Coriolis Effect Mini Lesson

Essential Question: How does The Coriolis Effect impact ocean currents & weather patterns?

Multiple Select

Recall:
Select all factors that cause ocean currents

• Wind

• Temperature and Salinity Gradient

• Earth's Rotation and Frictional Forces

• Earth's Revolution and Gravitational Forces

Dropdown

On the diagram, ​ ​

Select answer

exist between 30 North and 60 North, as well as between 30 South and 60 South.

Drag and Drop

Pressure moves from

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to ​

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

High

Low

• Uneven heating of the Earth's surface.

• The directions are influenced by the Coriolis Effect.

What Influences Global Wind Patterns

• In a rotating frame of reference (e.g: the Earth) you observe a deflection from a straight line

• Freely moving objects are deflected to the "right" in the Northern Hemisphere and to the "left" in the Southern Hemisphere when viewed from an outside perspective.

What Is the Coriolis Effect?

• The magnitude depends on speed and latitude.

  • Faster/higher latitudes experience greater deflection.

• Due to this, Global Wind Patterns swap directions across the equator

• Doldrums (areas of calm winds and low pressure) occur at the Intertropical Convergence Zone near the equator.

What causes the Coriolis Effect?

Multiple Choice

True or False: In the Northern Hemisphere, hurricanes, cyclones, and tornadoes rotate clockwise, while in the Southern Hemisphere, they rotate counterclockwise due to The Coriolis Effect.

• True

• False

• They rotate the same regardless of hemisphere

• Deflection creates the prevailing wind patterns (the Westerlies, Polar Easterlies, and the Trade Winds) and determine weather patterns around the world.

• Organizes and steers these storm systems (cyclones and hurricanes) influencing their tracks and intensity.

• Northern Hemisphere storms rotate counterclockwise,

• Southern Hemisphere storms rotate clockwise.

How does the Coriolis Effect affect weather patterns?

• Deflection of ocean currents helps to create large-scale circulation patterns in the oceans

  • EG: the North Atlantic Gyre and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

How does the Coriolis Effect affect ocean currents?

Discuss with a neighbor: What would happen if the Coriolis Effect suddenly ceased?

Open Ended

In your own words: Explain the interplay between the Coriolis Effect, oceanic circulation, and atmospheric circulation, illustrating how these interactions contribute to the formation and maintenance of major ocean currents and global wind patterns.