Potential density
Potential density is a dynamically important property: for static stability potential density must decrease upward. If it doesn't, a fluid parcel displaced upward finds itself lighter than its neighbors, and continues to move upward; similarly, a fluid parcel displaced downward would be heavier than its neighbors. This is true even if the density of the fluid decreases upward. In stable conditions (potential density decreasing upward) motion along surfaces of constant potential density (isopycnals) is energetically favored over flow across these surfaces (diapycnal flow), so most of the motion within a 3-D geophysical fluid takes place along these 2-D surfaces.
Viscosity models for mixtures
where exponential function is written both as formula_243 and as formula_244. The molar volume of the reference fluid methane, which is used to calculate the mass density in the viscosity formulas above, is calculated at a reduced temperature that is proportional to the reduced temperature of the mixture. Due to the high critical temperatures of heavier hydrocarbon molecules, the reduced temperature of heavier reservoir oils (i.e. mixtures) can give a transferred reduced methane temperature that is in the neighborhood of the freezing temperature of methane. This is illustrated using two fairly heavy hydrocarbon molecules, in the table below.The selected temperatures are a typical oil or gas reservoir temperature, the reference temperature of the International Standard Metric Conditions for Natural Gas (and similar fluids) and the freezing temperature of methane (formula_245).