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The spatial gradient of buoyancy determines the buoyancy anomaly produced by a small parcel displacement: $b^{\prime }=-\mathbf{\xi }\cdot \nabla \bar{b}$. Its vertical component is the squared buoyancy frequency in a stably stratified Boussinesq approximation. A horizontal component enters thermal wind and the propagation of a Boundary Rossby wave.

For a semi-infinite fluid above a rigid horizontal boundary, constant buoyancy frequency $N$, and thermal wind $U=\Lambda z$, a zero-interior-potential vorticity perturbation has vertical dependence $e^{-\mu z}$, where $\mu =NK/|f_0|$ and $K=(k^2+l^2{)}^{1/2}$. Material conservation of boundary buoyancy gives $c{\varphi }^{\prime }(0)+\Lambda \varphi (0)=0$. Thus its phase velocity relative to the boundary flow is $c=\Lambda /\mu$. The wave's time dependence resides in its boundary condition; the interior field follows by potential-vorticity inversion. MIT's Eady-edge-wave notes develop this boundary-wave interpretation.

For ${\psi }^{\prime }=A[\cosh (Kz)\cos (kx)-\alpha \sinh (Kz)\sin (kx)]$ with $k,K,\alpha >0$, its phase increases with height and its crests tilt westward. The derivative $b^{\prime }=f_0{\psi }_z^{\prime }$ has decreasing continuous phase and eastward-tilting crests. Multiplying $v^{\prime }={\psi }_x^{\prime }$ by $b^{\prime }$ and averaging over a zonal wavelength gives the displayed eddy buoyancy flux, using ${\cosh }^2(Kz)-{\sinh }^2(Kz)=1$. Its sign is poleward for the associated eastward-increasing thermal wind in either hemisphere. An untilted separable perturbation has zero zonally averaged flux under periodic endpoint conditions.

With uniform thermal wind $U=\Lambda z$ above a plane boundary, write the zero-interior-potential vorticity response as ${\psi }^{\prime }=\mathrm{Re}\{A{e}^{-\mu z+i(kx+ly)}\}$, where $\mu =N\sqrt{k^2+l^2}/f$ and $f>0$. Boundary vertical velocity $ϵ\cos (kx+ly-{\omega }_{0}t)$ gives $C=N^2ϵ/(f\mu )$ and natural angular frequency $\omega =\Lambda k/\mu$. An initially zero response has $A=C(e^{-i{\omega }_{0}t}-e^{-i\omega t})/[i(\omega -{\omega }_0)]$. Its continuous resonant limit is $Ct{e}^{-i\omega t}$: forcing in phase with the boundary mode supplies energy every cycle, and linear undamped theory predicts secular growth.

A comparatively narrow band of strong atmospheric flow. Tropospheric jets are associated with large horizontal temperature gradients through the thermal wind relation; strong potential vorticity gradients can guide Rossby waves. The background speed and its spatial variation control Doppler shifting and refraction of wave packets. Not every atmospheric jet has the same origin or altitude.

Take eastward $x$, upward $z$, positive wavenumbers $k,K$, and a real instantaneous amplitude $A$. A common growing factor does not affect the phase geometry. Put $C=\cosh (Kz)$ and $S=\sinh (Kz)$, using the hyperbolic cosine and hyperbolic sine. The prescribed streamfunction iswhereFollowing a fixed phase givesTherefore the streamfunction pattern tilts westward with height. The lower boundary leads the upper boundary eastward.

In the conventional quasi-geostrophic streamfunction normalization, hydrostatic balance gives $b^{\prime }=f_0{\psi }_z^{\prime }$. ThereforeFor the phase calculation, multiplication by the constant $f_0$ is immaterial. Define a continuous phase ${\delta }_b=atan2(\alpha C,S)$; this avoids a spurious discontinuity at $z=0$. ThenThe buoyancy perturbation pattern tilts eastward with height, opposite to the streamfunction pattern. At $z=0$, ${\psi }^{\prime }=A\cos (kx)$ while $b^{\prime }=-f_{0}AK\alpha \sin (kx)$, so the two fields are a quarter wavelength apart there.

