The stability and genesis of Rossby vortices

Abstract

The Rossby vortices <>9d\ are studied numerically using the single-layer (SL) model with Jovian parameters. Advection is the main preserver of vortices. The solutions provide an explanation for the origin, uniqueness and longevity of the Great Red Spot (GRS). In low latitudes stable anticylcones exist only when a strong equatorial westerly jet and a significant easterly current are present to eliminate the highly dispersive equatorial models. The permanence of a GRS-like, low-latitude vortex in a Jovian flow configuration is established by a 100-year simulation. Vortices can be generated at the equator by the collapse of low-latitude anticyclones. In mid or low latitudes, unstable easterly jets generate vortices whose final number depends mainly on the interaction history. Stochastically forced eddies cascade by wave interactions into zonal currents and by eddy mergers into a single Rossby vortex that thrives on the turbulence. -from Authors