Nonlinear Waves of Vorticity

This is a review of solutions of the vorticity equation for two-dimensional flow of an inviscid incompressible fluid that represent nonlinear waves. Geophysical applications are emphasized. Some of the solutions are valid in the beta-plane of Rossby. Some are related to weakly nonlinear perturbations of basic parallel flows and axisymmetric flows, to initial-value problems of hydrodynamic instability and to variational principles of minimal enstrophy or maximal entropy. Some have been found by exploiting well-known ideas of the theory of solitons. In addition to listing known solutions and presenting a synthesis of their relationship to other fluid dynamic results, we report a few new ideas and new solutions for strongly nonlinear waves.