Both perturbation amplitudes are largest at the boundaries. Indeed,which increase with $|z|$. The physical reason is particularly clear through stratified quasi-geostrophic inversion: the Eady model has no interior background potential-vorticity gradient, and a growing normal mode has zero interior potential vorticity anomaly. The independent thermal anomalies reside at the rigid upper and lower boundaries, where meridional motion advects the basic horizontal buoyancy gradient. Each Eady edge wave induces an interior balanced flow that decays away from its boundary on scale $K^{-1}$. Their interacting, phase-locked combination produces the growing baroclinic instability. Boundary confinement of the thermal sources, rather than a rigid-wall requirement ${\psi }^{\prime }=0$, explains the amplitude pattern.

For a sketch with a quarter-wavelength difference between the boundary streamfunction patterns, chooseAn upper positive streamfunction crest is then ${\lambda }_x/4$ west of its lower counterpart, where ${\lambda }_x=2\pi /k$. The buoyancy perturbation crests slope the other way. The quarter-wavelength boundary assumption is used for the streamfunction; differentiating in $z$ fixes the buoyancy perturbation and does not generally give it the same boundary phase separation.

The connection to poleward heat transport can be checked without relying on the sketch. The meridional geostrophic flow and buoyancy perturbation areAverage over one zonal wavelength, using equal averages $1/2$ for squared sine and cosine and zero for their product:In the Northern Hemisphere this is positive: warm anomalies preferentially move northward and cold anomalies southward. For the same eastward-increasing basic thermal wind in the Southern Hemisphere, $f_0<0$ and the basic buoyancy gradient reverses; the negative northward eddy buoyancy flux is again poleward. For thermal expansion coefficient ${\alpha }_T>0$ and specific heat capacity at constant pressure $c_p$, the corresponding sensible heat flux in a thermal Boussinesq approximation is ${\rho }_0{c}_p\overline{v^{\prime }{T}^{\prime }}={\rho }_0{c}_p\overline{v^{\prime }{b}^{\prime }}/(g{\alpha }_T)$. The growing amplitude makes this flux grow as $A^2$. The tilt supplies the correlation absent in an untilted disturbance and reduces the background available potential energy.

Use eastward $x$, northward $y$, pressure coordinate $p$ increasing downward, and geopotential $\Phi =gz$. Horizontal derivatives are taken on an isobaric surface. The horizontal geostrophic balance and vertical hydrostatic balance arewhere $R$ is the specific gas constant of dry air and the final equality uses the ideal gas law. At fixed latitude $f$ is independent of $p$. Cross-differentiating givesConsequently the pressure-coordinate thermal wind equations areEquivalently, $f{\mathbf{e}}_z\times {\partial }_{\ln p}{\mathbf{u}}_g=R{\nabla }_{p}T$. Notice the sign: increasing eastward velocity upward means decreasing eastward velocity with $\ln p$, and hence poleward-decreasing temperature in the Northern Hemisphere.

For the stratospheric polar vortex estimate, the original diagram must be read on its logarithmic pressure axis. Near $60^{\circ }$ in the winter hemisphere, adjacent $10\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ wind contours suggest an increase of roughly $20\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ through a pressure decade surrounding $10\mathrm{mb}$: for example, about $10\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ near $30\mathrm{mb}$ and $30\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ near $3\mathrm{mb}$. These are coarse graphical readings, not a sounding. ThusWith $|f|=2\Omega \sin 60^{\circ }\simeq 1.26\times 10^{-4}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ and $R\simeq 287\mathrm{J}\mathrm{k}{\mathrm{g}}^{-1}{\mathrm{K}}^{-1}$, the poleward temperature gradient is approximatelyIf the vortex edge is taken to span roughly $50^{\circ }$ to $70^{\circ }$, its width is $a(20\pi /180)\simeq 2.2\times 10^6\mathrm{m}$, givingThe estimate depends on the width assigned to the edge and the graphical vertical shear; a range of several to roughly fifteen kelvin is more justified than a precise value. The sign remains a cold winter pole in either hemisphere. The diagram does not by itself prescribe a unique pair of edge latitudes.

At low latitudes, horizontal free-atmospheric temperature gradients are usually much smaller than at the winter vortex edge. For a comparable finite wind vertical shear, the rearranged thermal-wind balance, $T_y=(f/R)u_{\ln p}$, is consistent with weaker temperature gradients as $|f|$ decreases. However, geostrophic balance loses validity near the equator because the Coriolis parameter vanishes; division by $f$ cannot be used there to derive a prediction. The weak temperature gradient approximation is better motivated by rapid horizontal internal gravity wave adjustment, together with tropical convection and the Hadley cell. Thermal-wind balance describes the balanced extratropical relation and its tendency approaching the tropics; it is not a complete causal explanation of equatorial thermal uniformity.

