References
Bibliography and related standards for the ISO Standard Atmosphere models.
About the Standard Atmosphere
The International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) is a static, deterministic model that defines temperature, pressure, density, and viscosity as functions of altitude. It is not a forecast or an average — it is a fixed reference used for:
- Aircraft performance — ISA conditions define baseline aircraft performance metrics (e.g. service ceiling, takeoff distance).
- Altimeter calibration — Pressure altimeters are calibrated to ISA pressure values. The difference between ISA and actual temperature determines altimeter error.
- Scientific research — A common baseline enables reproducible comparison of experimental results across locations and times.
- Industrial applications — HVAC, chemical processing, and aerospace manufacturing use ISA conditions as design references.
The ISA assumes dry air as a perfect gas, a constant gravitational acceleration, and a fixed atmospheric composition. These simplifications make the model deterministic and reproducible, but mean it does not represent any specific real-world location or weather condition. For observed conditions, see ISO 5878.
Standards Family
Several international standards define atmosphere models that are related to or derived from the ISO Standard Atmosphere.
| Standard | Altitude Range | Relationship to ISO 2533 |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 2533:1975 | -2 km to 32 km | Foundation document |
| ISO 2533:2026 | -5 km to 80 km | Modern revision |
| ICAO Doc 7488/3 | -2 km to 80 km | Extends ISA to 80 km |
| US Std Atm 1976 | -2 km to 1,000 km | Identical to 32 km |
| WMO | -2 km to 32 km | Identical to ISA |
| ISO/DIS 5878 | 0 to 25 km | Companion: observed conditions by latitude |
Bibliography
ISO 2533:2026 (forthcoming)
2026International Organization for Standardization
Second edition of Standard Atmosphere. Cancels and replaces ISO 2533:1975 and incorporates Addendum 1, Addendum 2, and errata. Covers -5 km to 80 km, includes hypsometrical tables in hPa, and recalculates all values using modern computational methods with improved accuracy.
ISO 2533:1975
1975International Organization for Standardization
First edition of Standard Atmosphere. Identical with the ICAO and WMO Standard Atmospheres from -2 km to 32 km, extended to 80 km using atmospheric research data. Specifies temperature, pressure, density, and other thermodynamic properties as functions of geometric and geopotential altitude.
ISO 2533:1975/Add 1:1985
1985International Organization for Standardization
Addendum 1: Hypsometrical tables. Relates geopotential altitude to atmospheric pressure for calibration of aneroid and manometer-type instruments. Covers pressure in hPa (0.01 hPa intervals) and mmHg (0.01 mmHg intervals), plus altitude-to-pressure lookup tables.
ISO 2533:1975/Add 2:1997
1997International Organization for Standardization
Addendum 2: Extension to -5,000 m and standard atmosphere as a function of altitude in feet. Extends the lower altitude range from -2,000 m to -5,000 m, and provides atmosphere tables in 200 ft and 500 ft steps from -16,500 ft to 262,500 ft.
ICAO Doc 7488/3
1993International Civil Aviation Organization
Manual of the ICAO Standard Atmosphere — extended to 80 kilometres (262,500 feet). Provides the same model as ISO 2533 for the lower atmosphere but extends definitions to higher altitudes.
U.S. Standard Atmosphere 1976
1976NOAA, NASA, USAF
The U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976. Joint publication by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and United States Air Force.
WMO — Guide to Meteorological Instruments and Methods of Observation (WMO-No. 49)
2018World Meteorological Organization
The WMO Guide references the Standard Atmosphere for calibration and standardization of meteorological instruments.
Smithsonian Meteorological Tables
1951/1968Smithsonian Institution
Compiled by Robert J. List. Historical reference containing standard atmosphere tables and extensive meteorological data.
SI Brochure (9th Edition)
2019Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM)
The International System of Units (SI). Defines all base units (metre, kilogram, second, kelvin, mole) used in the Standard Atmosphere.
ISO/DIS 5878
2025International Organization for Standardization
Reference atmospheres for aerospace use. Provides temperature, pressure, density, wind, and humidity profiles for five latitude zones (15° to 80°N) in seasonal models (January and July). Incorporates previous addenda on wind characteristics and humidity. Includes machine-readable XML electronic inserts.
ISO 5878:1982
1982International Organization for Standardization
First edition of reference atmospheres for aerospace use. Defines temperature, pressure, and density profiles by latitude zone and season from sea level to 25 km geopotential altitude.
ISO 5878:1982/Add 1:1983
1983International Organization for Standardization
Wind supplement to ISO 5878. Provides zonal and meridional wind component data, scalar mean speeds, and percentile values for four latitude bands, modeled using the circular normal (Rice) distribution.
ISO 5878:1982/Add 2:1983
1983International Organization for Standardization
Humidity supplement to ISO 5878. Provides water vapor pressure and mixing ratio profiles for the same latitude zones and seasonal models.
UnitsML
2011UnitsML Group
Units Markup Language. An XML vocabulary for encoding scientific units of measure.
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