Question

Without the Coriolis Effect, the atmosphere would circulate back and forth between the warm, low-pressure area at the equator and the cold, high-pressure area at the poles. Instead, the Coriolis Effect results in the air deflecting towards the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the Left in the Southern Hemisphere. What causes these curved paths? A. the Earth spins faster at the poles that at the equator. B. the different parts of the Earth rotate at different speeds. C. the equator receives more direct sunlight than the poles. D. the poles receive more direct sunlight than the equator.

Answer 1

The correct answer is B: the different parts of the Earth rotate at different speeds.

This difference in rotational speed causes the Coriolis Effect, which deflects moving air to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. The Earth's rotation means that the equator, which is the widest part of the Earth, moves faster than the regions near the poles. As air moves from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas, this difference in speed causes the curved paths of air movement.