Home
Back
Formula Used:
| From: | To: |
The Horizontal Component of Coriolis Acceleration is defined as the acceleration due to the rotation of the earth, experienced by particles (water parcels, for example) moving along the earth's surface. It is a crucial factor in geophysical fluid dynamics and atmospheric sciences.
The calculator uses the formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates the acceleration component perpendicular to the Earth's surface due to the Coriolis effect, which depends on the Earth's rotation rate, latitude, and the horizontal velocity of the moving object.
Details: Accurate calculation of Coriolis acceleration is essential for understanding large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns, weather forecasting, and navigation systems. It explains why moving objects on Earth are deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
Tips: Enter angular speed of the Earth in rad/s, Earth station latitude in radians, and horizontal speed in m/s. All values must be valid positive numbers.
Q1: What is the typical value for Earth's angular speed?
A: The Earth's angular speed is approximately \( 7.2921159 \times 10^{-5} \) rad/s.
Q2: How does latitude affect Coriolis acceleration?
A: Coriolis acceleration is maximum at the poles (where sin(latitude) = 1) and zero at the equator (where sin(latitude) = 0).
Q3: Why is the Coriolis effect important in meteorology?
A: The Coriolis effect influences wind patterns, storm rotation, and ocean currents, making it fundamental to weather prediction and climate studies.
Q4: Does Coriolis acceleration affect all moving objects equally?
A: The effect is more significant for objects moving over long distances and longer time periods. It's negligible for small-scale, short-duration motions.
Q5: How is latitude converted from degrees to radians?
A: Multiply degrees by \( \pi/180 \) to convert to radians. For example, 45° = \( 45 \times \pi/180 = 0.7854 \) radians.