1. Coriolis Effect

2. Earth’s rotation affects wind direction
What would happen if the Earth didn’t rotate?
Global winds would flow directly from the poles to the equator.
The rotation changes the direction of the winds
This is called the CORIOLIS EFFECT
Earth's rotation causes long distance winds (global winds) to curve.
Northern Hemisphere: winds curve to the right looking from north pole
Southern Hemisphere: winds curve to the left looking from south pole