Download Coriolis Effect

By: Olivia 6D
Definition of Coriolis
Effect
O Coriolis Effect is the visible bending of objects
which are actually moving in a straight path
relative to the Earth’s surface. Its strength is
relative to the speed of the earth's rotation at
different latitudes but it has an impact on
moving objects across the globe.
O From the object in the air (like an airplane) the
Earth can be seen rotating slowly below it.
Seeing from the Earth's surface, that same
object appears to curve off of its way. The
object is not actually moving off its way but
this happen because the earth’s surface is
rotating below the object.
Causes of Coriolis Effect
O The Earth’s rotation is one
cause of the Coriolis Effect.
When the Earth spins on its
axis in an anti-clockwise
direction, anything flying or
flowing over a long distance
above the surface is deflected.
This happen because if
something moves freely above
the earth's surface, the earth
is moving to the right under
the object which had a faster
speed.
O As latitude increases and the speed of
the Earth’s rotation decreases, the
Coriolis Effect increases too. Like for
example, a pilot flying along the
equator would be able to continue
flying on the equator without seeing
any visible deflecting. If the pilot go a
little to the north or south of the
equator, it will be deflecting.
How does it happen
O The Coriolis Effect force
winds to move to the right
or left. Objects or
currents (like winds or
water) in the Northern
Hemisphere are deflected
to the right, while objects
in the Southern
Hemisphere are deflected
to the left.
O The Coriolis Effect is
related to speed and
latitude. Stronger winds are
deflected more than slower
winds. Winds at the poles
are deflected more than
winds near the equator.
There isn't any Coriolis
Effect at the equator,
because when wind go
faster, it gets more
deflected as its speed gets
higher, which explains the
Impacts of Coriolis
Effect
O As air increases from the Earth's surface,
its speed over the surface increases.
Because the Coriolis Effect increases with
an object’s increasing speed, it deflects air
flows and the wind as a result. In the
Northern Hemisphere these winds spiral to
the right, while in the Southern
Hemisphere, the winds spiral to the left.
O Ocean currents are also one of the main
impacts of Coriolis effect. The Coriolis
Effect impacts the move on the ocean’s
water. Many of the ocean's largest currents
circulate around warm, high pressure areas
called gyres.
O The Coriolis Effect is important to man-made
objects in addition to these natural phenomena.
One of the most impacts are the deflecting of
planes and missiles.
O For example take a flight from San Francisco,
California to New York City. If the earth did not
rotate, there would be no Coriolis Effect and the
pilot could fly in a straight path to the east. Due
to Coriolis Effect, the pilot has to correctly
understand the earth's movement beneath the
plane. Without this understanding, the plane
would land somewhere in the southern part of
the United States.
Bibliography
O Briney, Amanda. “Coriolis Effect”. [Online]
Available.
http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeo
graphy/a/coriolis.htm . 10th September
2013.
O “The Coriolis Effect”. [Online] Available.
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-forkids/0089-coriolis-effect.php . 10th
September 2013.
O “Coriolis Force”. [Online] Available.
http://library.thinkquest.org/C001472/en/
development/coriolis.content.html . 11th
September 2013.
Website for doing my experiment…
O “Weather Experiments - Coriolis Effect”
[Online] Available.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiYs4QB
WTOo&feature=player_detailpage . 12th
September 2013.