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Define the residual-circulation stream function byThis satisfies residual mass conservation identically. LetThe momentum equation is

Differentiate geostrophic balance vertically and hydrostatic pressure meridionally to obtain thermal-wind balanceAfter a time derivative, the transformed density equation givesOn the other hand, the $z$ derivative of momentum givesEliminating ${\overline{u}}_{tz}$ yields the Eliassen equation for residual circulation

Letwhere $\mathcal{H}$ is the Heaviside step function. Thenso the Eliassen equation for residual circulation isTake no normal residual flow at $y=0,L$ and $z=0$, decay as $z\to \infty$, and choose the streamfunction constant on the connected rigid boundary to be zero. Thus

The required Fourier series in sine modes isDefineFor each mode, the vertical equation isThe Dirac delta function requiresThe solution satisfying the boundary conditions is thereforewhere

The momentum equation givesThe jump of ${\overline{\chi }}_a^{\ast }$ supplies an equal positive delta function in $f_0{\overline{\chi }}_{a,z}^{\ast }$, so the singular terms cancel. The regular acceleration iswhereFinally, the transformed density equation givesThese exponentially decaying modes are the balanced mean response to wave-activity deposition at $z=H$.

Let the wave-forcing layer have vertical scale $D$ and meridional scale $L$. In the Eliassen equation for residual circulation, the two restoring terms scale asTheir ratio is controlled by

In the shallow-forcing limit $\Lambda \ll 1$, the vertical derivative term dominates:After one vertical integration,The Coriolis force on the residual mean circulation therefore balances most of the wave forcing, andis small at leading order. The response is primarily an overturning circulation with an associated density tendency.

In the deep-forcing limit $\Lambda \gg 1$, the meridional term dominates:Nowso the residual circulation is too weak to balance the forcing. The dominant momentum response is direct zonal acceleration,with a comparatively weak overturning and density response.