The propagation properties of linear wave motions in magnetic and/or velocity shears which vary in one coordinate z (say) are usually governed by a second order linear ordinary differential equation in the independent variable z. It is proved that associated with any such differential equation there always exists a quantity A which is independent of z. By employing A a measure of the intensity of the wave, this result is used to investigate the general propagation properties of hydromagnetic-gravity waves (e.g. critical level absorption, valve effects and wave amplification) in magnetic and/or velocity shears, using a full wave treatment. When variations in the basic state are included, the governing differential equation usually has more singularities than it has in the W.K.B.J. approximation, which neglects all variations in the background state. The study of a wide variety of models shows that critical level behaviour occurs only at the singularities predicted by the W.K.B.J. approximation. Although the solutions of the differential equation are necessarily singular at the irregularities whose presence is solely due to the inclusion of variations in the basic state, the intensity of the wave (as measured by A) is continuous there. Also the valve effect is found to persist whatever the relation between the wavelength of the wave and the scale of variations of the background state. In addition, it is shown that a hydromagnetic-gravity wave incident upon a finite magnetic and/or velocity shear can be amplified (or over-reflected) in the absence of any critical levels within the shear layer. In a Boussinesq fluid rotating uniformly about the vertical, wave amplification can occur if the horizontal vertically sheared flow and magnetic field are perpendicular. In a compressible isothermal fluid, on the other hand, wave amplification not only occurs in both magnetic-velocity and velocity shears but also in a magnetic shear acting alone.
On the maintenance of spiral structure
