The Coriolis effect illustrated using a 1-hour flight of a rocket traveling from the North Pole to a location on the equator. On a nonrotating Earth, the rocket would travel straight to its target. However, Earth rotates 15 each hour. Thus, although the rocket travels in a straight line, when we plot the path of the rocket on Earth s surface, it follows a curved path that veers to the right of the target. CES1608 Cyclonic and anticyclonic winds in the Northern Hemisphere.
Arrows show that winds blow into and counterclockwise around a low.
By contrast, around a high, winds blow outward and clockwise. CES1609 Airflow associated with surface cyclones and anticylones. A low, or cyclone, has converging surface winds and rising air causing cloudy conditions. A high, or anticyclone, has diverging surface winds and descending air, which leads to clear skies and fair weather. CES1611 Global circulation on a nonrotating Earth.