STORM2K

How low does the pressure have to be when your ears begin to pop?

Hm, I don't know exactly, but it would be somewhat equivalent to the air pressure that you would experience at one kilometer or so above standard ground level. I know that at nearly (450) meters, your ears feel slightly uncomfortable, as I experienced on the CN Tower. Sorry, but I don't know how to convert that in to millibars.
But the only weather phenomenon that I know of with enough low pressure to cause human-ears to pop would be a tornado. Consequently, the more stationary you are within a tornado, the lower the pressure will be around you, as when air moves through a vacuum, its displacement is relatively the same within it, meaning very little instability in the pressure; when you're stationary, the air moves away from you faster. Is this true, though, as I've only thought of this about a minute ago! But I have heard stories of people feeling their lungs burn from the low pressure.

I know going up the ridge nearby (where Skyline Drive is if anyone is familiar with the area) will make my ears pop a couple of times. I believe the top is slightly under 3000ft ASL, with the base of the ridge at about 500ft. I can also have sensative ears sometimes, so that might not be a typical occurance.

It really depends on how quick you ascend. The faster you do the more likely they will pop. 500 ft difference in a few seconds can do it.

Tstormwatcher wrote:It really depends on how quick you ascend. The faster you do the more likely they will pop. 500 ft difference in a few seconds can do it.

So true. I have that ear popping inside the elevator of the Empire State Building.