What is Baroclinic?
[[Image:Baroclinic fluid.png|thumb|right|300px|Density lines and [[isobar]]s cross in a baroclinic fluid (top). As density is related to temperature, on a surface map, isobars and [[isotherm]]s cross too.]] In [[fluid dynamics]], '''baroclinicity''' is a measure of the [[stratification]] in a fluid. A baroclinic [[atmosphere]] is one for which the [[density]] depends on both the [[temperature]] and the [[pressure]]; contrast this with [[barotropic]] atmosphere, for which the density depends only on the pressure. In atmospheric terms, the barotropic zones of the [[Earth]] are generally found in the central latitudes, or [[tropics]], whereas the baroclinic areas are generally found in the mid-latitude/polar regions. {{sci-stub}} [[Category:Fluid mechanics]]