Geostrophic balance

As geostrophy is known in physics and meteorology Coriolis force and the balance between pressure gradient force. Often this equilibrium is referred to as horizontal geostrophic balance. The resulting wind of a geostrophic equilibrium is called the geostrophic wind. The geostrophy is a simplification, one may assume that a system is free of friction. In the case of the ocean this is approximately inside, between the turbulent boundary layers on the sea floor and the sea surface and in the case of Earth's atmosphere to regions above the planetary boundary layer. The geostrophy is the stationary final state of geostrophic adjustment initially properties under non- geostrophic equilibrium pressure and flow fields.

Equations

In equations, the geostrophy is as follows:

With the Coriolis force

And the pressure gradient force

Example

Considering the geostrophic wind, we obtain from the above equations by transforming the speed of the wind.

Except in meteorology this wind formula is also used in air navigation, see Single Heading Flight.

Another Example

Geostrophe wind speed in m / sec

The so-called Coriolis parameter is. This is derived from the angular velocity of the earth and from the latitude

Density of air, about

Pressure difference between two points in Pascal

Distance between these two points in meters