Mmastodon SciencePhysics first seen 6 d ago, last 6 d ago, peak #5
Why Hurricanes and Ocean Currents Move in Circles
Original: Moving in Circles Geophysical flows, especially those like hurricanes and oceanic flows, often move in circular motions.
Geophysical flows such as hurricanes and large-scale ocean currents tend to move in circular patterns rather than straight lines. That behaviour stems from Earth's rotation, which produces the Coriolis force, an effect that continually deflects the direction of moving fluids. Fluid dynamics researchers are explaining the principle, using rotating-tank demonstrations to show how planetary spin shapes weather systems and ocean circulation worldwide.
Why now: The Coriolis effect and its role in hurricanes and ocean currents is a visually striking physics topic being explained to a general audience.
Earthhurricanesocean currentsCoriolis forceUCLA SpinLab
Evidence
- Moving in Circles Geophysical flows, especially those like hurricanes and oceanic flows, often move in circular motions. That comes about because of Earth’s rotation, which creates a Coriolis force that constantly affects the direction of their motion. In this UCLA SpinLab… · admin@fyfluiddynamics.com · 2
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