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For a plane inertia-gravity wave independent of one horizontal coordinate, period-mean kinetic and available potential energy obey $⟨K⟩-⟨A⟩=2⟨K_y⟩$. The transverse rotating velocity is in quadrature with the in-plane velocity. The modified oscillator balance is $⟨K_{xz}⟩=⟨A⟩+⟨K_y⟩$; ordinary kinetic/potential equipartition occurs only when the transverse amplitude vanishes.

For an initially uniform strip current of half-width $a$, the final balanced energy fraction isThe fraction tends to $1-r+O(r^2)$ for a narrow strip and to $1/(2r)$ for a wide strip. The difference is outgoing inertia-gravity wave energy, consistent with conservation of energy; the infinite-strip energies are interpreted per unit along-strip length.

An initial current $U{1}_{|y|<a}$ with flat surface has two oppositely signed vortex sheets. On an f-plane, its local final geostrophic balance hasThe Rossby deformation radius controls the edge layers. The height is continuous and odd; the along-strip velocity is $-g{\eta }_f^{\prime }/f$ and has the sheet jumps. Outgoing inertia-gravity waves carry the energy not retained in this balanced component.

An initially resting, along-ridge-uniform shallow water layer with height disturbance ${\zeta }_0(x)$ conserves $q-f\zeta /h=-f{\zeta }_0/h$. Its balanced remainder satisfies the displayed modified Helmholtz equation, with $R_D=\sqrt{gh}/f$. On the infinite line,For each Fourier transform component, $\hat{\zeta }(t)={\hat{\zeta }}_s+({\hat{\zeta }}_0-{\hat{\zeta }}_s)\cos (\sqrt{f^2+gh{k}^2}t)$. The oscillatory part is inertia-gravity waves. For a localized Gaussian function on the infinite line those waves spread away, leaving the steady component locally; a reflecting finite basin generally retains oscillations.

A constant-depth layer initially at rest with a step in its free surface adjusts by radiating inertia-gravity waves. Conservation of linearized shallow-water potential vorticity leaves the bounded balanced profile ${\eta }_s={\eta }_0\mathrm{sgn}(x)(1-e^{-|x|/R_D})$, where $R_D=\sqrt{gH}/|f|$ is the Rossby deformation radius. The released potential energy per unit transverse length is $3\rho g{\eta }_0^2{R}_D/2$; the final kinetic energy is $\rho g{\eta }_0^2{R}_D/2$, leaving $\rho g{\eta }_0^2{R}_D$ in radiated waves.

A gravity wave is a fluid disturbance restored by gravity or buoyancy. A surface gravity wave displaces a free surface, while an internal gravity wave displaces density surfaces within a stratified fluid. Rotation can additionally contribute to restoration, giving an inertia-gravity wave.

With downward buoyancy $b=g\rho \prime /{\rho }_0$ in a uniform rotating Boussinesq approximation, $q=\zeta -f{b}_z/N^2$ is time-independent. The linear pressure obeys ${\nabla }^2{p}_{tt}+f^2{p}_{zz}+N^2{\nabla }_H^{2}p={\rho }_{0}f{N}^{2}q$. The initial potential vorticity supplies the steady pressure source; nonzero-frequency inertia-gravity waves have zero perturbation PV.

For a plane inertia-gravity wave on a resting layer, $\eta ={\eta }_0\cos (kx-\omega t)$, the horizontal velocities are $u=U\cos \theta$ and $v=V\sin \theta$, where $U=\omega {\eta }_0/(k{h}_0)$ and $V=f{\eta }_0/(k{h}_0)$. First-order integration at a fixed equilibrium coordinate gives $\xi =-U\sin \theta /\omega$, $\upsilon =V\cos \theta /\omega$. The particle trajectory is an ellipse with axis ratio $|f|/\omega$. For positive $f$, the orbit is clockwise in the $(x,y)$ plane.

