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A Kelvin wave is a wave in the ocean or atmosphere that balances the Earth's Coriolis force against a topographic boundary such as a coastline. A feature of a Kelvin wave is that it is non-dispersive, i.e., the phase speed of the wave crests is equal to the group speed of the wave energy for all frequencies.
Kelvin waves in the ocean always propagate with the shoreline on the right (left) in the northern (southern) hemisphere. Atmospheric Kelvin waves propagate eastward in the Northern Hemisphere.
Equatorial Kelvin wave
An equatorial Kelvin wave is a special type of Kelvin wave that balances the Coriolis force in the northern hemisphere against its southern hemisphere counterpart. This wave always propagates eastward and only exists on the equator.
External links
- Overview of Kelvin waves from the American Meteorological Society.
- US Navy page on Kelvin waves.
- Slideshow at utexus.edu about Kelvin waves.
Physical oceanography | Tropical meteorology | Atmospheric dynamics
"Kelvin wave"