Question

How does the rotation of earth affects the wind direction ?

Answer 1

If the Earth did not rotate and remained stationary, the air would circulate between the poles (high pressure areas) and the equator (a low pressure area) in a simple back-and-forth pattern.

• But because the Earth rotates from West to East, circulating air is deflected.
• Instead of circulating in a straight pattern, the air deflects toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere, resulting in curved paths.
• This deflection is called the Coriolis effect.