Coriolis+Effect

Coriolis Effect By Andrew Friedman The Coriolis Effect is caused by the Earth's rotation.

Surface currents run parallel to Earth. If you look at the currents from space, they seem to curve from the Coriolis Effect.

It makes the currents above the equator flow to the right and left below the equator.

media type="youtube" key="_36MiCUS1ro" height="344" width="425" This video shows the Coriolis Effect on a ball. When the carousel spins, it's like the Earth's rotation.

The ball is represents the current. The ball curves on the carousel. When you look at it from the top,

the ball appears to go in a straight line.

The Coriolis Effect has the same effect on currents.

If you are standing on the beach and could see the currents, they would be curved.

From space, the currents appear to be traveling in a straight path around Earth.

Causes: 

The Coriolis Effect is caused by the Earth's rotation. It has an effect on an object because the Earth

is constantly moving at a faster speed than objects traveling around it. This allows the rotation to

slowly pull an object east of its path.

History :

The Coriolis Effect was observed by the 19th century French Mathematician, Gustave-Gaspard Coriolis.

He started observing the currents in 1835. He realized that objects that travel a long distance don't look like they

follow a straight path. The path appears to be curved because the Earth is always rotating. He used his knowledge

and Newton's laws of motion to describe the effect.

Impacts:

The Coriolis Effect affects all areas of science. It helps the rotation of hurricanes and storms form, rotates sunspots,

and it affects ocean currents. It affects the path of any moving object on Earth. The faster an object moves, the

more deflection from its path the object will receive. The Coriolis Effect affects the wind, too. As air rises from the

Earth's surface, it travels faster because there is less drag and fewer obstacles. The Coriolis Effect starts to have a

noticeable effect on air when the air gains speed. Wind is caused to spiral to the right in the Northern Hemisphere

and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. Airplanes are greatly affected and pilots have to take the Coriolis Effect

into planning their routes each day. Since ocean currents are formed by the wind, they tend to follow the same

paths. Sailors also need to pay attention to the Coriolis Effect to know how currents flow and plot their paths.

The Coriolis Effect affects the paths of everyday objects like footballs and animals like birds. The deflection on the

bird or football is too small to notice, but it is there.

Myths:

Many myths are associated with the Coriolis Effect. One of the myths is that toilets and sinks drain either clockwise

or counterclockwise depending on which hemisphere you are in. Scientists have wondered about this myth and tried

it out several times. They found that the Coriolis Effect is too small to have any effect on the water draining from a

sink or toilet that we can see. The water flushes clockwise or counterclockwise because of the shape of the toilet or

sink and the position of the drain in the container.