what is the way in which the rotation of the earth alters the course of the winds

by Claudie Smith Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago 5 min read

Because the Earth rotates on its axis, circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This deflection is called the Coriolis effect.

Full Answer

How does the Earth's rotation affect the wind?

Well, the Earth's rotation really doesn't have much of an effect on wind, or at least not a direct, one-to-one relationship. One result of rotation on the weather of Earth is the Coriolis effect, so weather systems tend to rotate counter-clockwise north of the equator, and clockwise south of the equator.

Is the origin of the winds due to the Earth's rotation?

In the most absolute way the origin of the winds is not due to Earth’s rotation. Its orientation can be affected by phenomena related with Earth’s rotational motion, but we should go by steps.

What direction does the Earth rotate?

Earth's rotation. As viewed from the north pole star Polaris, Earth turns counter clockwise . The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. This point is distinct from Earth's North Magnetic Pole.

What is the relationship between the Earth's rotation and atmosphere's rotation?

Because of the law of "conservation of angular momentum," small but detectable changes in the Earth’s rotation and those in the rotation of the atmosphere are linked.

How Coriolis effect affects wind?

The Coriolis Effect deflects the path of the winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. Adding this deflection leads to the pattern of prevailing winds illustrated in Figure 8.2.

How does Earth's rotation affect the Earth?

The spinning of the Earth causes day to turn to night, while the full rotation/the revolution of the Earth causes summer to become winter. Combined, the spinning and the revolution of the Earth causes our daily weather and global climate by affecting wind direction, temperature, ocean currents and precipitation.

How does Earth's rotation affect wind and ocean current patterns?

Our planet's rotation produces a force on all bodies moving relative to theEarth. Due to Earth's approximately spherical shape, this force is greatest at the poles and least at the Equator. The force, called the "Coriolis effect," causes the direction of winds and ocean currents to be deflected.

What are the two causes of the Coriolis effect?

Causes of the Coriolis Effect As latitude increases and the speed of the Earth's rotation decreases, the Coriolis effect increases. A pilot flying along the equator itself would be able to continue flying along the equator without any apparent deflection.

How does the rotation of the earth affect the seasons?

The earth's spin axis is tilted with respect to its orbital plane. This is what causes the seasons. When the earth's axis points towards the sun, it is summer for that hemisphere. When the earth's axis points away, winter can be expected.

What does the rotation of the earth cause us to experience?

day and nightEarth rotates on its axis; this causes us to experience day and night. But Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees (the angle is measured between Earth's equatorial plane and the plane in which it orbits our Sun).

What effect does the Earth's rotation have on movement of the ocean?

the result of Earth's rotation on weather patterns and ocean currents. The Coriolis effect makes storms swirl clockwise in the Southern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. force that explains the paths of objects on rotating bodies.

What effect does Earth's rotation have on its ocean currents?

The winds pull surface water with them, creating currents. As these currents flow westward, the Coriolis effect—a force that results from the rotation of the Earth—deflects them. The currents then bend to the right, heading north.

How direction of the wind affects the climate?

The winds move air masses, which causes weather. The direction of prevailing winds determines which type of air mass usually moves over an area. For example, a west wind might bring warm moist air from over an ocean. An east wind might bring cold dry air from over a mountain range.

How does the Earth's rotation affect the wind movement?

Because the Earth rotates on its axis, circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This deflection is called the Coriolis effect. Click the image for a larger view. Coastal currents are affected by local winds.

What is the meaning of Coriolis?

noun. : an apparent force that as a result of the earth's rotation deflects moving objects (such as projectiles or air currents) to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.

What is the Coriolis effect How does this affect wind and water movement on Earth?

This movement of the earth affects the direction of the winds that blow from the north and south towards the equator. Their path is deflected by the rotation of the earth. This is the Coriolis effect.

Why does the Earth rotate so slowly?

During El Niño years, for example, the rotation of the Earth may slow ever so slightly because of stronger winds, increasing the length of a day by a fraction of a millisecond (thousandth of a second).

Why do the poles move?

Other motions of the atmosphere such as larger mass in one hemisphere than the other can lead to a wobble (like a washing machine with clothes off-balance) and the poles move, in accordance to the law of the conservation of angular momentum.

Why is the conservation of angular momentum important?

Because of the law of "conservation of angular momentum," small but detectable changes in the Earth’s rotation and those in the rotation of the atmosphere are linked. The conservation of angular momentum is a law of physics that states the total angular momentum of a rotating object with no outside force remains constant regardless ...

What is Newton's law of motion?