Let $H=h_{00}+\zeta$ and write the horizontal shallow water equations on the constant f-plane asKeeping only terms linear in the disturbance about rest gives the linearized shallow water equationsDefine the horizontal divergence $\delta =u_x+v_y$ and relative vorticity $q=v_x-u_y$. Taking respectively the divergence and vertical curl of the momentum equation yieldsTogether with ${\zeta }_t=-h_{00}\delta$, this provesThe nonlinear shallow-water potential vorticity is $Q=(f+q)/H$. The nonlinear vertical vorticity equation gives $D(f+q)/Dt=-(f+q)\delta$, while mass conservation gives $DH/Dt=-H\delta$; their ratio is therefore materially conserved. Expanding about rest,Advection of its constant background contributes nothing at first order, explaining why the displayed linear anomaly is conserved at each fixed position.

A further time derivative eliminates $q$ and $\zeta$ from the divergence equation:For a plane wave with horizontal wavevector $(k,l)$, write $K=\sqrt{k^2+l^2}$. More directly, substituting the plane wave into the three linear equations gives a coefficient matrix with determinant proportional to $\omega [{\omega }^2-f^2-c_0^2{K}^2]$. Thus the full linear rotating shallow-water dispersion relation has one balanced branch and two wave branches:The latter are inertia-gravity waves. The positive branch starts at $f$ with zero slope and tends to the straight line $c_{0}K$; the negative branch is its reflection. The requested sketch, including the stationary branch, is

For the positive-frequency branch, the magnitudes of the phase velocity and group velocity areThe group velocity vector is $c_0^2(k,l)/\omega$; the negative branch reverses its direction. Near $\omega =f$, namely $K{R}_D\ll 1$ with the Rossby deformation radius $R_D=c_0/f$, $c_p\sim f/K$ is large while $c_g\sim c_0^{2}K/f$ is small. The $K=0$ limit is an inertial oscillation, for which a spatial phase speed is not defined. Far above $f$, both speeds approach $c_0$, the shallow water gravity-wave speed, with $c_p>c_0$ and $c_g<c_0$ at finite $K$.

On the zero-frequency branch, geostrophic balance givesFor a nonconstant plane wave, $\hat{q}=-(g{K}^2/f)\hat{\zeta }$: relative vorticity and elevation have opposite signs. They can both be nonzero and spatially structured, whereas the horizontal divergence vanishes identically. A constant elevation is also a zero-frequency solution, with zero velocity and zero relative vorticity.

For the initially resting ridge, set ${\zeta }_0(x)=ϵh_{00}{e}^{-x^2/L^2}$ and assume an unbounded domain, uniform in $y$. Initial potential vorticity fixesIn the balanced remainder, insert $q_s=(g/f){\zeta }_s^{\prime \prime }$ to obtainThe decaying Green's function of this modified Helmholtz equation gives the Geostrophic adjustment of a Gaussian height ridge explicitly:The initial outward pressure force creates a cross-ridge current; the Coriolis acceleration turns that current and builds the along-ridge geostrophic flow. The remainder is radiated inertia-gravity waves, not a dissipative disappearance of energy.

For precision, use the Fourier transform $\hat{\zeta }(k)=\int \zeta (x)e^{-ikx}dx$. Initial rest implies ${\zeta }_t(x,0)=0$, and the conserved anomaly givesConsequentlyThese formulas satisfy both initial conditions. They also show that the waves carry no linear potential vorticity anomaly: $q=(f/h_{00})(\zeta -{\zeta }_0)$ and $\delta =-{\zeta }_t/h_{00}$ reconstruct the remaining fields, with $u$ and $v$ obtained from their derivatives. On the infinite line, dispersive wave packets propagate away and decay locally, leaving the balanced ridge and its oppositely directed flanking currents. Conservation of energy still holds globally. In a reflecting finite basin, standing waves may persist, so a permanent pointwise relaxation is not guaranteed without dissipation.

If $L\gg R_D$, most of the initial elevation remains balanced: ${\zeta }_s\simeq {\zeta }_0$ with small smoothing corrections. If $L\ll R_D$, the balanced ridge spreads to width $R_D$, and away from the original narrow coreThus the final central height is much smaller than the initial one and the wave component is substantial. The integral of the balanced elevation equals the initial integral, since the Green's function has unit integral; the oscillatory component has zero net added volume.

