Construct · 1 fields · 1 citations

geostrophic balance: a standalone construct

One name. One construct. A landmark on the map.

● anchor · a single construct in one field Nearest construct by meaning·not indexed
geostrophicbalance1 CONSTRUCTGeostrophic balanceHOLTON · BALANCE

A single standalone construct; nearby constructs are located against it in the Collider. Tap a field for its definition, unit, and measures.

Meteorology

Wind blows along the isobars, not across them

Geostrophic balance is the near-equilibrium, in large-scale flow away from the surface, between the horizontal pressure-gradient force and the Coriolis force, with the result that the wind blows nearly parallel to the isobars rather than straight from high to low pressure. Holton and Hakim's An introduction to dynamic meteorology presents this balance as the leading-order approximation for midlatitude synoptic winds, defining the geostrophic wind set by the pressure gradient and the Coriolis parameter. The referent is an idealised balanced wind used to read flow off a pressure map, exact only in the limit of slow, large-scale, frictionless motion.[1]

Unit
The balanced wind speed set by the pressure gradient and the Coriolis parameter
Recovery means
Not applicable
Measured by
Computed from the horizontal pressure (or geopotential) gradient divided by the Coriolis parameter, directed parallel to the isobars

Next

Run it through the Collider, or take the citations with you.

See how geostrophic balance sits against neighbouring constructs in the Collider, or export every reference on this page in one click.

Open in ColliderExport BibTeXReport this entry

Nearby constructs

Coriolis effect3 fields · 3 citationsinvariant · one force, three rotating systemsbalance4 fields · 5 citationsjingle · one word, four constructsflow6 names · 12 citationsjangle · five names, one experience, partly

References

  1. Holton, J. R., & Hakim, G. J. (2012). An introduction to dynamic meteorology (5th ed.). Academic Press. ISBN 9780123848666

Cited on this page?

Confirm your construct, or correct us.

If your work is cited behind one of these entries, you know better than we do whether we captured the meaning right. Confirm it, suggest an edit, or dispute it, and your name goes on the entry as an author who has checked it, linked to your ORCID.

Claim your construct