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Meteorology              Charles A. Giannetta
                         Meteorologist - Professor 
 
Coriolis Effect"

In the Northern Hemisphere the wind is turned to the right. In the In the Southern Hemisphere the wind is turned to the left. This is due to the Earth's rotation. This is know as: The Coriolis Effect. Named after the French Scientist, Gustave Coriolis, 1835. Standing out in space looking back at the Earth. If the Earth did not rotate the an object moving from the equator in a northern direction would appear to go in a straight line, however, since the Earth does rotate and object moving from the equator in a northern direction would appear to move to the right. The speed of the Earth at the equator is about 1,000 miles per hour. Since the Earth is round, at a northern latitude of 60 degrees the Earth's speed in about 500 miles per hour. In the northern hemisphere, a rocket position at the equator, (0 Latitude), was fired in a northern direction to a target at (60 Degrees North Latitude), when it arrived at it's target, it would appear to have moved to right. The speed of the Earth at the equator is about 1,000 miles per hour in an eastward direction. The target positioned on the Earth at (60 Degs. N. Lat.) is moving eastward at a speed of (500 Mph). The rocket that is located on the equator is already moving towards the east along with the Earth at 1,000 mph. The target at (60 Deg. N. Lat.) is moving towards the east about 500 mph. When the rocket reached the target it would have move east of the target. This is caused by the difference of the Earth's speed at the equator and (60 Deg. N. Lat.). If a rocket were fired from 60 Degs. N. Lat. which is moving about 500 mph towards the east at a target at the equator, the rocket would land west of it's target on the equator due to the Earth's speed at the equator is about 1,000 mph towards the east. This is know as the: "Coriolis Effect."


1. In the Northern Hemisphere, the wind is turned to the right. In the Southern Hemisphere the wind is deflected to the left. This is due to the Earth's rotation. This is know as the: "Coriolis Effect." 2. Maximum deflection occurs at the poles, almost no effect at the equator. 3. Magnitude varies with latitude and wind speed. 4. The speed of a moving body west to east would add to the speed of the Earth resulting in an increase in"Centrifugal Force." This would draw the free moving body towards the equator to the right in the Northern Hemisphere. 5. In the northern Hemisphere a free moving body from east to west would subtract from the speed of the Earth and would turn towards the right and be drawn towards the poles by gravity, lessening the force of Centrifugal Force." 6. Gravity is greater at the poles. 7. Centrifugal Force is great at the equator. 8. Higher Pressure at the poles. Lower pressure at the Equator. The misconception that water in a sink flows counter-clock-wise in the Northern Hemisphere and the opposite direction in the Southern Hemisphere is due to the Coriolis Effect is "False." The water flowing down a sink or tube drain is simply to small to be influenced by the "Coriolis Effect." The water in the sink or tub forms a memory due to some effect by the sink or tube itself. In my home, in my one bathroom the water drains to the right, in the other the water drains to the left. I have accomplished this by constantly turning the water to the right in one bathroom and to the left in the other thereby producing a memory in the container.


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