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Use the gravity-current front condition $\dot{L}=\mathrm{Fr}\sqrt{d\varphi h}$, with a specified order-one front Froude number. In a triangular-channel gravity-current box model, the depth and concentration are uniform over $0<x<L(t)$. The volume isThe horizontal projected deposition area is ${\int }_0^{L}Tdx=\lambda h{L}^2$. Consequently the integral model isThis front speed is a closure for the integral model, rather than the assertion that its uniform interior is an exact solution of the spatially varying shallow water equations.

Eliminating time and integrating givesThe limiting runout length of a gravity current is thereforeThe additional distance beyond the release gate is $L_{\infty }-L_0$. The limit is approached asymptotically as $\varphi \to 0$ and $\dot{L}\to 0$; the idealized box model does not predict a finite-time stop. Its numerical runout depends on the adopted front Froude number.

Define the concentration-dependent reduced gravityUnder the Boussinesq approximation, the three shallow water equations can be written in advective form asThe coefficient matrix of this quasilinear system has characteristic speedsThus this is a hyperbolic system when $g^{\prime }h>0$. Along the intermediate characteristic curve $dx/dt=u$, the concentration obeysIt decreases because ambient entrainment dilutes the chemical; detrainment does not change the concentration of a well-mixed parcel.

Let $\mathbf{u}=(u,v)$ and let the layer thickness be $H=H_0+\eta$. The inviscid shallow water equations areThey follow from a homogeneous incompressible fluid with small aspect ratio, hydrostatic pressure, negligible vertical acceleration, horizontal velocity nearly uniform through the depth, a material free surface, and a rigid stationary bottom. Rotation may be represented by an f-plane or beta plane. The model is useful because many atmospheric and oceanic motions are horizontally much broader than their depth, while the free surface or an internal density interface still supports waves and potential vorticity dynamics.

Let $\zeta =v_x-u_y$. Taking the vertical curl of momentum giveswhere $Df/Dt=\beta v$ supplies the planetary-vorticity term when $f$ varies. Continuity gives $DH/Dt=-H\nabla \cdot \mathbf{u}$. Combining the two equations yields material conservation of shallow-water potential vorticity:

Potential vorticity combines fluid rotation with stretching and stratification. For an inviscid barotropic shallow-water layer,where $\zeta$ is relative vorticity and $h$ is layer thickness.

For linear rotating shallow water equations with fixed depth $H(y)$ and constant Coriolis parameter $f$, elimination of the horizontal velocity givesAt a depth step this is interpreted distributionally, with continuity of surface elevation and normal volume flux. Because velocity elimination raises the time order, initial height alone is insufficient; the original velocity and continuity equations determine the remaining initial derivatives.

Shallow-water potential vorticity is materially conserved by inviscid, unforced shallow water equations. Linearizing about rest with depth $H_0$ gives an anomaly proportional to