Introduction to Physical Geology Practice Exam 2026 - Free Geology Practice Questions and Study Guide

The Coriolis effect is the sideways deflection caused by Earth’s rotation. In the Northern Hemisphere, moving air is deflected to the right of its path. So an air parcel moving north toward the North Pole will curve to the east, since the right-hand side of a northward path points east. This eastward deflection increases with latitude, which is why wind patterns in this hemisphere tend to have an eastward component as they move poleward.