0
Why do ocean currents and general wind patterns go in opposite circular patterns above and below the equator?
Wiki User
∙ 16y ago
For anything small (like a bathtub), it doesn't - that's an urban legend.
The theory is that coriolis forces makes water swirl one way in one hemisphere and the opposite way in the other - but that force is quite utterly negligable on small amounts of liquid or gas - such as your bathtub.
The effect DOES work at the scale of ocean currents and hurricanes. Hurricanes in the northern hemisphere rotate counterclockwise, those in the Southern Hemisphere (which are properly called "Typhoons") rotate clockwise.
The coriolis force comes about because the earth rotates. If you think about a wind blowing south from somewhere far into the northern hemisphere, as the wind travels southwards, the planet rotates from west to east causing the air to be spun around in a counter-clockwise direction. The opposite happens in the southern hemisphere.
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
Wiki User
∙ 16y agoBecause the earth is spinning on it's axis.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What causes global winds and currents to curve in a circular pattern?
The curved paths of global winds and surface currents are caused by warm air near the equator.
Do warm currents flow toward the equator or away?
What are the normal ocean circulation patterns?
The normal circulation patterns of the oceans are from east to west in the north. The circulation reverses in the south moving west to east.
Why do warm ocean currents cool as they flow along a coastline away from the equator?
Warm ocean currents cool as they flow along a coastline away from the equator because sand and minerals are transported by ocean currents away from the equator.
What direction do surface currents near the equator flow?
Ocean currents flow near the equator from the east to west. Ocean currents flow near the poles from west to east.
What type of pattern does ocean currents make?
Circular wind patterns create spiral ocean currents called gyres. There are five major gyres flowing both north and south of the equator: the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific and Indian Ocean gyres.
What causes global winds and currents to curve in a circular pattern?
The curved paths of global winds and surface currents are caused by warm air near the equator.
Where do warm currents move from?
Warm currents move from the equator to the poles, and the cold currents move from the poles to the equator. :D
Do warm currents flow toward the equator or away?
What are the normal ocean circulation patterns?
The normal circulation patterns of the oceans are from east to west in the north. The circulation reverses in the south moving west to east.
Why do most deep currents form near the poles?
Deep currents form around wind patterns. These wind patterns particularly affect deep currents near shorelines of major lands or continents.
Do convection currents connect the poles all the way to the equator?
Yes, convection currents connect the poles all the way to the equator.
Why ocean currents that originate near equator is warm?
As the equator is warm, the currents that originate from there are also warm.
What direction do surface currents near the equator?
Ocean currents flow near the equator from the east to west. Ocean currents flow near the poles from west to east.
How do ocean currents affect air temperature in coastal areas?
Warm Ocean currents warms the air above it and some move from the tropic towards both poles ---------------------------------------------------------AND----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cold Ocean currents also affect weather patterns by bringing cold water from polar to the equator
What Causes the wind and surface currents to turn?
The coriolis effect. The spinning of the Earth on it's axis necessarily produces a rotation in wind and water currents on the Earth's surface due to the fact that the equator moves at a faster rate of speed than any points approaching the poles. This creates a counterclockwise rotation of currents in the northern hemisphere and clockwise rotation south of the equator. It also creates a deflection of currents to the right north of the equator and a deflection to the left south of the equator, essentially causing the currents to deflect in a clockwise direction north of the equator and counterclockwise south of the equator (opposite their localized spin). Thus the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic currents around the Atlantic Ocean move clockwise around the ocean, yet hurricanes in the North Atlantic spin counterclockwise locally. Other factors such as change in surface heat (sea/land breezes) and gravity (sun and moon creating tidal currents) also exist.
Do convection currents connects the poles all the way to the equator?
Yes, convection currents connect the poles all the way to the equator.
