barotropic disturbance

barotropic disturbance

[‚bar·ə′träp·ik dis′tər·bəns]

(meteorology)

Also known as barotropic wave.

A wave disturbance in a two-dimensional nondivergent flow; the driving mechanism lies in the variation of either vorticity of the basic current or the variation of the vorticity of the earth about the local vertical.

An atmospheric wave of cyclonic scale in which troughs and ridges are approximately vertical.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.