Issac Newton’s laws of motion explain how those quantities are related to the Earth's rotation rate (leading to a change in the length of day) as well as the exact position in which the North Pole points in the heavens (known also as polar motion, or Earth wobble). To understand the concept of angular momentum, visualize the Earth spinning in space.

How to understand angular momentum?

To understand the concept of angular momentum, visualize the Earth spinning in space. Given Earth’s overall mass and its rotation, it contains a certain amount of angular momentum. When an additional force acting at a distance from the Earth's rotational axis occurs, referred to as a torque, such as changes in surface winds, ...

What is the rotation of the Earth?

Earth's rotation or Earth's spin is the rotation of planet Earth around its own axis, as well as changes in the orientation of the rotation axis in space. Earth rotates eastward, in prograde motion. As viewed from the north pole star Polaris, Earth turns counterclockwise. The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North ...

What is the motion of the Earth's rotation axis?

Main article: Earth's rotation axis. Earth's rotation axis moves with respect to the fixed stars ( inertial space ); the components of this motion are precession and nutation. It also moves with respect to Earth's crust; this is called polar motion .

How fast is the Earth's equatorial speed?

Some sources state that Earth's equatorial speed is slightly less, or 1,669.8 km/h. This is obtained by dividing Earth's equatorial circumference by 24 hours. However, the use of the solar day is incorrect; it must be the sidereal day, so the corresponding time unit must be a sidereal hour.

How to find the tangential speed of Earth's rotation?

The tangential speed of Earth's rotation at a point on Earth can be approximated by multiplying the speed at the equator by the cosine of the latitude. For example, the Kennedy Space Center is located at latitude 28.59° N, which yields a speed of: cos (28.59°) × 1674.4 km/h = 1470.2 km/h.

How long is a day longer than a century ago?

Analysis of historical astronomical records shows a slowing trend; the length of a day increased about 2.3 milliseconds per century since the 8th century BCE.

What is the motion of the stars?

In 499 CE, the Indian astronomer Aryabhata wrote that the spherical Earth rotates about its axis daily, and that the apparent movement of the stars is a relative motion caused by the rotation of Earth.

How long does it take for the Earth to rotate?

Earth rotates once in about 24 hours with respect to the Sun, but once every 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds with respect to other, distant, stars ( see below ). Earth's rotation is slowing slightly with time; thus, a day was shorter in the past. This is due to the tidal effects the Moon has on Earth's rotation.

Overview

Earth's rotation or Earth's spin is the rotation of planet Earth around its own axis, as well as changes in the orientation of the rotation axis in space. Earth rotates eastward, in prograde motion. As viewed from the north pole star Polaris, Earth turns counterclockwise.
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North …

History

Among the ancient Greeks, several of the Pythagorean school believed in the rotation of Earth rather than the apparent diurnal rotation of the heavens. Perhaps the first was Philolaus (470–385 BCE), though his system was complicated, including a counter-earth rotating daily about a central fire.
A more conventional picture was supported by Hicetas, Heraclides and Ecphantus in the fourth ce…

Periods

Earth's rotation period relative to the Sun (solar noon to solar noon) is its true solar day or apparent solar day. It depends on Earth's orbital motion and is thus affected by changes in the eccentricity and inclination of Earth's orbit. Both vary over thousands of years, so the annual variation of the true solar day also varies. Generally, it is longer than the mean solar day during two periods of the year a…

Changes

Earth's rotation axis moves with respect to the fixed stars (inertial space); the components of this motion are precession and nutation. It also moves with respect to Earth's crust; this is called polar motion.
Precession is a rotation of Earth's rotation axis, caused primarily by external torques from the gravity of the Sun, Moon and other bodies. The polar motion i…

Origin

Earth's original rotation was a vestige of the original angular momentum of the cloud of dust, rocks, and gas that coalesced to form the Solar System. This primordial cloud was composed of hydrogen and helium produced in the Big Bang, as well as heavier elements ejected by supernovas. As this interstellar dust is heterogeneous, any asymmetry during gravitational accretion resulted in the a…

Notes

1. ^ See Fallexperimente zum Nachweis der Erdrotation (German Wikipedia article).
2. ^ When Earth's eccentricity exceeds 0.047 and perihelion is at an appropriate equinox or solstice, only one period with one peak balances another period that has two peaks.
3. ^ Aoki, the ultimate source of these figures, uses the term "seconds of UT1" instead of "seconds of mean solar time".

External links

• USNO Earth Orientation new site, being populated
• USNO IERS old site, to be abandoned
• IERS Earth Orientation Center: Earth rotation data and interactive analysis
• International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS)