10. Wind Directions on a Rotating Earth

• Yes, the wind blows away from high pressure systems and towards low pressure systems in the atmosphere, but not directly because we live on a rotating planet!

• Objects in motion of a rotating earth experience a deflection in their path (change in direction) associated with the coriolis effect, which varies in strength from the equator to the north or south pole.

Therefore the amount of deflection experienced by the moving object is greater if it is located near the geographic poles, and significantly less if it is near the equator. 

• In the northern hemisphere, objects in motion experience a deflection to the right (when looking in the direction of motion)

• At the equator, the Coriolis effect is absent, so there is no deflection of objects in motion.

• In the southern hemisphere, objects in motion experience a deflection to the left (when looking in the direction of motion)

• Let's put our ideas together, the combination of:

  1. wind blowing away from high pressure and...............

  2. a deflection in the direction of air motion due to the Coriolis effect,

  both which result in a circular motion of air in the atmosphere

At the equator, the Coriolis Effect will deflect objects in motion to________?

a) the right
b) the left
c) the north
d) No deflection