Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net 1023-5809 1607-7946 3 4 1996 10.5194/npg-3-284-1996 http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/3/284/1996/ http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/3/284/1996/npg-3-284-1996.html http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/3/284/1996/npg-3-284-1996.pdf 284 290 0000-00-00 On the influence of a large scale coherent vortex on the turbulent cascade F. Chillà J.-F. Pinton R. Labbé École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Laboratoire de Physique, 46 allée d'Italie, F-69364 Lyon cedex 07, France École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Laboratoire de Physique, 46 allée d'Italie, F-69364 Lyon cedex 07, France Present address: Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Casilla 307, Correo 2, Santiago, Chile We investigate the flow between coaxial rotating disks in the situation where a strong axial vortex is present over a turbulent background. This is nonstationary and inhomogeneous as is common in most turbulent geophysical flows. We describe the s scale statistics using tools recently introduced for homogeneous turbulent flows. It seems that the cascade cess is preserved although modified by the large coherent structure.