The quasi-geostrophic approximation isolates slowly evolving, nearly balanced motions in a rotating, stably stratified fluid. Ocean eddies and mid-latitude atmospheric disturbances often have this character: a leading Coriolis force–pressure balance suppresses rapid horizontal acceleration, while hydrostatic balance suppresses rapid vertical acceleration. Small ageostrophic flow nevertheless supplies the vertical motion that changes the leading vorticity. The approximation filters fast inertia-gravity waves while retaining nonlinear transport, vertical shear and Rossby waves.

Use a reference density ${\rho }_0$ and remove the background hydrostatic pressure. Let $\pi =p^{\prime }/{\rho }_0$ and let the upward buoyancy perturbation be $b=-g{\rho }^{\prime }/{\rho }_0$. A vertically varying reference density stratification has $N^2(z)>0$. Under the Boussinesq approximation, the inviscid and adiabatic equations areHere $D/Dt={\partial }_t+{\mathbf{u}}_H\cdot {\nabla }_H+w{\partial }_z$. Density variations are small compared with ${\rho }_0$ but retained in the vertical buoyancy force. This is a useful local, incompressible description; a compressible atmosphere needs the corresponding weighted or pressure-coordinate version.

Let horizontal and vertical lengths be $L,H$, speed be $U$, and take the slow time $L/U$. Take $f_0>0$ for definiteness; use $|f_0|$ in the scale estimates in the opposite hemisphere. The principal small parameter is the Rossby number $\mathrm{Ro}=U/(f_{0}L)\ll 1$ at a latitude where $f_0\ne 0$. For the hydrostatic, strongly stratified regime, $H/L\ll 1$ and $f_0/N\ll 1$. Retaining both horizontal vorticity and vortex stretching gives the Burger numberThe geostrophic balance pressure scale is $f_{0}UL$ and the buoyancy perturbation scale is $B=f_{0}UL/H$. Hence $B/(N^{2}H)=\mathrm{Ro}/\mathrm{Bu}\ll 1$: buoyancy perturbations produce small displacements relative to the background stratification scale. The ageostrophic flow is $O(\mathrm{Ro}U)$ and incompressibility then gives $w=O(\mathrm{Ro}UH/L)$. Vertical acceleration is smaller than hydrostatic terms by order ${\mathrm{Ro}}^2(f_0/N{)}^2$ in this scaling. Weak forcing or diffusion can be added at the slow order, but neither is present here.

Define the quasi-geostrophic streamfunction by $\psi =\pi /f_0$. Leading geostrophic balance and hydrostatic balance implyDifferentiating horizontally and vertically gives the thermal-wind balanceThus vertical shear is determined by horizontal buoyancy gradients. The homogeneous Taylor–Proudman theorem is recovered only when those gradients vanish. Stable stratification allows sloping density surfaces and different geostrophic flow at different levels, without abandoning leading balance.

The Prandtl ratio of scales makes that modification quantitative. Horizontal and vertical terms in balanced potential-vorticity inversion have sizes $\psi /L^2$ and $(f_0^2/N^2)\psi /H^2$. Equality givesFor constant $N$, $Z=(N/|f_0|)z$ makes the inversion operator an ordinary three-dimensional Laplacian. Equivalently, an interior balanced disturbance of horizontal size $L$ naturally penetrates a depth of order $|f_0|L/N$. With $N\gg |f_0|$ this is a thin, vertically sheared structure, rather than the arbitrarily tall homogeneous columns suggested by strict Taylor–Proudman theorem behaviour. This is an aspect-ratio statement, not the diffusivity Prandtl number.

