A standard atmosphere is a profile of temperature, pressure and density against height fixed by convention: dry air of constant molar mass, an ideal gas in hydrostatic balance, with given values at sea level and a temperature that varies linearly with height in successive layers. The 1976 standard atmosphere takes and at sea level, , and .
| Layer | Base (km) | (K/km) | at base (K) | at base (hPa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (troposphere) | 0 | 288.15 | 1013.25 | |
| 2 (stratosphere) | 11 | 0.0 | 216.65 | 226.32 |
| 3 (stratosphere) | 20 | 216.65 | 54.75 | |
| 4 (stratosphere) | 32 | 228.65 | 8.68 |