What is a Rossby wave?

Rossby waves are large-scale inertial waves that naturally occur in the rotating atmospheres and oceans of Earth and other planets. First identified by meteorologist Carl-Gustaf Rossby in 1939, they form giant meanders in high-altitude winds and move along the thermocline in oceans, heavily influencing weather patterns and pressure systems.

What we know

• Rossby waves are a type of inertial wave naturally occurring in rotating fluids and planetary atmospheres and oceans. [1, 2]
• They were first identified in the Earth's atmosphere in 1939 by Sweden-born American meteorologist Carl-Gustaf Arvid Rossby. [2, 5]
• Atmospheric Rossby waves appear as giant meanders in high-altitude winds and strongly influence weather, pressure systems, and the jet stream. [2]
• Oceanic Rossby waves move along the thermocline, which is the boundary between the warm upper layer and the cold deeper part of the ocean. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Carl-Gustaf Rossby?
• compared withWhat is a Kelvin wave?
• what followedHow do atmospheric pressure systems form?
• a case in pointWhat are lee waves?
• how it workedHow does planetary rotation affect fluid dynamics?
• an unexpected connectionHow are ocean thermoclines connected to high-altitude winds?Both oceanic Rossby waves moving along the deep thermocline and atmospheric Rossby waves meandering in the jet stream share the same fundamental physical driver in planetary rotation.

Sources

• [1]Rossby wave (Wikidata Q1053589) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Rossby wave · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Kelvin wave · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Lee waves · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Carl-Gustaf Rossby · CC BY-SA 4.0