To allow a weak meridional variation of the Coriolis parameter, use the beta plane $f=f_0+\beta y$, with $\beta L/f_0=O(\mathrm{Ro})$, or equivalently $\beta L^2/U=O(1)$. The small correction to the leading balance is dynamically important on the slow time. Let $\xi ={\nabla }_H^2\psi$ be vertical relative vorticity and let $D_g={\partial }_t+{\mathbf{u}}_g\cdot {\nabla }_H$. At the first nontrivial order, the vertical vorticity equation and buoyancy equation reduce toRelative-vorticity stretching and tilting are higher order here; planetary-vorticity stretching $f_0{w}_z$ must remain. Eliminate $w$ to expose a materially conserved balanced scalar. Because ${\mathbf{u}}_{g,z}=(-b_y/f_0,b_x/f_0)$, the commutator term ${\mathbf{u}}_{g,z}\cdot {\nabla }_{H}b$ is exactly zero. For $N=N(z)$ this givesAdding the two equations proves the quasi-geostrophic potential-vorticity equationAn additive constant such as $f_0$ changes no dynamics. The horizontal streamfunction advection bracket can express this as $Q_t+{\psi }_x{Q}_y-{\psi }_y{Q}_x=0$. Although small departures from balance generated this evolution equation, the leading geostrophic flow itself advects $Q$ nonlinearly. The stretching term couples horizontal motion to vertical displacement of density surfaces.

This gives the practical advection-and-inversion description. Start with interior three-dimensional quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity, advect it with ${\mathbf{u}}_g$, and recover $\psi$ fromThe stratified quasi-geostrophic inversion is elliptic for positive $N^2$. It must be supplied with lateral and vertical boundary conditions and any circulation or mean-flow constraints; interior potential vorticity alone is not sufficient. At rigid horizontal lids, $w=0$ makes boundary buoyancy satisfy $D_{g}b=0$, and $b=f_0{\psi }_z$ supplies the vertical derivative data for inversion. Boundary buoyancy perturbations can therefore support flow even when the interior anomaly is zero. Once $\psi$ is found, its horizontal derivatives give velocity, its vertical derivative gives buoyancy, and the thermodynamic equation diagnoses $w$. This balanced evolution excludes the independent fast-wave initial data present in the full equations.

Finally, a gradient in $f$ supplies a restoring mechanism even in an otherwise uniform fluid. Linearizing about rest with constant $N$, the quasi-geostrophic potential-vorticity equation becomesSubstitution of $\psi \propto e^{i(kx+ly+mz-\omega t)}$ gives the Rossby wave dispersionFor $\beta >0$, its zonal phase speed is westward relative to a resting background. A meridionally displaced parcel retains potential vorticity, so it acquires a relative-vorticity anomaly that induces the velocity tending to return the disturbance. Background shear and stratification modify the full potential-vorticity gradient; they can alter propagation or permit instability. On a constant f-plane the planetary contribution vanishes, but gradients of relative vorticity, boundary buoyancy or topography can still support balanced wave motion. Close enough to the equator that $f_0$ vanishes, this mid-latitude quasi-geostrophic approximation and its scaling must be replaced.

With the free-surface elevation denoted by $\zeta$, the rotating shallow water equations over a fixed bottom areThe momentum gradient is that of the surface elevation, not depth alone; bottom slope enters through the depth and continuity equation. Taking ${\partial }_x$ of meridional momentum minus ${\partial }_y$ of zonal momentum gives the vorticity equationThe terms quadratic in velocity gradients combine into ${\omega }_r{\nabla }_H\cdot {\mathbf{u}}_H$; the constant Coriolis parameter contributes $f{\nabla }_H\cdot {\mathbf{u}}_H$. Continuity gives $D_{H}h/Dt=-h{\nabla }_H\cdot {\mathbf{u}}_H$. Dividing the two equations proves the exact shallow-water potential vorticity invariant

For the quasi-geostrophic approximation, let $U_s$ and $\ell$ be representative velocity and horizontal length scales. Require the Rossby number $\mathrm{Ro}=U_s/(|f|\ell )\ll 1$, a shallow layer, and slow evolution on time $\ell /U_s$. Put $L_R=\sqrt{g{h}_{00}}/|f|$ and assume $\mathrm{Bu}=(L_R/\ell {)}^2$ is order one. Leading momentum then gives geostrophic balance, and a quasi-geostrophic streamfunction can be chosen asIts surface-height scale satisfies $|\zeta |/h_{00}=O(\mathrm{Ro}/\mathrm{Bu})\ll 1$. Take the bottom-height ratio of the same small order, with gentle slopes, so $\eta =\zeta -b$ obeys $|\eta |/h_{00}\ll 1$. Relative vorticity is order $\mathrm{Ro}f$, and expanding the exact potential vorticity givesBecause the leading geostrophic velocity is horizontally nondivergent, ageostrophic advection of the anomaly is one order smaller. At the first evolving order the shallow-water quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity equation isThe constant reference $f/h_{00}$ has zero gradient and drops out. These assumptions also require all topographically induced velocities to retain a small Rossby number; the small bottom-height condition alone is not a full justification of quasi-geostrophic balance.

