An intriguing variety of vortex structures arise during buoyant convection, especially in the presence of background stratification and rotation. These vortices play an important role in environmental fluid motions, bearing upon small-scale turbulence to planetary-scale circulation. A brief review of vortex motions associated with buoyant convection is presented in this paper, emphasizing the sources of vorticity, evolution of vortex structures and their role in oceanic and atmospheric dynamics. The genesis of a variety of vortices, for example, mushroom vortices, geostrophic and ageostrophic vortices, dipolar structures and hetons in buoyant convection flows is described, and parameterizations to represent their properties are discussed. New laboratory and numerical simulation results on vortex-related phenomena in stratified and rotating fluids and their implications in geophysical convective flows are also presented.

[This publication is referenced in the "Synthesis of knowledge of extreme fire behavior: volume I for fire managers" (Werth et al 2011).]