Topic: Super Typhoon Tip (1979): Erroneous Record?

[Buford T. Justice]

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/1000/lowest-barometric-pressure

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Tip

I was doing some research and something dawned on me.  1 bar was equal to the average sea level pressure which is 101,325 Pascals (Pa) so 1000 mb use to equal 1013.25 hPa meaning 1 mb use to equal 1.01325 hPa.

Then in 1982, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry raised the value of the bar so it is equal to 100,000 Pa making 1000 mb = 1000 hPa so mb and hPa are perfectly equal to each other.  At average sea level pressure, 101,325 Pa = 1013.25 mb = 1013.25 hPa.

I did a search for news articles on Google Books with a date range of 1979-1982:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Super+Typhoon+Tip+Pressure&hl=en&safe=off&biw=1440&bih=756&sa=X&ei=XZAGUfWBGoTkmAX4u4CQBQ&ved=0CCUQpwUoBA&source=lnt&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A1979%2Ccd_max%3A1981&tbm=bks

I found a couple saying it was 870 mb in that date range.  So since it was recorded at that during the old mb value, wouldn't the record be higher?

Assuming my math is right:

870 mb * 1.01325 hPa

= 881.5275 hPa

= 881.53 hPa (rounded to the hundredth)

881.53 mb = 881.53 hPa

Therefore Typhoon Tip's lowest barometric pressure record is 881.53 hPa (hPa now being preferred over mb) correct?

[Buford T. Justice]

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/1/highest-barometric-pressure-

The highest ever recorded barometric pressure of 1083.8 mb happened on 12/31/1968 at Agata Lake, Siberia, Russia.  This record is often erroneously reported as being 1083.3 mb when in fact it was 1083.8 mb (32.00 inHg) as seen in the link below.

Click here to read periodicals from shortly after the record was made reporting it was 1083.8 mb.

It would also be higher as it probably used the old mb value:

1083.8 mb * 1.01325 hPa

= 1098.16035 hPa

= 1098.16 hPa (rounded to the hundredth)

1098.16 mb = 1098.16 hPa

Therefore Agata Lake's highest barometric pressure record is 1098.16 hPa correct?

[Weather Display]

I dont think that is correct way of looking at it
i.e the original mb was correct
i.e hpa was made the same as mb
so no adjustment was needd or made to mb
?

[Buford T. Justice]

I dont think that is correct way of looking at it
i.e the original mb was correct
i.e hpa was made the same as mb
so no adjustment was needd or made to mb
?

http://goldbook.iupac.org/S05921.html

"In 1982 IUPAC recommended the value [100000] Pa, but prior to 1982 the value 101 325 Pa (= 1 atm) was usually used."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal_%28unit%29#Hectopascal_and_millibar_units

"Consequently, the bar was redefined as 100,000 pascals, which is only slightly lower than standard air pressure on Earth."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_%28unit%29

"The bar is a non-SI unit of pressure, defined by the IUPAC as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa.  It is about equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level, and since 1982 the IUPAC has recommended that the standard for atmospheric pressure should be harmonized to 100,000 Pa = 1 bar ≈ 750.0616827 Torr."

[Buford T. Justice]

I was wrong.  Sometimes using Wikipedia as a reference can mess people up as it did for me.

The IUPAC only RECOMMENDED the AVERAGE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE be changed from 101,325 Pascals to 100,000 Pascals.

The IUPAC is not the international organization for weather.  The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is the international organization which deals with weather.

1 mb = 1 hPa.

Typhoon Tip's 870 mb record is now 870 hPa.

Agata Lake's 1083.8 mb record is now 1083.8 hPa.

This article was especially helpful:

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Pressure?topic=49557

Here is a Google Book link to a periodical published in 1920 showing 1000 mb = 29.53 inHg:

http://books.google.com/books?id=xnUPAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA54&dq=millibar+conversion&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VPEQUf2MJcHdswbt-oGoAw&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=millibar%20conversion&f=false

Since millibars and hectopascals are perfectly equal to each other, inHg can be calculated by multiplying either mb or hPa by 0.02953.

[Weather Display]

I thought so