The uniform eastward current has ${\psi }_0=-Uy$ up to an additive constant, so ${\zeta }_0=-(fU/g)y$. With $b_0=-(fU/g)y$, surface and bottom slopes are equal and $h=h_{00}$. Its relative vorticity vanishes and $Q_0=0$. This sloping background is used locally where its surface and bottom departures remain within the small-height regime.

Add the compact ridge and set $\psi =-Uy+\varphi (x)$. Then $u=U$, $v={\varphi }^{\prime }(x)$, and $Q$ depends only on $x$. The steady equation becomes $U{Q}_x=0$. Uniform incoming potential vorticity fixes that constant to zero, giving the cosine-ridge shallow-water geostrophic responseLet $a=\pi L/2$, $\lambda =L_R^{-1}$ andThe forcing is even, so the decaying response is even. A cosine particular solution inside the ridge leaves an even homogeneous term; outside, retain only the decaying exponential. Since the forcing is bounded and contains no delta function, both $\varphi$ and ${\varphi }^{\prime }$ are continuous at the edges. Write $\varphi =A\cos (x/L)+D\cosh (x/L_R)$ inside and $\varphi =B{e}^{-(|x|-a)/L_R}$ outside. Matching at $x=a$ givesSolving yields $D=A(L_R/L)e^{-a/L_R}$, henceA globally decaying homogeneous solution that is continuously differentiable is zero, so this matched solution is unique.

A steady streamline is a constant-$\psi$ curve. If its upstream ordinate is $y_{\infty }$, it therefore hasFor $f>0$, $\varphi$ is positive: the flow first turns toward increasing $y$, passes the crest at its largest deflection, then returns to its upstream ordinate. Reversing the sign of $f$ reverses the deflection. For $L=3L_R$, the center deflection is $A[1+e^{-3\pi /2}/3]/U$ and each tail decays on scale $L_R$. The figure shows several streamlines and the ridge support; the deflection extends beyond the ridge.

One compatible realization of the initial condition has $h(x)=h_{00}-\hat{b}(x)$ and $\zeta =b_0(y)$. Its stated zonal velocity then satisfies $u(x)h(x)=U{h}_{00}$, so the initial mass flux is constant and $v=0$. The data given only far upstream do not uniquely determine the initial height everywhere; this is the natural mass-flux-compatible choice. It is not fully balanced over the ridge: $fu(x)$ differs from $-g{\zeta }_y=fU$. The resulting transverse acceleration initiates geostrophic adjustment and launches fast inertia-gravity waves.

Initially the relative vorticity is zero, but exact shallow-water potential vorticity is $f/[h_{00}-\hat{b}(x)]$, not the uniform upstream value. That localized anomaly is materially transported downstream, approximately at $U$ in the leading quasi-geostrophic approximation; it is not annihilated by adjustment. Fresh incoming parcels of uniform PV subsequently supply the ridge region, whose balanced potential-vorticity inversion approaches the steady solution above. The fast waves can carry unbalanced energy away on the inertia-gravity time scale, short compared with the advective time at small Rossby number. In an open domain this can leave the local balanced response; an ideal closed or reflecting domain need not settle monotonically, because undamped waves can return. Radiation, advection of the initial PV anomaly, and any weak damping must be distinguished from irreversible loss of PV.

