ESS227
Prof. Jin-Yi Yu
Cyclostrophic
Balance
•If the horizontal scale of a disturbance is small enough, the Coriolis force may be neglected compared to the pressure gradient force and the centrifugal force. The force balance normal to the direction of flow becomes in cyclostrophic balance.
•An example of cyclostrophic scale motion is tornado.
•A cyclostrophic motion can be either clockwise or counter-clockwise.
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Only low pressure system can have cyclostrophic flow.