The first baroclinic Rossby radius of deformation is computed from global 1°×1° climatological average temperature and salinity profiles. These new high-resolution maps are compared with previously published maps of the Rossby radius and gravity-wave phase speed. It is concluded that earlier estimates are systematically biased low by 5%–15% due to computational errors. The WKB approximation is used to explain geographical variations in the Rossby radius, showing that it decreases with latitude and is inversely related to the Coriolis parameter. Temporal variations in stratification are found to have negligible effects on the Rossby radius at any given location. The study also compares the Rossby radius calculated from the NODC dataset with the LOC dataset, finding that the LOC dataset provides more accurate results. The WKB approximation is shown to be useful for understanding the effects of earth rotation, stratification, and water depth on the Rossby radius. The results indicate that the Rossby radius is generally accurate to within a few percent, except near intense currents. The study concludes that temporal variations in stratification can be neglected in estimating the Rossby radius. The results also suggest that the discrepancy between observed and predicted propagation speeds of midlatitude sea level signals may be due to errors in previous estimates of the Rossby radius. The study highlights the importance of accurate climatological data for understanding ocean circulation and wave propagation.The first baroclinic Rossby radius of deformation is computed from global 1°×1° climatological average temperature and salinity profiles. These new high-resolution maps are compared with previously published maps of the Rossby radius and gravity-wave phase speed. It is concluded that earlier estimates are systematically biased low by 5%–15% due to computational errors. The WKB approximation is used to explain geographical variations in the Rossby radius, showing that it decreases with latitude and is inversely related to the Coriolis parameter. Temporal variations in stratification are found to have negligible effects on the Rossby radius at any given location. The study also compares the Rossby radius calculated from the NODC dataset with the LOC dataset, finding that the LOC dataset provides more accurate results. The WKB approximation is shown to be useful for understanding the effects of earth rotation, stratification, and water depth on the Rossby radius. The results indicate that the Rossby radius is generally accurate to within a few percent, except near intense currents. The study concludes that temporal variations in stratification can be neglected in estimating the Rossby radius. The results also suggest that the discrepancy between observed and predicted propagation speeds of midlatitude sea level signals may be due to errors in previous estimates of the Rossby radius. The study highlights the importance of accurate climatological data for understanding ocean circulation and wave propagation.