Vortex lattices—highly ordered arrays of vortices—are known to arise in quantum systems such as type II superconductors and Bose-Einstein condensates. More recently, similar arrangements have been reported in classical rotating fluids. However, the mechanisms governing their formation, stability, and eventual breakdown remain poorly understood. We explore the dynamical stability of vortex lattices in three-dimensional rotating flows. To that end we construct controlled initial conditions consisting of vortex lattices superimposed on turbulent backgrounds. We then characterize their evolution across different Rossby numbers and domain geometries. By introducing an Ekman drag we are able to reach a steady state where vortex lattices persist with near constant amplitude up until spontaneous breakup of the lattice, or an equivalent of “melting,” occurs. We examine an ensemble of runs in order to determine the mean lifetime of the lattice as a function of the system parameters. Our results reveal that the stability of the lattices is a memory-less random process whose mean lifetime depends sensitively on the system parameters that if finely tuned can lead to very long-lived lattice states. These metastable states exhibit statistical properties reminiscent of critical systems and can offer insight into long-lived vortex patterns observed in planetary atmospheres.

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• Rotating turbulence
• Vortex interactions
• Vortex lattices