<p>In a barometer, you have a tube submerged in a fluid, with a vacuum at the top. If air pressure is low, the fluid can drain out of the tube, letting you read how much lower the air pressure is than some reference value. So, the height of the fluid in the tube goes down as air pressure goes down.</p>

<p>The "inverted barometer" is, in my opinion, much easier to understand.  Over the oceans, high pressure systems push down on the water, lowering sea surface heights a bit. Here, sea surface height goes down as air pressure goes up.  So, it's inverted from a barometer.  But it's really just saying "If I push on something, it'll move" :-p</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-05T01:22:34.417Z
2015-07-05T01:22:34.417Z
Jareth Holt
<p>The inverted barometer (IB) is a static (isostatic) response of the oceans to atmospheric pressure. The basic equation is
IB = -(change in pressure) / [(seawater density)*(acceleration due to gravity)] </p>

<p>Its an inverse relation i.e. with increase in pressure the sea level goes down and vice versa. In simple terms, 1 mbar decrease in atmospheric pressure with result in 1 cm increase in sea level.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-26T13:33:37.367Z
2015-07-26T13:33:37.367Z
Nirupam Dey
<p>In a related question (<a href="https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/4555/does-bathymetry-affect-ocean-topography-height">Does bathymetry affect ocean topography/height?</a>), the effect of atmospheric pressure on sea level is described as "inverted barometer". What does it mean? How does it get measured?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-12T23:19:54.070Z
Please can someone help me do an inverse barometer correction on tide gauge data
i need an explanation if possible an example. Thanks.
Ifeyinwa Oyiboka
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-13T02:53:00.510Z
https://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Inverted_barometer_effect
arkaia
<ocean><sea-level><barometric-pressure>
What is the inverted barometer effect?
arkaia
# What is the inverted barometer effect?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-05)

In a related question ([Does bathymetry affect ocean topography/height?](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/4555/does-bathymetry-affect-ocean-topography-height)), the effect of atmospheric pressure on sea level is described as "inverted barometer". What does it mean? How does it get measured?

**Tags:** ocean, sea-level, barometric-pressure

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Please can someone help me do an inverse barometer correction on tide gauge data i need an explanation if possible an example. Thanks.  
> **username_0**: https://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Inverted_barometer_effect  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-07-05. Score: 9

In a barometer, you have a tube submerged in a fluid, with a vacuum at the top. If air pressure is low, the fluid can drain out of the tube, letting you read how much lower the air pressure is than some reference value. So, the height of the fluid in the tube goes down as air pressure goes down.

The "inverted barometer" is, in my opinion, much easier to understand. Over the oceans, high pressure systems push down on the water, lowering sea surface heights a bit. Here, sea surface height goes down as air pressure goes up. So, it's inverted from a barometer. But it's really just saying "If I push on something, it'll move" :-p


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### Answer by username_3 on 2015-07-26. Score: 4

The inverted barometer (IB) is a static (isostatic) response of the oceans to atmospheric pressure. The basic equation is
IB = -(change in pressure) / [(seawater density)\*(acceleration due to gravity)]

Its an inverse relation i.e. with increase in pressure the sea level goes down and vice versa. In simple terms, 1 mbar decrease in atmospheric pressure with result in 1 cm increase in sea level.


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