Rotating Nonlinear Vortical Patterns on a Gamma Plane.

Nonlinear barotropic vortical patterns on a -plane are investigated analytically. The solutions describe large-scale Rossby waves rotating anticyclonically with zero circulation. The Rossby waves are predicted to rotate with a specific angular velocity. The stream function-vorticity relation is assumed to be nonlinear, which may lead to a pronounced asymmetry within the pattern. The similarity between the simulated patterns and the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]