Motion of an intense vortex on a rotating globe (Q1115693)

The evolution of an initially circular vortex is considered in terms of the relation between its dimensions and the screening scale - the radius of deformation of the quasigeostrophic single-layer model in the beta- plane. It is shown that the beta-effect causes the displacement of the center of the vortex as a result of wave drift and secondary flows of dipole structure, whose development is analyzed asymptotically. It is found that with increase in the radius of deformation relative to the dimensions of the vortex the velocity of its center with respect to latitude becomes greater than the velocity with respect to longitude. The change in the intensity of the vortex due to the motion of its center with respect to latitude is estimated.