Write $c=\sqrt{gH}$ and $R_d=c/|f|$, with $f\ne 0$. For the profiles below take $f>0$, so $\alpha =L/R_d$ agrees with the stated parameter; changing the sign of $f$ reverses the balanced meridional velocity but not the height profile. The linearized shallow water equations areTaking the horizontal curl gives $(v_x-u_y{)}_t=-f(u_x+v_y)=f{\eta }_t/H$. Hence the signed linear shallow-water potential vorticity anomaly is conserved:The initial data are independent of $y$, so the solution remains independent of $y$ and $v_x=f(\eta -{\eta }_0)/H$. Differentiating continuity in time and using the zonal momentum equation gives

For a horizontal Fourier mode with wavenumber $k$, put ${\Omega }_k^2=f^2+c^2{k}^2$. The solution splits into a balanced component and inertia-gravity waves:These waves have frequencies $|\omega |\ge |f|$, phase velocity $\omega /k$, and group velocity $c^{2}k/\omega$, whose magnitude is less than $c$. They have zero perturbation potential vorticity and carry the unbalanced part away. On the unbounded line, the localized difference between the initial and balanced profiles disperses, leaving a local steady limit. No damping is needed for this local geostrophic adjustment; in a closed periodic domain, undamped waves would persist and a literal pointwise steady limit would generally not exist.

The bounded steady height satisfies the modified Helmholtz equationOddness removes the even homogeneous solution in the central region. The exterior solution is bounded and tends to the appropriate plateau. Matching both height and its first derivative at $x=\pm L$ gives the geostrophic adjustment of a finite-width height ramp:For example, writing the interior solution as $hx/L+B\sinh (x/R_d)$, matching its slope to the decaying exterior at $L$ gives $B=-h{e}^{-\alpha }/\alpha$.

The steady meridional momentum equation gives $u_s=0$, and the zonal equation gives the geostrophic balance $f{v}_s=g{\eta }_s^{\prime }$. ThusThe height is odd and monotone, and the meridional current is even, with maximum $v_s(0)=gh(1-e^{-\alpha })/(fL)$ for $h>0$.

For $\alpha \ll 1$, the initial ramp is narrow compared with the Rossby deformation radius. To leading order,Near the origin the height rises with slope $h/R_d$, rather than $h/L$; the current has width $R_d=L/\alpha$ and peak $gh\alpha /(fL)$. For $\alpha \gg 1$, the central height remains nearly $hx/L$ and the central velocity nearly $gh/(fL)$. Around each end of the ramp there is a matching layer of width $R_d=L/\alpha$, with height correction of order $h/\alpha$; the exterior current decays over the same width. At $x=\pm L$ the current is approximately half its central value. In both limits the zonal current is zero. These are the broad rotational adjustment of a narrow disturbance and the weak edge adjustment of a broad disturbance, respectively.

Use the energy normalization specified for the height energy: the linear total energy density is $(u^2+v^2)/2+g{\eta }^2/(2H)$. The linear equations implyFor $\alpha \ll 1$, let the potential energy loss mean the positive difference between the initial and final values, per unit transverse length. Although both absolute potential energies diverge on the infinite line, their difference is finite. The leading step approximation givesThe finite ramp changes this leading expression by a relative $O(\alpha )$ correction. The initial kinetic energy is zero and the final gain isThe remainder $\Delta V-\Delta T\simeq g{h}^2{R}_d/H$ is energy carried away by the outgoing inertia-gravity waves. This explains why the ratio is less than one without invoking dissipation: conservation of energy includes the waves, not only the final balanced flow.

Let the vertical-velocity amplitude $W$ be real. A convenient inertia-gravity wave polarization, avoiding pressure denominators, isThe physical velocities and buoyancy are their real parts. The period-mean kinetic energy density and available potential energy density areThe latter follows from $A={\rho }_0{b}^2/(2N^2)$, or from $A={\rho }_0{N}^2{\xi }_z^2/2$ for vertical fluid displacement. The factor $1/4$ includes both the energy definition and the mean of a squared harmonic.

Using the dispersion relation,This energy partition of rotating internal waves shows that the printed request for ordinary kinetic/potential equipartition in the rotating case is false in general. An explicit counterexample is $f=1$, $N=2$, $k=m=1$, $W=1$, giving ${\omega }^2=5/2$, $⟨K⟩=3{\rho }_0/5$ and $⟨A⟩=2{\rho }_0/5$.

