Spinning Science: The Coriolis Effect and Its Impact on Global Weather Patterns

When Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis published a paper in 1835 on the mechanics of energy transfer in rotating systems, he likely did not foresee how pivotal his work would become in the field of meteorology. 

His formulation of what would later be called the Coriolis Effect explained how an object moving freely over the Earth's surface tends to veer to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere, due to the planet's rotation.

This effect is most visible in the paths taken by large-scale atmospheric and oceanic currents. It helps meteorologists and oceanographers understand why trade winds blow west across the tropics, why hurricanes rotate counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern, and how ocean currents circulate in vast gyres across the world's oceans.

Understanding the Coriolis Effect is also crucial for flight navigation and military applications, influencing everything from the routing of airplanes to the targeting of missiles.

Mar 22, 2023

Suitable for readers 12 years and older, especially those interested in physics, meteorology, and environmental sciences.