What causes the Coriolis effect?

What causes the Coriolis effect?

• A. Differences in humidity
• B. Rotation of the Earth causing moving objects to curve
• C. Ocean depth
• D. Temperature alone

Answer: (B)

The Coriolis effect comes from the fact that Earth is rotating. When something moves across the surface, the ground itself is moving under it at different speeds depending on where you are. The object keeps its initial momentum, but the surface it’s moving over changes speed with latitude, so its path appears curved relative to the ground. In the northern hemisphere the deflection is to the right of the motion, while in the southern hemisphere it’s to the left. The effect is zero at the equator and grows toward the poles because the rotational speed difference from the ground increases with latitude. The other factors—humidity, ocean depth, or temperature alone—don’t produce this consistent, latitude-dependent curve on a rotating planet.

The Coriolis effect comes from the fact that Earth is rotating. When something moves across the surface, the ground itself is moving under it at different speeds depending on where you are. The object keeps its initial momentum, but the surface it’s moving over changes speed with latitude, so its path appears curved relative to the ground. In the northern hemisphere the deflection is to the right of the motion, while in the southern hemisphere it’s to the left. The effect is zero at the equator and grows toward the poles because the rotational speed difference from the ground increases with latitude. The other factors—humidity, ocean depth, or temperature alone—don’t produce this consistent, latitude-dependent curve on a rotating planet.