sigma_to_pressure

metpy.calc.sigma_to_pressure(sigma, psfc, ptop)

Calculate pressure from sigma values.

Parameters:

• sigma (ndarray) – The sigma levels to be converted to pressure levels.
• psfc (pint.Quantity) – The surface pressure value.
• ptop (pint.Quantity) – The pressure value at the top of the model domain.

Returns:

pint.Quantity – The pressure values at the given sigma levels.

Notes

Sigma definition adapted from [Philips1957].

\[p = \sigma * (p_{sfc} - p_{top}) + p_{top}\]

• \(p\) is pressure at a given sigma level
• \(\sigma\) is non-dimensional, scaled pressure
• \(p_{sfc}\) is pressure at the surface or model floor
• \(p_{top}\) is pressure at the top of the model domain