The valid modified oscillator balance isThe transverse rotational velocity is in quadrature with the in-plane motion, so it supplies an additional positive energy term on the displacement side of this oscillator balance. It remains physically kinetic energy, not gravitational potential energy. Ordinary kinetic/potential equipartition is recovered when $f=0$ or when the transverse amplitude vanishes. For a real harmonic wave the instantaneous total $K+A$ is constant at a fixed point: the coefficient of ${\cos }^2(kx+mz-\omega t)$ from in-plane motion equals the coefficient of ${\sin }^2$ from transverse motion and buoyancy. This consistency does not imply equality of their separate period means.

For a nonzero-frequency Fourier mode proportional to $e^{i(kx+mz-\omega t)}$, the time-independent source has no oscillatory part. The pressure equation givesTake $k,m\ne 0$ and ${\omega }^2\ne f^2,N^2$ for the following pressure-amplitude formulas. With $P_0$ the amplitude of $p/{\rho }_0$, the momentum and buoyancy equations implyConsequentlybecause the numerator is $(k^2+m^2){\omega }^2-N^2{k}^2-f^2{m}^2$. Propagating linear inertia-gravity waves carry zero perturbation potential vorticity. In degenerate directions the division formulas must be replaced by the original linear equations, or interpreted by a regular limit; the zero-PV property of the nonzero-frequency wave component still follows from $q_t=0$. A steady balanced mode need not have zero potential vorticity.

Put $P=p/{\rho }_0$ and use the downward buoyancy anomaly $b=g{\rho }^{\prime }/{\rho }_0$. This sign convention is required by the printed potential vorticity. The linear rotating Boussinesq approximation givesLet $D=u_x+v_y$ and $\zeta =v_x-u_y$. Horizontal divergence and curl give $D_t-f\zeta =-{\nabla }_H^{2}P$ and ${\zeta }_t=-fD=f{w}_z$. HenceThus the linear potential vorticity is a time-independent field fixed by the initial data. Differentiate the pressure identity twice. Using ${\zeta }_{tt}=-f(P_{zz}+b_z)$ and $b_{ztt}=-N^2(P_{zz}+b_z)$ gives ${\nabla }^2{P}_{tt}=(N^2-f^2)(P_{zz}+b_z)$. Combining terms,The linear pressure equation for rotating stratified flow has source $Q={\rho }_{0}f{N}^{2}q$. “Arbitrary” means that different initial potential-vorticity fields give different time-independent sources; it is not independent forcing that may vary in time. If buoyancy were instead defined upward as $-g{\rho }^{\prime }/{\rho }_0$, both appearances of its sign would change consistently. The pressure source represents the balanced component alongside propagating inertia-gravity waves.

Apply mass conservation to a fixed horizontal region $D$. The layer mass is $\rho {\int }_{D}hdxdy$ and the outward horizontal flux is $\rho {\int }_{\partial D}h(u,v)\cdot \mathbf{n}ds$. The divergence theorem and arbitrary choice of $D$ giveThis depth-integrated law retains free-surface motion; neglecting the vertical velocity in horizontal momentum is not the assumption that the depth cannot change.

Take the free-surface pressure to be constant. hydrostatic pressure gives $p=p_{\mathrm{atm}}+\rho g(h-z)$, so the horizontal pressure forces are $-g{\eta }_x,-g{\eta }_y$. Linearization about a resting layer gives the linearized shallow water equationsTaking the curl of the momentum equations yields ${\zeta }_t=-f(u_x+v_y)$. Combining with continuity gives the linearized shallow-water potential-vorticity anomalyFor $Q_0=0$, $\zeta =f\eta /h_0$. Taking the divergence of momentum gives ${\partial }_t(u_x+v_y)-f\zeta =-g{\nabla }_h^2\eta$. Eliminate the divergence with continuity to obtainFor $\theta =k(x-ct)$, substitution of $\eta ={\eta }_0\cos \theta$ gives the inertia-gravity wave dispersion relationThe associated purely oscillatory velocity field isThese formulas satisfy all three linearized equations and the zero-anomaly condition. A separately added spatially uniform inertial oscillation is not part of this monochromatic wave.