Take $x$ eastward, $y$ northward and $z$ upward. In a rotating reference frame, the horizontal Cauchy momentum equation isHere ${\mathbf{F}}_h$ represents other accelerations, such as friction, and $f$ is the Coriolis parameter. When the Rossby number $U/(|f|L)$ and the ratio $1/(|f|\tau )$ are small, and friction is weak, both advective and local acceleration can be neglected. The Coriolis force then balances the pressure gradient force: this is geostrophic balance, with $fv=p_x/\rho$ and $fu=-p_y/\rho$. The geostrophic wind runs along atmospheric isobars, with low pressure on its left in the northern hemisphere.

A rapid change of pressure need not bring the corresponding geostrophic wind into existence at once. An initially weak wind therefore leaves an inward pressure gradient force around the new low. For a smoothed anomaly of horizontal scale $L=5\times 10^5\mathrm{m}$, geostrophic balance would requireFor the illustrative midlatitude value $|f|=10^{-4}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$, the implied Rossby number is already about $0.67$, so curved-flow acceleration matters. With a small tropical value $|f|=10^{-5}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$, the inferred speed is $333\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ and the Rossby number about $67$: the assumed geostrophic balance is untenable. Geostrophic adjustment redistributes the anomaly and emits internal gravity waves, leaving a weaker balanced component.

For a target speed $U_{\ast }=10\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ on the same scale, the required scale estimate isThus $6\mathrm{hPa}$, or $0.30$ of the initial magnitude, is the midlatitude estimate; at the illustrative tropical $|f|=10^{-5}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ it is $0.6\mathrm{hPa}$, or $0.030$ of the initial magnitude. The paper gives no latitude, so there is no unique numerical reduction. At the equator itself one must use equatorial dynamics rather than divide by $f=0$. Even the tropical $10\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ estimate has Rossby number $2$, so it describes the scale permitted by the stated balance, rather than a controlled tropical geostrophic balance.

There are two qualifications to “unstable”. A literal top-hat pressure anomaly has a discontinuous edge, where no finite classical geostrophic wind can balance its distributional pressure gradient. The $500\mathrm{km}$ estimate assumes a smoothed edge; a thinner edge requires stronger winds. More generally a large low is not, by its amplitude alone, proved to have an exponentially growing instability. For a concrete counterexample to the claim that such an amplitude cannot be stationary, set $p\prime (s)=-P\exp (-s^2/a^2)$, with cylindrical radius $s$, constant $\rho$ and $f>0$. The cyclonic gradient windis real and satisfies $v_{\theta }^2/s+f{v}_{\theta }=p_s/\rho$ for every $P>0$, with a regular limit at the centre. This is a stationary axisymmetric flow; no claim about its perturbation stability is needed. Here the physically justified conclusion is that a rapidly imposed anomaly without its balancing wind is unbalanced.

Small tropical Coriolis parameter allows only weak horizontal pressure gradients to coexist with ordinary large-scale winds. Hydrostatic balance connects the vertical variation of these pressure gradients to horizontal temperature gradients; equivalently the approximate thermal wind relation gives $f{u}_z\simeq -(g/T)T_y$. For comparable vertical wind shear, small $|f|$ means smaller $|T_y|$. Internal gravity waves can spread heating-induced buoyancy anomalies efficiently before rotation arrests the adjustment. This motivates the weak temperature gradient approximation for the tropical free troposphere; it does not require the land surface or atmospheric boundary layer to have uniform temperature.

