Coriolis Effect Issues - Essay Example

It can influence the ocean through the interaction with other factors such as temperature and the physical characteristics of the ocean basin. Another important influence is related to the surface currents with broad circulatory patterns referred to as gyres. The Coriolis effect causes the clockwise movement of the gyres in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise movement in the Southern Hemisphere. Surface currents though do not cross the equator but waters in the equatorial region are affected by the tropical easterlies or trade winds thus producing the Equatorial Current. The Coriolis effect then causes the movement of warm water to the pole while the cool water currents flow to the equatorial region (Gabler and others, 2008, p.133).

The influence of the Coriolis effect is also visible in atmospheric phenomena such as wind currents and other air currents and movements such as cyclones. The Coriolis effect on the wind currents can be related to different factors such as force, friction, and pressure gradient. One example is the geostrophic wind which goes parallel to isobars and is affected by the friction and pressure gradient and turns 90 degrees due to the Coriolis effect. The forces and the factors affecting the movement of air vary and these variations cause different atmospheric phenomena (Gabler and others 2008, p.119).

The Coriolis effect can influence the two fluids on the planet, the water and the air. For that matter, it can also affect the interaction of the two. Basically, due to the association of the oceans and the atmosphere, it can be considered hard to separate the effects of the earth’s rotation on the two fluids to create global weather and climate. One example is in terms of cyclones, the temperature and moisture gradients initiate the start of a storm and the direction of the said phenomenon can greatly be affected by a multitude of factors including the Coriolis effect, surface friction, etc. (Gabler and others, 2008, p.133).

Based on the data gathered, the Coriolis effect is one of the most important forces in nature that can affect weather systems due to its influence on the movement and circulation of the two main fluids on the planet, the water and the air. The water can be found in different water systems such as oceans and the air can be found in the atmosphere. Both fluids continue to circulate and move thus effects of the Coriolis force can be observed around the globe based on different factors such as temperature, pressure, location, etc.