Balanced flow
（重定向自Gradient wind）
![](/Images/godic/202501/16/Trajectory1047.jpg")
![Nearly parallel isobars supporting quasi-geostrophic conditionsA westerly stream flow of global scale spans, approximately along parallels, from Labrador (Canada) across the North Atlantic Ocean as fas as inner RussiaAn easterly westerly stream flow of global scale spans, approximately along parallels, from Russia over Europe as fas as the mid latitude Atlantic OceanAn northerly air stream flows from Arctic to mid latitudes south of the 40th parallelA northwesterly stream sets in between two large-scale counter-rotating curved flows (cyclone and anticyclone ). Close isobars indicate high speeds© British Crown Copyright 2008, 2009 and 2010, The Met Office](/Images/godic/202501/16/Pressure_chart_geostrophic_flow1047.jpg")
![Geostrophic flow (easterly)](/Images/godic/202501/16/Pressure_chart_easterly_geostrophic_flow1047.jpg")
![Geostrophic flow (northerly)](/Images/godic/202501/16/Pressure_chart_geostrophic_flow_21047.jpg")
In atmospheric science, balanced flow is an idealisation of atmospheric motion. The idealisation consists in considering the behaviour of one isolated parcel of air having constant density, its motion on a horizontal plane subject to selected forces acting on it and, finally, steady-state conditions.