On the Dynamics of Planetary Waves and the Rôle of the Richardson Number

Abstract

By treating the horizontal and vertical stabilities three-dimensionally, it is shown that the criteria for stability are controlled by the value of the Richardson number, and that the ratio of the horizontal scale of atmospheric disturbances to the vertical scale plays an important rôle for the stability. In connection with this Richardson number the relation between the parcel method and the perturbation method is also investigated.