Abstract: The sounding balloons released from Korla, Maoming, Guangdong and Lhasa, Tibet, have been used to measure the profiles of temperature, air pressure and wind velocity and the refractive index structure constants of the atmosphere.Based on the optical turbulence parameterization of Tatarski theory and the above-mentioned areas sounding data, the atmospheric optical turbulence profiles in three regions, Korla, Xinjiang the coast of Maoming, Guangdong and Lhasa, Tibet, are estimated by using Thorpe scale.Estimated results are compared with measured profiles in these three regions.The estimated values and the measured values are in good agreement with each other in the order of magnitude and the trend of change, and the correlation are69%, 60%, 68%, respectively.In addition, compared with other parameterized methods for estimating turbulence profiles, the Thorpe scale is simple and has less input parameters.