Some effect of tropical cyclone structure on the vortex motion are examined in a nondivergent, barotropic numerical model with no basic current. As suggested earlier by DeMaria, the initial maximum wind speed has little effect on the track. Vortex translation associated with the beta effect depends sensitively on the strength of the flow between 300 and 1000 km from the center. If the flow in this annulus is made more cyclonic, the track will turn cyclonically and move more toward the west in the Northern Hemisphere. The dynamics of this beta-drift is studied via a decomposition into symmetric and asymmetric circulations. The symmetric flow experiences a slight weakening of the maximum wind speed and an anticyclonic circulation is induced beyond 600 km. The asymmetric circulation is dominated by an azimuthal wavenumber one circulation with an anticyclonic gyre east of the center, a cyclonic gyre to the west and a nearly uniform, broad-scale ventilation flow between the gyres. The vortex translati... Abstract Some effect of tropical cyclone structure on the vortex motion are examined in a nondivergent, barotropic numerical model with no basic current. As suggested earlier by DeMaria, the initial maximum wind speed has little effect on the track. Vortex translation associated with the beta effect depends sensitively on the strength of the flow between 300 and 1000 km from the center. If the flow in this annulus is made more cyclonic, the track will turn cyclonically and move more toward the west in the Northern Hemisphere. The dynamics of this beta-drift is studied via a decomposition into symmetric and asymmetric circulations. The symmetric flow experiences a slight weakening of the maximum wind speed and an anticyclonic circulation is induced beyond 600 km. The asymmetric circulation is dominated by an azimuthal wavenumber one circulation with an anticyclonic gyre east of the center, a cyclonic gyre to the west and a nearly uniform, broad-scale ventilation flow between the gyres. The vortex translati...