Rossby number
E621609
The Rossby number is a dimensionless quantity in fluid dynamics and meteorology that compares inertial to Coriolis forces, indicating the importance of Earth's rotation in large-scale atmospheric and oceanic flows.
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
dimensionless quantity
ⓘ
nondimensional number ⓘ physical quantity ⓘ |
| appliesTo |
geostrophic flows
ⓘ
large-scale atmospheric flows ⓘ large-scale oceanic flows ⓘ planetary-scale circulation ⓘ synoptic-scale weather systems ⓘ turbulent flows on a rotating planet ⓘ |
| category |
atmospheric dynamics concepts
ⓘ
dimensionless numbers of fluid mechanics ⓘ |
| CoriolisParameterDefinition | f = 2 Ω sin(φ) ⓘ |
| dependsOn |
latitude φ
ⓘ
planetary rotation rate Ω ⓘ |
| describes | relative importance of inertial forces to Coriolis forces ⓘ |
| dimensionless | true ⓘ |
| field |
fluid dynamics
ⓘ
geophysical fluid dynamics ⓘ meteorology ⓘ oceanography ⓘ |
| hasParameter |
Coriolis parameter f
ⓘ
characteristic length scale L ⓘ characteristic velocity U ⓘ |
| indicates | importance of planetary rotation in a flow ⓘ |
| interpretation |
Ro ≈ 1 implies comparable inertial and Coriolis effects
ⓘ
Ro ≪ 1 implies strong rotational control and near-geostrophic flow ⓘ Ro ≫ 1 implies rotation is dynamically unimportant ⓘ |
| namedAfter | Carl-Gustaf Rossby NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
Burger number
ⓘ
Coriolis force ⓘ Ekman number NERFINISHED ⓘ Froude number ⓘ Reynolds number ⓘ Rossby waves NERFINISHED ⓘ geostrophic balance ⓘ inertial force ⓘ |
| scaleAssociation | large Rossby number corresponds to small horizontal scales ⓘ |
| scaleAssociation | small Rossby number corresponds to large horizontal scales ⓘ |
| symbol | Ro ⓘ |
| typicalFormula | Ro = U / (f L) ⓘ |
| typicalValueRange | from much less than 1 to much greater than 1 depending on scale ⓘ |
| usedIn |
atmospheric dynamics
ⓘ
climate modeling ⓘ ocean circulation modeling ⓘ rotating tank experiments ⓘ weather forecasting ⓘ |
| usedToAssess |
importance of Coriolis terms in momentum equations
ⓘ
validity of geostrophic approximation ⓘ |
| usedToClassify | flow regimes in rotating fluids ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.