Talk:Richardson number

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more detailed definition[edit]

I've seen this definition of Ri, but I can't type up all the math stuff:

z= height
T= temp
partial-T/partial-z-sub-a = adiabatic value
bar-v-sub-x = mean x component of horizontal velocity
bar-v-sub-y = mean y component of horizontal velocity
mu = greek mu symbol

Ri = cg(partial-T/partial-z - partial-T/partial-z-sub-a)/(mu-sub-xy(partial-bar-v-sub-x/partial-z)^2 + mu-sub-yz(partial-bar-v-sub-y/partial-z)^2)

It comes from:

Richardson, L.F. (1960). Statistics of deadly quarrels. Pacific Grove, CA: Boxwood Press, p. xxiv.

Rhetth (talk) 18:15, 14 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In the oceanography section the kelvin helmholtz KH instability is mentioned. The KH does not require variations in the density field to exist i.e. g'=0 m.s-2(although KH can exist in stratified flow also g' not= 0). Therefore Ri number is not always a good measure of stability for the KH. the Ri is slightly more relevant to the holmboe instability which does require variation in density. however H instabilities only occur if the KH instability is suppressed ie R>=2 (2.4 in some literature).also the asymmetry of flow has a big affect on stability. you might look at baines(1994), Greg Lawrence & Jeff Carpenter have done lots on H instability the symmetric and asymmetric cases, also Holmboe's work although it's not in english. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.220.139.196 (talk) 19:42, 27 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

The link to "reduced gravity" is inappropriate or at least unclear (I couldn't find the relevant formula while skimming through the page). It might make more sense to simply list the definition of reduced gravity.

128.104.166.213 (talk) 18:07, 8 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]