Take $x$ eastward, $y$ northward and $z$ upward, and let $u$ be the eastward geostrophic wind. With Coriolis parameter $f$ independent of $z$, geostrophic balance, hydrostatic balance, and the ideal gas law giveHere $R_d$ is the specific gas constant for dry air. Taking a vertical derivative of the first equation and interchanging mixed partial derivatives givesIt matters that $\rho$ is not constant in the pressure gradient force. Substitutingcancels the two terms proportional to $gfu/(R_{d}T)$ and yields the height-coordinate thermal wind relationIf $|u{T}_z|\ll |T{u}_z|$, this reduces toThe discarded term has relative scale $H|T_z|/T$ when $u_z\sim u/H$. Taking $H=10\mathrm{km}$, $T=250\mathrm{K}$ and a atmospheric lapse rate of $6.5\mathrm{K}\mathrm{k}{\mathrm{m}}^{-1}$ gives about $0.26$. Thus this height-coordinate formula is a useful estimate, with potentially tens-of-percent compressibility-related correction through the vertical temperature gradient; it is not an exact consequence of the two balances. If the temperature gradient vanishes vertically, the displayed approximation is exact within those balances.

The hydrostatic approximation is very good on the broad, shallow atmospheric scales considered. The geostrophic balance is normally justified by a small Rossby number and fails as a general approximation near the equator. At $30^{\circ }\mathrm{N}$, $f=7.292\times 10^{-5}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$. With the ideal $134\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ wind and a $1000$--$2000\mathrm{km}$ horizontal scale, $\mathrm{Ro}=U/(fL)\simeq 0.9$--$1.8$: quantitative accuracy is limited for this especially strong ideal jet. Small vertical aspect ratio alone does not ensure geostrophic balance, although a straight, steady zonal flow can satisfy it even when this scale estimate of the Rossby number is not small.

For the requested estimate, suppose the upper jet stream is $H=10\mathrm{km}$ above a weak surface wind, has temperature $T\simeq 250\mathrm{K}$, and spans a meridional width $L$. Integrating the approximate thermal wind relation in scale form givesThe northward temperature gradient is negative because the eastward wind strengthens upward. A $1000$--$2000\mathrm{km}$ jet width gives roughly $25$--$50\mathrm{K}$. No unique numerical difference follows without specifying the jet width, height and representative temperature; these are explicitly estimated quantities.

The basic quasi-geostrophic streamfunction $\bar{\psi }=-\Lambda yz$ gives $\bar{u}=\Lambda z$, $\bar{v}=0$ and constant quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity $\bar{Q}=f$. DefineBecause the background has no potential-vorticity gradient, the linear potential-vorticity equation is simplyIts characteristics have constant $y,z,x-\Lambda zt$, so the general solution is $q^{\prime }=\mathcal{F}(y,z,x-\Lambda zt)$. In particular, $q^{\prime }=F(y,z)G(x-\Lambda zt)$ is the requested arbitrary separated family; one product is not the most general initial field.

Linearizing the vertical velocity requires retaining advection of ${\bar{\psi }}_z=-\Lambda y$ by $v^{\prime }={\psi }_x^{\prime }$. ThereforeThe impermeable boundary at $z=0$ imposesThis is conservation of boundary buoyancy, not merely a condition that ${\psi }_z^{\prime }$ vanish.

For zero interior potential vorticity, write ${\psi }^{\prime }=\mathrm{Re}\{\varphi (z,t)e^{i(kx+ly)}\}$. With $K_h=\sqrt{k^2+l^2}>0$, stratified quasi-geostrophic inversion givesThe decaying solution isNo time dependence has been assumed to obtain this vertical structure. Applying the boundary condition gives $-\mu \dot{A}-i\Lambda kA=0$, henceThus the Eady edge wave travels eastward with horizontal phase velocity $\omega /k=\Lambda /\mu$ for $k\ne 0$.

The propagation mechanism can be made explicit using boundary parcels. Thermal wind gives the background buoyancy gradient ${\bar{b}}_y=f{\bar{\psi }}_{zy}=-f\Lambda$. A small meridional parcel displacement $d$ produces boundary buoyancy perturbation $b^{\prime }=-d{\bar{b}}_y=f\Lambda d$. Meanwhile the decaying potential-vorticity inversion gives $b^{\prime }=f{\psi }_z^{\prime }=-f\mu {\psi }^{\prime }$ at the boundary. Consequently ${\psi }^{\prime }=-\Lambda d/\mu$ there, and the parcel equation $d_t=v^{\prime }={\psi }_x^{\prime }$ becomesA displaced buoyancy contour therefore induces a velocity field that advances that displacement eastward. No interior potential-vorticity gradient is needed because the boundary buoyancy supplies the invertibility data.

