Topographic Sverdrup balance

When depth varies but the Coriolis parameter is constant, forcing can balance advection of $f/H$ rather than advection of planetary vorticity. This topographic potential-vorticity gradient plays the role normally played by the beta effect.

With $f=f_0+\beta y$ and parabolic depth, the topographic potential-vorticity pseudovelocity is $(-\beta /H,-f{H}_x/H^2)$. For positive $f,\beta$, it points west and turns south on the western slope, north on the eastern slope. Its characteristics are the parabolas $y=Qax(L_x-x)/\beta -f_0/\beta$, where $Q=f/H$. Wind-driven ocean gyres are steered by these depth gradients; drag and boundary data determine the actual ocean transport streamfunction. The zero-depth shoreline is a singular limit that requires a separate physical regularization.

In the steady small-Rossby number transport equation, this coefficient field advects the ocean transport streamfunction along contours of background shallow-water potential vorticity $f/H$. It is not a physical velocity: when $\psi$ has units of volume transport, its units are inverse length squared per time. For uniform depth on a beta plane it points westward, $\tilde{\mathbf{u}}=(-\beta /H,0)$. With no forcing or drag, $\psi$ is constant on each connected characteristic; locally $\psi =\Phi (f/H)$ at regular points.

In a slowly varying inviscid layer, parcels tend to follow contours of $f/H$. If depth increases in the direction of motion, conservation of potential vorticity requires a poleward displacement or a compensating change of relative vorticity. Ekman pumping permits streamlines to cross those contours.