2007-12-31 11:44:50 · 12 answers · asked by shadowcat 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
The Coriolis effect, sometimes called the Coriolis Force.
2007-12-31 12:23:48 · answer #1 · answered by hutson 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Coriolis effect. A man with this name once wondered why if you shot a cannon north,(in the northern hemisphere) The cannon ball would fall to the west of the target. He discovered that where the cannon was sitting was traveling faster around the world than the target because it was closer to the equator than the target. And the target was closer to the north pole. The equator spins around the earth at approximately 1,000 miles an hour and the poles spin at zero miles per hour. This same effect causes wind patterns to swirl around when a high pressure area tries to go to a low pressure area. It starts in a straight line, but the target area moves at a different speed so the air movement has to shift to adjust to the movement. This causes a swirling wind and cloud movement. This causes the same effect in the southern hemisphere but with the opposite movements.
2008-01-01 04:42:53 · answer #2 · answered by Jackolantern 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Usually clouds are carried away by the winds prevailing at the cloud's height.The reason that they are moving in opposite directions is due to the coriolis effect which act in opposite directions in both hemispheres.That is why the trade winds,westerlies and polar easterlies which are the global winds blow in opposite directions in the two hemispheres.
2007-12-31 15:09:01 · answer #3 · answered by Arasan 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The reason why clouds move in the opposite directions of the earth depends on these factors water temp/water direction, jet stream, the rotation and tilt of the earth, and even the seasons can be a cause too.
2007-12-31 14:06:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
my clouds go wherever I tell them to ...
yeah, I have a remote control that does that!
2007-12-31 12:00:47 · answer #5 · answered by oracle 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Just like the oceans and toilets also. Has to do with the rotation of the earth.
2007-12-31 11:48:35 · answer #6 · answered by Mark T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
clouds have nothing else better to do...they move pretty slowly so they have plenty of time to be pushed by winds..even the lightest winds can tug at them..their main job is to circumnavigate the globe anyways.....from one region to the next...
2007-12-31 11:48:31 · answer #7 · answered by Jay 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
probably because the earth moves to euther the left or the right, and it just seems that way to the human eye.
2007-12-31 11:48:14 · answer #8 · answered by Amy T 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they don't ... they go which ever way the wind is blowing
2007-12-31 11:48:06 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
way the wind blows
2007-12-31 11:47:51 · answer #10 · answered by bungee 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