High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The term above mean sea level (AMSL) refers to the elevation (on the ground) or altitude (in the air) of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio (both in broadcasting and other telecommunications uses) by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach. It is also used in aviation, where all heights are recorded and reported with respect to AMSL (though also see flight level), and in the atmospheric sciences.