How does the coriolis force affect wind blowing due east or west?

Question

The equation for coriolis force has no component for wind direction. The main component is the latitude. When moving due east or west there is no change in velocity on the surface of the earth between the origin and destination. Then does the eart's rotation have no effect at all?

Answer 1

It's not east-west motion that's affected by Coriolis force, it's north-south motion. Something starting at the equator and moving north starts out moving at the speed of rotation of the earth at the equator. But as it moves north, the speed of the rotation of the earth slows down (reaches zero at the north pole), so either the moving object (like a mass of air) must either slow down its west-to-east motion, or else it must stay in place while the earth rotates underneath it. To an observer on the earth below, if the air mass maintains the same west-to-east velocity that it had at the equator, it will appear to be moving to the east with respect to the ground.

Likewise, an air mass originating at a higher latitude and moving south toward the equator will appear to move from east to west to a ground-based observer.

Now, consider that for a low-pressure system, air will be moving south from high latitudes (and appearing to travel to the west) and moving north from low latitudes (and appearing to travel to the east). Draw a map of that, and you'll see the classic counter-clockwise rotation about a low, all caused by Coriolis force.

Of course, this all gets flipped around in the southern hemisphere, but the principle is the same.

Answer 2

Coriolis affects wind by turning winds to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere. This affects direction because at 30 degrees, there is a global high pressure belt where winds can originate. As they move toward the equator, they are turned creating easterly trade winds. As they move north in the northern hemisphere, they are turned right creating westerly winds. These prevailing winds also include easterly winds in the polar latitudes.

Answer 3

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