inertial flow

Frictionless flow in a geopotential surface in which there is no pressure gradient; the centrifugal and Coriolis accelerations must therefore be equal and opposite, and the constant inertial wind speed V, is given by V, = fR, where f is the Coriolis parameter and R the radius of curvature of the path.

Related terms:

• inertial circle
• gradient flow
• inertial theory
• geostrophic flow
• supergradient wind
• subgradient wind
• non-Newtonian flow
• ash flow
• overland flow
• rapid flow