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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.

To first order in amplitude evaluate the wave at a particle's equilibrium coordinate $x_{\ast }$, so ${\theta }_{\ast }=k{x}_{\ast }-\omega t$. Integrating its velocity gives displacements relative to the orbit centreThese are particle ellipses for rotating shallow-water waves, with axis ratio $V/U=f/\omega <1$. For the stipulated positive signs, the velocity at phases $0,\pi /2,\pi ,3\pi /2$ points respectively right, up, left, down, with magnitudes $U,V,U,V$. The particle orbits are clockwise as time advances, since the phase decreases.