UC San Diego

The trajectory of a non-isolated monopole on the beta-plane is calculated as an asymptotic expansion in the ratio of the strength of the vortex to the beta-effect. The method of matched asymptotic expansions is used to solve the equations of motion in two regions of the flow: a near field where the beta-effect enters as a first-order forcing in relative vorticity, and a wave field in which the dominant balance is a linear one between the beta-effect and the rate of change of relative vorticity. The resulting trajectory is computed for Gaussian and Rankine vortices.