| Abstract: | Planetary or Rossby waves, though probably unimportant in the fluid interior of the Earth, are of interest to earth scientists in general, because of their pervasive role in the general circulation of oceans and atmospheres. The present review does not presuppose any special knowledge of geophysical fluid dynamics. Following a recapitulation of some general wave concepts, it defines absolute vorticity and its role as a restoring force in rotatory motion. The quasi-geostrophic character, the westward propagation and the dispersion of planetary waves is then discussed, as is the difference between shear waves and waves with vertically uniform motion. A last section deals briefly with the influence of planetary wave dynamics on climatic patterns in the atmosphere and in the oceans. |
