Rossby waves causing atmospheric heat flow

In this blogpost we will be uncovering and discussing the natural phenomenon, Rossby waves. Rossby waves are important for the general cycles of heat across the continent.

By analyzing the upper atmosphere wind flows, it has been discovered that the high altitude, slow, drunkenly meandering undulations of the flow patterns transporting heat across the planet. This pattern is referred to as a Rossby wave, named after the Swedish born, American meteorologist Carl-Gustav Arvid Rossby.

The influence on the weather from this undulating Rossby wave is significant and causes droughts and high temperatures in the eastern part of the North American continent.

Rossby waves are a phenomena as a result of potential inertial effects influenced by the Coriolis force and pressure gradients.

Rossby waves displaying the transport and undulations of heat across the globe
Illustration of the undulating Rossby Wave present in the high altitude atmospheres

There also exist other types of waves, including presences in the ocean basins at the thermocline and similar places.

Related reads: The Coriolis effect, Kelvin-Helmholtz instability

References

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rossby_wave

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My name is Joachim Skjærup Bach

And welcome to “The Skjærup blueprint”, an engineering blog where I write about natural phenomena, engineering marvels and techniques used in society around us.