What causes the Coriolis effect?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question at hand is: What causes the Coriolis effect?

First, note that the provided data includes a correct answer: "Rotation of the Earth". However, the list of answer options is empty in this input, so there is no set of distractors to evaluate. Despite that, we can still reason about why the stated correct answer is right and what general concepts are involved.

To understand the Coriolis effect, imagine an object moving on a rotating frame of reference, such as the Earth's surface. Because Earth is rotating, different latitudes move at different linear speeds: points near the equator have higher tangential velocity than points near the poles. When an object travels in a straight path relative to an inertial (non-rotating) frame, its path appears curved to an observer on Earth due to the changing tangential speed as it moves north or south. This apparent curvature is the Coriolis effect.

Therefore, the primary cause is the rotation of the Earth itself, which sets up the rotating reference frame from which motion is observed. The effect is zero in a non-rotating frame and becomes noticeable for sufficiently long travel distances or for large-scale motions like atmospheric winds and ocean currents.

If there were answer options to consider, we would evaluate common distractors such as:
- The rotation of the Sun or other celestial motions (incorrect in this context, since the Coriolis effect is analyzed in the rotating frame of the Earth for terrestrial phenomena).
- Friction or drag forces (these influence motion but do not create the Coriolis deflection per se; friction acts along surfaces while Coriolis is about the apparent sideways acceleration due to rotation).
- Gravity alone (gravity governs vertical motion and orbits but does not generate the sideways deflection described by the Coriolis effect in the rotating frame).

In summary, the Coriolis effect arises because the Earth is rotating, which makes the reference frame non-inertial and causes moving objects to experience an apparent sideways acceleration relative to the surface.

Section Merge: Earth 103N (Spring 2025) Graded Quiz Module 6

What causes the Coriolis effect?

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