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Height, altitude and vertical extent

(Section 2.2.1.1)
  • Height: Vertical distance from the point of observation on the Earth’s surface to the point being measured.
  • Altitude: Vertical distance from mean sea level to the point being measured. 
  • Height/Altitude of cloud base: For surface observations, height of the cloud base above ground level; for aircraft observations, altitude of the cloud base above mean sea level. 
  • Vertical extent: Vertical distance from a cloud’s base to its top.

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