Rossbywellen

RossbyWellen, or Rossby waves, are large-scale waves in rotating fluids such as Earth's atmosphere and oceans. They arise from the conservation of potential vorticity and from the latitudinal variation of the Coriolis parameter (the beta effect). In a rotating sphere, disturbances tend to tilt and propagate, forming wave patterns that can transport momentum and energy across vast distances.

In the atmosphere, RossbyWellen are a major feature of mid- and high-latitude dynamics. They appear as meanders in the jet stream and as troughs and ridges that evolve over days to weeks. Their dispersion is described by quasigeostrophic theory on the beta-plane; typical wavelengths range from about 1000 to several thousand kilometers, with periods of a few days to two weeks. They can be stationary or traveling and play a key role in weather variability, regimes, and teleconnections.

In the ocean, RossbyWellen propagate primarily westward due to the planetary vorticity gradient. They are long-wavelength, slow-moving disturbances with characteristic timescales from weeks to years and wavelengths spanning hundreds to thousands of kilometers. The westward phase propagation and slower eastward energy transfer influence sea level, thermocline depth, and the ocean's response to wind forcing.

RossbyWellen are fundamental to geophysical fluid dynamics, underpinning much of mid- and long-range weather and climate variability. They are studied through theory, observations, and numerical models to understand their role in coupled atmosphere-ocean dynamics.