Burger number
= Burger number
{c}
{title2=$\mathrm{Bu}$}
The <Burger number> compares the square of a relevant <deformation radius> with the square of the horizontal flow scale: $\mathrm{Bu}=R_d^2/l^2$. In a two-layer geostrophic model $R_d^2=g\prime H_1H_2/[f_0^2(H_1+H_2)]$. Its inverse measures the scale ratio of baroclinic <available potential energy> to <kinetic energy>. Keeping it of order unity retains both interface and relative-vorticity contributions in QG scaling.