The geostrophic wind is the hypothetical wind that would result from an exact balance between the Coriolis effect and the pressure gradient force. This situation is called geostrophic balance. The geostrophic wind is intended for parallel to isobars (lines of constant pressure at a given height). This balance seldom holds accurately in nature. The proper wind nearly always differs from the geostrophic wind due to other forces such as friction from the ground.
Geostrophic Wind
