Log-pressure quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity ($q={\nabla }_h^2\psi +e^{z/H}{\partial }_z(e^{-z/H}{f}_0^2{\psi }_z/N^2)+\beta y$)

In a log-pressure coordinate, quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity uses density-weighted vertical stretching. For stratification $N^2=RS/H$ and geostrophic flow ${\mathbf{u}}_g=(-{\psi }_y,{\psi }_x,0)$, the inviscid equation is $D_{g}q/Dt=0$. Combining horizontal vorticity balance with the thermal equation eliminates ageostrophic flow and gives this conservation law.

For scales $U,L,D$, thermal balance estimates $w\sim f_0{U}^2/(N^{2}D)$. Density-weighted continuity gives horizontal ageostrophic flow of order $Lw/\min (D,H)$. It is small relative to $U$ only ifThis condition supplements small Rossby number and small relative variation $\beta L/|f_0|$ of the Coriolis parameter.