altura

Altura, in Spanish and Portuguese, denotes a vertical dimension: height, elevation, or distance above a reference level. In everyday language it refers to how tall something is. In geography and cartography, altura commonly describes the elevation of a landform or location above mean sea level. In aviation and meteorology, altura or altitude is the height of an aircraft or atmospheric layer relative to a defined datum, often sea level or the ground.

Etymology: from Latin altus via Romance languages, with the -ura noun suffix; cognate with the English height and the French hauteur.

Measurement and references: heights are expressed in meters or feet. Elevation above sea level uses mean sea level as the reference; GPS-derived height can be ellipsoidal. Tools include GNSS receivers, altimeters, and LiDAR.

Applications: altura data are used in topographic mapping, civil engineering, aviation, mountaineering, and urban planning. Height information supports structural design, weather modeling, and navigation. In some jurisdictions, building codes impose a maximum altura to regulate skylines and daylight access.

Limitations and distinctions: height and altitude are related concepts but are used differently in fields such as geology, aviation, and surveying. Elevation typically refers to the vertical position of a point on the terrain relative to sea level, while altitude can refer to height above a reference plane in air or space contexts.

See also: Height, Elevation, Altitude, Geodetic datum. Altura can also appear as a proper noun in geographic or cultural names within Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking regions.