Linearized shallow-water potential-vorticity anomaly ($q=\zeta -f\eta /H$)

For a constant-depth resting layer on an f-plane, the depth-scaled linear potential vorticity anomaly isIt satisfies $q_t=0$ under the linearized shallow water equations. The physical perturbation of $(f+\zeta )/(H+\eta )$ is $q/H$. The signed scalar $q$, not its absolute value, is used in potential-vorticity inversion and balanced energy pairings.