ENV Coriolis Effect

​Coriolis Effect

By Jenny Beights

Background Information

The Coriolis effect is responsible for many global weather patterns. Named after the French mathematician Gaspard Gustave de Coriolis, the Coriolis effect describes the pattern of deflection shown by objects as they travel large distances across the earth. This is particularly relevant to the discussion of air masses and wind because the Coriolis effect illustrates the apparent bending of wind and air currents as the earth rotates.

Let's Review...

Dropdown

Hot air ​

Select answer

. Cool air ​

Select answer

.

Dropdown

Rising air creates areas of ​

Select answer

pressure.

Sinking air creates areas of ​

Select answer

pressure.

Drag and Drop

Wind moves from areas of ​

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pressure toward areas of ​

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pressure.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

high

low

rises

sinks

Drag and Drop

Air at the equator is ​

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so it will ​

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.

This creates an area of ​

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pressure.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

warmer

rise

low

cooler

sink

high

Drag and Drop

Air at the poles is ​

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so it will ​

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.

This creates an area of ​

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pressure.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

cooler

sink

high

warmer

rise

low

Hotspot

Identify the location on the earth where it would be high pressure.

Hotspot

Identify the location on the earth the air would rise and create an area of low pressure.

Draw

If the earth weren't rotating, which direction would the air move in the Northern Hemisphere?

(Draw an arrow on the diagram)

Part 1

When warm air rises due to convection, cooler denser air moves into replace it. This is called a convection current. Convection currents are the cause for our global wind patterns. The sun heats the earth unevenly due to the differences in land and water and the spherical shape of the earth.

Labelling

Label the areas of the globe.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Warm air rises.

Cool air sinks

Cool air sinks

Draw

Draw 4 convection currents in the atmosphere around globe (1 in each quadrant). The dotted line represents the tropopause at the top of the troposphere. Convection currents won't move beyond this.

Add your currents to your notes handouts.

Convection currents aren't that big...

Air moving from the the equator cools long before it reaches the poles. Air from the poles is going to warm long before it reaches the equator.

This creates divisions at 0^o, 30^o, 60^o, and 90^o - forming 3 sets of winds.

Air at the equator warms & rises.

By the time the air reaches 30^o, it will cool and sink.

Hadley Cells

​Air at the poles cools and sinks.

By the time it reaches 60^o, it will warm and rise again.

Polar Cells

​Warm air will rise at 60^o and sink at 30^o.

(You will never have air that both rises & sinks at the same latitude)

Ferrell Cells

Dropdown

Air at the equator ​

Select answer

Air at 30^o ​

Select answer

Air at 60^o ​

Select answer

Air at 90^o (the poles) ​

Select answer

Match

Match the global wind with the latitude.

• Hadley Cell

• Ferrell Cell

• Polar Cell

0-30^o

30-60^o

60-90^o

• 0-30^o

• 30-60^o

• 60-90^o

Draw the Global Convection Currents

Labelling

Label the Global Wind currents on the globe.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Polar

Hadley

Hadley

Ferrell

Polar

Ferrell

Labelling

Label each latitude line (0^o, 30^o, 60^o, & 90^o) as either H for high pressure or L for low pressure.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

H

H

H

L

H

L

L

Multiple Select

Clouds and precipitation form in areas of of low pressure (rising air) and clear, dry skies are found in areas of high pressure (sinking air).

Based on this, which latitudes would you be most likely to find many of Earth's deserts?

• 0^o

• 30^o

• 60^o

• 90^o

Multiple Select

Clouds and precipitation form in areas of of low pressure (rising air) and clear, dry skies are found in areas of high pressure (sinking air).

Based on this, which latitudes would you be most likely to find many of Earth's rain forests?

• 0^o

• 30^o

• 60^o

• 90^o

Part 2: The Coriolis Effect

1. Draw a dot in the center.

2. Draw a line from the dot straight toward you.

3. Place your pencil on the dot. Have a partner rotate the notecard counter clockwise as you draw a line from the center dot straight towards yourself.

(Turn the lines you drew into arrows)

​

On your notecard...

Multiple Choice

When rotated counter clockwise, the line you drew curved to the ...

• right

• left

Label your dot N for the North Pole.

​
If the earth is rotating counter clockwise, polar winds would move ...

​North Pole

Multiple Choice

From the North Pole the earth is spinning counter clockwise and the global winds bend...

• clockwise

• counter clockwise

1. Draw a dot in the center.

2. Draw a line from the dot straight toward you.

3. Place your pencil on the dot. Have a partner rotate the notecard clockwise as you draw a line from the center dot straight towards yourself.

(Turn the lines you drew into arrows)

​

Flip your notecard over

Multiple Choice

When rotated clockwise, the line you drew curved to the ...

• right

• left

Label your dot S for the South Pole.

​
If the earth is rotating clockwise, polar winds would move ...

​South Pole

Multiple Choice

From the South Pole the earth is spinning clockwise and the global winds bend...

• clockwise

• counter clockwise

Part 3: Global Winds

Global Winds

TIPS

• Pick the correct side:

  • N in the Northern Hemisphere

  • S in the Southern Hemisphere

• Match the straight arrow.

• Draw a curved arrow on the globe to match the curved arrow on your card.

1. Label each latitude as H (high pressure) or L (low pressure).

2. Draw a straight arrow between each of the latitudes demonstrating which direction the winds would go if the earth were NOT rotating.

3. Draw how the winds would curve between each set of latitudes.

Use your notecard to determine how the winds in each part of the globe will curve.

Winds are name by where they're FROM

Winds are named based on where they are FROM.

The next question will have you label the following winds on a map:
Polar Easterlies (there are 2 of these)
Northeast Trade Winds
Southeast Trade Winds
Westerlies (there are 2 of these)

Labelling

Label each of the winds.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Southeast Tradewinds

Westerlies

Northeast Tradewinds

Westerlies

Polar Easterlies

Polar Easterlies