An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A quantity defined as f = 2ω.sinθ, where ω is the Earth’s → angular velocity, 2π/T, T is the rotation period of the Earth (→ sidereal day),
and θ is the → latitude. Also called the → Coriolis parameter. This frequency occurs often in oceanographic studies. If an → iceberg is floating in a frictionless sea, and is given a push and allowed to move freely, it will travel in a circle of radius U/f, where U is the initial speed imparted by the push. This circle is called an inertial circle.

See also: → Coriolis effect; → frequency.