Vortex stretching is what sets the induced flow's vertical reach. In the interior, the zero-potential vorticity condition requiresBoundary isopycnal displacement decreases with height as $e^{-\mu z}$, so fluid columns are stretched or compressed over depth ${\mu }^{-1}=f/(N{K}_h)$. Conservation of potential vorticity makes this stretching balance the relative vorticity. The resulting inversion factor $b^{\prime }=-f\mu {\psi }^{\prime }$ gives the propagation speed: stronger density stratification reduces penetration and speed, while larger $f$ increases them. Zero interior potential vorticity therefore does not imply zero interior flow.

For imposed boundary vertical velocity, retain the same decaying structure and writeThe boundary relation becomes the forced Eady edge wave equationThe integrating factor $e^{i\omega t}$ gives, for ${\omega }_0\ne \omega$,The arbitrary homogeneous coefficient $B$ sets the initial disturbance. With $A(0)=0$, this is $A=C(e^{-i{\omega }_{0}t}-e^{-i\omega t})/[i(\omega -{\omega }_0)]$.

At resonance, ${\omega }_0=\omega$, integration instead yieldsAn initially undisturbed fluid has ${\psi }^{\prime }=Ct{e}^{-\mu z}\cos (kx+ly-\omega t)$. The imposed pumping reinforces the same boundary normal mode every cycle, with no dissipative loss, so the linear amplitude grows secularly. The divergence describes resonance of the undamped linear model; sufficiently large wave amplitude invalidates the assumed small-disturbance approximation.

Use the meridional overturning streamfunction conventionDifferentiating geostrophic and hydrostatic balance gives the thermal wind relation $f_0{\overline{u}}_z=(g/{\rho }_0){\overline{\rho }}_y$. Differentiate it in time and use the mean momentum and density equations. The resulting diagnostic elliptic boundary value problem isFor the transformed circulation it becomes the Eliassen equation for residual circulation, with signs appropriate to the convention above:At the rigid meridional walls, impermeability requires each streamfunction to be constant along each wall. Set those constants to zero, choosing the solution with no imposed net vertical throughflow. Since the prescribed density flux vanishes at both walls, the same conditions apply to ${\mathcal{X}}^{\ast }$.

There is a genuine data limitation: prescribing $F$ alone does not prescribe $R$. The term $-f_0{R}_{yz}$ remains in both circulation equations. To give the usual explicit step-flux circulation, assume vanishing meridional momentum-flux divergence, $R_y=0$, with no independently imposed circulation. The formulas below are conditional on that assumption, not a unique consequence of the density flux alone.

Let $l=\pi /L$, $\kappa =N_{0}l/|f_0|$ and $A_0=-1/S>0$, using the flux unit in which its lower plateau is $-1$. The bounded solution has $\mathcal{X}=\sin (ly)\chi (z)$. Its vertical equation isAt vertical infinity require bounded Eulerian flow and vanishing residual flow. Requiring the Eulerian vertical velocity to vanish also at lower infinity would be inconsistent with the continuing lower-region flux divergence. At $z=0$, continuity of $\chi$ and ${\chi }^{\prime }$ follows because the forcing has a step but no delta function. The step-flux residual circulation in a stratified channel is thereforeHere ${\mathcal{X}}^{\ast }=\sin (ly){\chi }^{\ast }$, because $F/S=A_0\sin (ly)$ below zero and vanishes above it. The residual streamfunction decays at both infinities, whereas the Eulerian streamfunction tends to $-A_0\sin (ly)$ below and to zero above.

For $z\ne 0$, the Eulerian velocity isThe flow descends near the $y=0$ wall and rises near $y=L$, with a negative meridional return flow concentrated near $z=0$. Below the dissipation level its vertical flow balances the continuing divergence of eddy density transport. There is no independently added throughflow, but opposing vertical transports at lower infinity are required by this idealized forcing.

Away from the discontinuity the residual meridional velocity equals the Eulerian value, whileThus the residual mean circulation forms two oppositely rotating cells, confined within vertical distance $O(1/\kappa )$ of the termination of the wave flux. Its streamfunction jumps by $-A_0\sin (ly)$ at zero. Distributionally this supplies the horizontal return transportThe Dirac delta sheet is a consequence of the discontinuous imposed flux, not an extra boundary condition. Smoothing the flux termination replaces it by a thin finite return current. Streamlines must not be drawn as continuously crossing the jump without that transport.

