Geocentric Science

Fluids, such as atmospheric winds and bodies of water, will flow from regions of high pressure to regions of low pressure on the Earth’s surface. Large-scale fluid systems will appear to move in a curved path due to the Earth’s rotation, the curvature of the Earth, and the differences in the rotational speed. If the Earth was not rotating, the path of movement would be a straight line.

The large-scale circular patterns are known as gyres. In the Northern Hemisphere, winds are deflected to the right and the gyres flow clockwise. In the Southern Hemisphere, winds are deflected to the left and the gyres flow counterclockwise.

There is a common misconception that the Coriolis Effect influences water flow down the drain of a bathtub or a toilet. However, these fluid systems are too small to be affected by the Coriolis Effect.