NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Baroclinicity

which again is proportional to the angle between surfaces of constant pressure and surfaces of constant density. Thus in a barotropic fluid (which is defined by zero baroclinity), these surfaces are parallel.

Areas of high atmospheric baroclinity are characterized by the frequent formation of cyclones.

Results from FactBites:

The Contribution of Organized Roll Vortices to the Surface Wind Vector in Baroclinic Conditions (3948 words)
	The baroclinic modifications are larger in unstable stratification mainly due to the increase in the effective baroclinity (Levy 1989).
	It is notable that the presence of rolls in a neutrally stratified, baroclinic PBL causes an asymmetry in the cross-isobar angle with respect to thermal wind orientation that is consistent with observations.
	The baroclinic modification to the ageostrophic parameter due to the rolls is such that the difference between the "would-be" cold front (transition from cold to warm advection) and warm front (transition from warm to cold advection) values is increased by 30% in neutral conditions.

Baroclinity (62 words)
	A measure of the stratification in a fluid, baroclinity is proportional to $\nabla p \times \nabla \rho$ , which again is proportional to the angle between surfaces of constant pressure and surfaces of constant density.
	Thus in a barotropic fluid (which is defined by zero baroclinity), these surfaces are parallel.
	Areas of high atmospheric baroclinity are characterized by the frequent formation of cyclones.

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