The physical Eulerian mean flow is continuous. In the transformed momentum equation, the sheet contribution to $f_0{v}^{\ast }$ cancels the sheet in the flux divergence, leaving the smooth mean accelerationThus termination of the vertical Eliassen–Palm flux produces a finite column-integrated wave drag, redistributed over depth by the residual mean circulation.

For completeness, the general bounded response can be calculated without setting $R_y$ to zero. Expand $R_{yz}$ in wall-compatible sine modes, with coefficients $B_n(z)$, $l_n=n\pi /L$ and ${\kappa }_n=N_0{l}_n/|f_0|$. Add to either displayed streamfunction the same correctionfor decaying momentum-flux forcing. The Green function sign follows from $({\partial }_z^2-{\kappa }_n^2)e^{-{\kappa }_n|z-z^{\prime }|}=-2{\kappa }_n\delta (z-z^{\prime })$.

An explicit counterexample to uniqueness is the additional momentum flux $R=ϵ[1-\cos (2ly)]e^{-a|z|}$, with $a>0$. It vanishes at both walls and leaves the prescribed density flux unchanged. For $a\ne 2\kappa$ it addsto both circulations. This nonzero bounded, wall-impermeable solution verifies that the original mean equations need an additional momentum-flux specification to select a unique sketch.

For the Boussinesq approximation, subtract the resting background buoyancy $N^{2}z$ and denote its perturbation by $b$. With constant nonzero $f$ and constant $N>0$, the leading geostrophic flow and hydrostatic balance define the quasi-geostrophic streamfunctionThe leading horizontal flow is nondivergent. At the next order, its relative vertical vorticity $q_g={\nabla }_H^2\psi$ is stretched by the small vertical velocity, while the background buoyancy is advected vertically. Thus the curl and buoyancy equations giveThese follow from $D{q}_a/Dt=-q_a{\nabla }_H\cdot \mathbf{u}$ with $q_a\simeq f$ and ${\nabla }_H\cdot {\mathbf{u}}_a=-w_z$, retaining the geostrophic advection of the first-order anomalies. Vertical advection of those anomalies is of higher quasi-geostrophic order.

Differentiate the buoyancy equation in $z$. It is important not to assume without justification that ${\partial }_z$ commutes with $D_g$. Their commutator on $b$ isby hydrostatic balance and thermal wind. Hence $D_g{b}_z=-N^2{w}_z$. Adding $f/N^2$ times this equation to the vorticity equation eliminates $w_z$, yieldingThis is the quasi-geostrophic potential-vorticity equation on an $f$-plane. The additive $f$ makes $Q$ equal to the first-order normalized Ertel PV of total buoyancy $N^{2}z+b$; using a PV anomaly instead removes that constant and does not change the dynamics.

For stretched coordinates for quasi-geostrophic inversion, putThen $(f^2/N^2){\partial }_z^2={\partial }_Z^2$, and the potential-vorticity relation becomesStable stratification makes this operator elliptic. Uniform $N$ and nonzero $f$ are essential to this simple constant-coefficient stretching.

Define the quasi-geostrophic streamfunction by $p^{\prime }/{\rho }_0=f_0\psi$. Leading horizontal geostrophic balance, $f_0\hat{\mathbf{z}}\times {\mathbf{u}}_g=-{\nabla }_{H}P$, gives $(u_g,v_g)=(-{\psi }_y,{\psi }_x)$. The hydrostatic approximation gives $P_z=\sigma$, henceThus $D_g$ is the material derivative along the leading geostrophic flow, and the vertical derivative of pressure determines the buoyancy perturbation. This also gives thermal wind: $u_{gz}=-{\sigma }_y/f_0$ and $v_{gz}={\sigma }_x/f_0$.

The balanced regime is favored by small Rossby number, a shallow aspect ratio, and a Burger number $N^2{H}^2/(f_0^2{L}^2)$ of order one. Equivalently the stratified Froude number $U/(NH)=\mathrm{Ro}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Bu}}$ is small. On a beta plane, require $\beta L/|f_0|=O(\mathrm{Ro})$, and take slow, initially balanced motion away from the equator. Under the traditional approximation, the horizontal Coriolis force generated by vertical velocity is small because vertical velocity is small, while the vertical rotational force is small compared with the leading hydrostatic pressure and gravity terms. Strong stratification and small aspect ratio justify retaining only the vertical component of Earth's rotation in this regime; this argument is not uniform near the equator.

