048

.051

.054

.056

.059

.061

.064

.066

.069

.071

.074

.077

84

.046

.048

.051

.053

.056

.058

.061

.063

.066

.068

.071

.073

.076

83

.045

.048

.050

.053

.055

.058

.060

.063

.065

.068

.071

.073

.075

82

.045

.047

.050

.052

.055

.057

.060

.062

.065

.067

.070

.072

.075

81

.044

.047

.049

.052

.054

.057

.059

.062

.064

.067

.069

.071

.074

10

80

.044

.046

.049

.051

.054

.056

.058

.061

.063

.066

.068

.071

.073

11

79

.043

.046

.048

.050

.053

.055

.058

.060

.062

.065

.067

.070

.072

12

78

.043

.045

.047

.050

.052

.054

.057

.059

.062

.064

.066

.069

.071

13

77

.042

.044

.047

.049

.051

.054

.056

.058

.061

.063

.065

.068

.070

14

76

.041

.043

.046

.048

.050

.053

.055

.057

.059

.062

.064

.066

.069

15

75

.040

.043

.045

.047

.049

.052

.054

.056

.058

.061

.063

.065

.067

16

74

.040

.042

.044

.046

.048

.051

.053

.055

.057

.059

.061

.064

066

17

73

.039

.041

.043

.045

.047

.049

.052

.054

.056

.058

.060

.062

.064

18

72

.038

.040

.042

.044

.046

.048

.050

.052

.054

.057

.059

.061

.063

19

71

.037

.039

.041

.043

.045

.047

.049

.051

.053

.055

.057

.059

.061

20

70

.036

.038

.040

.042

.044

.046

.048

.050

.052

.054

.056

.058

.060

21

69

.035

.037

.038

.040

.042

.044

.046

.048

.050

.052

.054

.056

.058

22

68

.034

.035

.037

.039

.041

.043

.045

.047

.048

.050

.052

.054

.056

23

67

.032

.034

.036

.038

.040

.041

.043

.045

.047

.049

.050

.052

.054

24

66

.031

.033

.035

.036

.038

.040

.042

.043

.045

.047

.049

.050

.052

25

65

.030

.032

.033

.035

.037

.038

.040

.042

.043

.045

.047

.048

.050

64

.029

.030

.032

.033

.035

.037

.038

.040

.041

.043

.045

.046

.048

63

.027

.029

.030

.032

.033

.035

.037

.038

.040

.041

.043

.044

.046

28

62

.026

.028

.029

.030

.032

.033

.035

.036

.038

.039

.041

.042

.043

29

61

.025

.026

.027

.029

.030

.032

.033

.034

.036

.037

.038

.040

.041

30

60

.023

.025

.026

.027

.028

.030

.031

.032

.034

.035

.036

.038

.039

31

59

.022

.023

.024

.026

.027

.028

.029

.030

.032

.033

.034

.035

.036

32

58

.020

.022

.023

.024

.025

.026

.027

.028

.030

.031

.032

.033

.034

33

57

.019

.020

.021

.022

.023

.024

.025

.026

.027

.028

.029

.031

.032

34

56

.017

.018

.019

.020

.021

.022

.023

.024

.025

.026

.027

.028

.029

35

55

.016

.017

.018

.019

.019

.020

.021

.022

.023

.024

.025

.026

.027

36

54

.014

.015

.016

.017

.018

.018

.019

.020

.021

.022

.022

.023

.024

37

53

.013

.014

.014

.015

.016

.016

.017

.018

.019

.019

.020

.021

.021

26
27

38

52

.011

.012

.013

.013

.014

.014

.015

.016

.016

.017

.018

.018

.019

39

51

.010

.010

.011

.011

.012

.012

.013

.013

.014

.015

.015

.016

.016

40

50

.008

.009

.009

.009

.010

.010

.011

.011

.012

.012

.013

.013

.013

41

49

.006

.007

.007

.008

.008

.008

.009

.009

.009

.010

.010

.010

.011

42

48

.005

.005

.005

.006

.006

.006

.006

.007

.007

.007

.008

.008

.008

43

47

.003

.003

.004

.004

.004

.004

.004

.005

.005

.005

.005

.005

.005

44

46

.002

.002

.002

.002

.002

.002

.002

.002

.002

.002

.003

.003

.003

45

45

.000

.000

.000

.000

.000

.000

.000

.000

.000

.000

.000

.000

.000

Table IV
Correction for Elevation in Inches Hg per 100 Foot Difference in Elevation
To be added to barometer readings when above the datum plane or subtracted from
barometer readings when below the datum plane.
Altitude
ft

Temperature, F
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

.122 .119 .117 .114 .112 .110 .108 .106 .104 .102

1000

.118 .115 .113 .110 .108 .106 .104 .102 .100 .098

2000

.113 .110 .108 .106 .104 .102 .100 .098 .096 .094

3000

.108 .106 .104 .102 .100 .098 .096 .094 .092 .090

4000

.104 .102 .100 .098 .096 .094 .092 .090 .088 .086

5000

.100 .098 .096 .094 .092 .090 .088 .086 .084 .082

6000

.096 .094 .092 .090 .088 .086 .084 .082 .081 .080

7000

.093 .091 .089 .087 .085 .084 .082 .080 .079 .078

Table V
Correction of Mercurial Barometer for Altitude in Inches Hg
To be subtracted from barometer reading
Reading of barometer, inches

Altitude
ft

25

26

.000 .000 .000 .000 .000

500

.001 .001 .001 .001 .001

1000

.002 .002 .002 .002 .002

1500

27

28

29

30

.002 .002 .003 .003 .003

31

2000

.003 .003 .003 .003 .004

2500

.004 .004 .004 .004 .004

3000

.004 .005 .005 .005 .005

3500

.005 .005 .006 .006

4000

.006 .006 .006 .007

4500

.007 .007 .007

5000

.007 .008 .008

5500

.008 .009

6000

.009 .009

6500

.010

7000`

.010