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Glite Dictionary
geopotential

geopotential

1 9.9
The energy a small object has because of gravity at a height above Earth
  • noun
  • /ˌdʒiːəʊpəˈtɛnʃəl/
  • Specialized
: geopotencial
  • The southwestern region gets increased 500 hPa heights during the warm phase, while the southeast experiences decreased geopotential heights, leading to increased precipitation.
  • geopotential height

Examples

  • The geopotential height measures the elevation of an air pressure surface.

  • The southwestern region gets increased 500 hPa heights during the warm phase, while the southeast experiences decreased geopotential heights, leading to increased precipitation.

  • Meteorologists often look to a metric known as geopotential height to gauge the intensity or unusualness of a heat dome like this.

Surface Forms

geopotential singular
geopotentials plural

Morphology

geopotential = potential (semi-transparent) = geo + potential

The structure is clear as geo- + potential, but the full meteorological and geophysical sense is technical rather than immediately obvious to a basic learner.

Etymology

The word geopotential combines geo- meaning 'earth', as in geography, and potential meaning 'stored energy'. So, geopotential is the 'stored energy' at a place in Earth's gravity, and that is why meteorologists use it to understand the height of atmospheric layers and how air moves.