Dynamics of localized vortices on the beta plane

Abstract

This paper studies the joint influence that rotation and the earth’s sphericity have on the dynamics of localized synoptic scale vortices within the quasi-geostrophic barotropic model in the beta-plane approximation. Rossby solitons (two-dimensional vortices exponentially localized in space which propagate without changing their form along the latitude circles) are considered in the first part of the article. The general properties of such solutions are discussed. The simplest examples are presented, and a brief review of the main results is given. The second part is dedicated to the theory of nonstationary monopoles. The physical mechanisms governing the evolution of such vortices are described; different stages of this evolution are determined for intense vortices. Analytical and numerical results are used to confirm the qualitative explanations.