The Coriolis Effect
One air has been set in motion by the pressure gradient force, it
undergoes an apparent deflection as viewed from an observer on Earth. This is known as the Coriolis force.
The Coriolis force is not a true force, but like the centripetal
force it is an apparent force that is only observed because of the rotation of
the reference frame.
In the northern hemisphere objects are always deflected to the
right, and in the southern hemisphere objects are always deflected to the
left. This affects everything from air
parcels to airplanes.
Fcoriolis = -2mwVcos(latitude)
V = velocity of
object
Ó 2004 by Marisa Demers