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Preferred term

ertel_potential_vorticity  

Definition

  • The Ertel potential vorticity is the scalar product of the atmospheric absolute vorticity vector and the gradient of potential temperature. It is a conserved quantity in the absence of friction and heat sources [AMS Glossary, http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Ertel_potential_vorticity]. A frequently used simplification of the general Ertel potential vorticity considers the Earth rotation vector to have only a vertical component. Then, only the vertical contribution of the scalar product is calculated.

URI

https://vocab.met.no/CFSTDN/ertel_potential_vorticity

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