What is Normal Atmospheric Pressure?
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Atmospheric pressure is inversely proportional to altitude: the higher up you go, the smaller the column of air pushing down on you is, thus the lower the atmospheric pressure. Thus in general the average atmospheric pressure for your living area can be determined based on your distance from sea level. [9] Atmospheric pressure is not a completely stable thing however, as Figure 1 shows. As the wind shifts, it changes the density of the column of air above you causing the atmospheric pressure to change as well. As the temperature and the amount of water vapor in the air change, due to the heating of the atmosphere caused by the sun, the pressure changes in any given column of air. This change in pressure causes the wind to blow, which causes pressure systems to move. [9] |
 Figure 1 Atmospheric Pressure [3] (red indicates high pressure, blue low pressure) |