Baroclinic
The term baroclinic descriptive of an an atmosphere (Earth's atmosphere) or ocean in which surfaces of pressure and density intersect at some level or levels. The state of the real atmosphere and ocean, as opposed to barotropic. In a baroclinically stratified fluid total potential energy can be converted to kinetic energy. The noun form of this phenomenon is termed baroclinity.
Baroclinic flow, in oceanography, is the vertically varying circulation associated with horizontal inhomogeneities in the stratification of the oceans.
Baroclinicity vector
The baroclinicity vector is a quantity that can be derived from the vorticity equation and expressed as:
where ρ is the density and p the pressure. This equation indicates a tendency to generate vorticity whenever density surfaces are inclined to pressure surfaces.
See Also
- Barotropic
- Earth's atmosphere
| This article is written at a definitional level only. Authors wishing to expand this entry are inivited to expand the present treatment, which additions will be peer reviewed prior to publication of any expansion. |
Further Reading
- Marshall, J., and R.A. Plumb. 2007. Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics. Academic Press,
- Holton, J. R., 1992: An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology, 3d edition, Academic Press, p. 77.
- Charney, J. G. 1947. The dynamics of long waves in a baroclinic westerly current. J. Meteor., 4, 135-162
- Physical Oceanography Index
