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🚀 Mars rover project 🌊 Mean sea level 🧑‍🔬 A science liaison 💻 Network time limit
MSL

MSL

1 4.5
The average level of the sea used to measure land and plane height
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : nivel medio del mar
  • Pilots need to know the altitude of their aircraft in relation to MSL for safe navigation.
  • feet above MSL

Examples

  • I will only believe that you believe in this crap, Chris, if you tell me that you bought some land in Florida at 23 ft MSL elevation, or whatever Al Gore prophesizes.

    Blog text (2)

  • Here in NE Oregon, we at 3000 ft. MSL haven't had much snow yet, but it has been cold and dry.

    Blog text (14)

  • At my place, about that time, it was 42 (near 1000 ft above MSL, about 8 miles from the ocean).

    Blog text (9)

  • The article does not discuss how, above 8,000 feet MSL or so, it would probably be necessary to pressurize the floors of the structure.

    Blog text (8)

  • Alameda NAS was officially at 14', which is 4200 mm above MSL.

    Blog text (1)

  • At the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Control Point 8 (CP8) in La Crosse, the water level reached a maximum of 642.08 ft above MSL.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The construction of the new building is planned at 1500 feet MSL to ensure suitable drainage.

  • The geographic survey indicated that the mountain summit is 12000 feet MSL, making it the highest point in the area.

Synonyms

sea level
vsMSL
73 1.8

The average height of the sea surface used to measure land height and sea depth

is the abbreviated technical form often used for aircraft altitude

Surface Forms

MSL singular
MSLs plural

Etymology

MSL stands for Mean Sea Level, the 'average level of the sea' used as the common base for measuring height. Maps and altimeters give heights 'above MSL', so using MSL makes different places easy to compare.