  Results from a new series of experiments on barotropic and baroclinic
turbulent flows generated in a rotating tank with topographic beta-effect are
presented. The velocity fields are measured by the Altimetric Imaging
Velocimetry. The turbulent flows observed in the experiments develop zonal jets
which are latent in a stationary forced-dissipative regime of the flow but
become prominent in the decaying flow. The two-dimensional energy spectra of
the flows exhibit the development of anisotropy towards zonal motions. The
experiments demonstrate dual turbulent cascade with energy and enstrophy
ranges. The frequency-wavenumber spectra reveal the presence of Rossby waves at
low wavenumbers which are excited by the turbulent motions. The experimental
results are compared with available theory of beta-plane turbulence.
