A Rossby wave is a low-frequency wave restored by the spatial variation of planetary or background potential vorticity. On a beta plane its phase commonly propagates westward.
A barotropic Rossby wave has no vertical shear. For horizontal wavenumbers , its quasi-geostrophic frequency is .
A baroclinic Rossby wave has nontrivial vertical structure. Constant stratification and rigid boundaries add a positive vertical-mode contribution to the denominator of its dispersion relation.
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A Rossby wave is a type of wave that occurs in rotating fluids, such as the Earth's atmosphere and oceans, due to the Coriolis effect. These waves are significant in meteorology and oceanography because they play a crucial role in the motion of weather systems and ocean currents. In the atmosphere, Rossby waves are characterized by large-scale meanders in high-altitude winds, particularly in the westerlies, and are influenced by the planet's rotation.