Put $A(z)=f_0^2/N^2(z)$. The buoyancy equation gives $w=-f_0{D}_g{\psi }_z/N^2$. Substitution into the vertical vorticity equation yieldsThere is an important commutator cancellation. With $J_{xy}(a,b)=a_x{b}_y-a_y{b}_x$,Also $D_{g}f=\beta {\psi }_x$ for $f=f_0+\beta y$. Adding terms therefore proves potential-vorticity conservation:This is the three-dimensional quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity.

At an impermeable stationary lower boundary $z=b(x,y)$, the kinematic condition is $w={\mathbf{u}}_H\cdot {\nabla }_{H}b=D_{g}b$. For small elevation and slope, evaluate this at the reference level $z=0$ to leading order. Combining it with the buoyancy equation gives the rigid-boundary buoyancy condition for quasi-geostrophic wavesThe quantity in parentheses is the boundary displacement plus its buoyancy-equivalent displacement.

Now take constant $N,f$ and the mean quasi-geostrophic streamfunction $\bar{\psi }=-(U_0+\Lambda z)y$. Its mean buoyancy perturbation is $-f\Lambda y$, consistent with thermal wind, and its interior potential vorticity is constant. In the boundary condition, the perturbation velocity $v^{\prime }={\psi }_x^{\prime }$ advects the mean boundary buoyancy gradient. Keeping this contribution givesIn particular the $-\Lambda {\psi }_x^{\prime }$ term must not be omitted.

The linear interior potential-vorticity equation is $({\partial }_t+U(z){\partial }_x)Q^{\prime }=0$. Starting with zero interior perturbation potential vorticity, and with forcing only through the boundary, it remains zero. For a steady solution this is also the regular zero-interior-PV choice, continued through any isolated zero of $U$. The inversion equation for a horizontal mode isThe printed convention $K>0$ takes $f>0$; for either hemisphere the decay rate is defined using $|f|$. Boundedness aloft selects the decaying mode. Writewith real part understood. The linear boundary condition becomesFor $K{U}_0+\Lambda \ne 0$, a steady quasi-geostrophic mountain wave is thereforeOn $y=0$, its real meridional velocity isFor the positive-parameter convention $k,ϵ,f,U_0>0$ and $K{U}_0+\Lambda >0$, the velocity minimum lies one quarter wavelength downstream of each topographic maximum; its maximum lies one quarter wavelength downstream of each topographic minimum. If the velocity prefactor changes sign, maxima and minima interchange. The condition $K{U}_0+\Lambda >0$ alone does not fix that prefactor if $U_0$ is allowed to be negative. The upper panel shows the positive-current convention.

At $K{U}_0+\Lambda =0$, the free boundary Eady edge wave has zero frequency in the ground frame. If $kϵU_0\ne 0$, a steady amplitude cannot satisfy the forced amplitude equation. With $A(0)=0$, integration givesConsequentlyThe symbol multiplying $i$ here is the horizontal wavenumber $k$, as in the PDF. Taking the real part and differentiating in $x$ givesFor $U_0=-\Lambda /K>0$, positive $ϵ,f$, and $t>0$, the meridional-velocity minima coincide with topographic maxima, and its maxima with topographic minima. This is the lower panel. The change from quadrature to opposition is the phase of a resonantly forced topographic edge wave.

The stationary relief continuously excites a boundary Rossby wave whose intrinsic propagation exactly cancels mean advection. The forcing therefore remains coherent with that wave; with no damping or radiation loss for this trapped mode, its linear amplitude grows secularly. This is a resonant topographic quasi-geostrophic wave. Unlimited growth is a conclusion of the linear idealization: eventually the small-disturbance approximation fails.

The assertion that resonance must be unsteady needs nonzero forcing. If $k=0$, then $b_x=0$ and the boundary current does not cross the relief; if $U_0=0$, the forcing also vanishes. In either case the zero disturbance is a steady solution even if $K{U}_0+\Lambda =0$. For example, choose $k=0$, $\ell \ne 0$, and $\Lambda =-K{U}_0$; this is a concrete exception to an unconditional resonance claim. When both horizontal wavenumbers vanish, $K=0$ and the stated decaying-wave ansatz itself does not apply.