Rossby wave

Summary

A Rossby wave, or planetary wave, is a large-scale wave in a rotating fluid. Its restoring mechanism is the variation of the Coriolis parameter with latitude. Fluid parcels that move north or south must change their relative vorticity to conserve their potential vorticity. This sets up an oscillation. Their phase always travels westward relative to the mean flow. They shape the meanders of the jet stream and the slow adjustment of ocean basins.