Hurricanes and the Coriolis effect?

In summary, hurricanes are large, rotating storm systems that form over warm ocean waters and are influenced by the Coriolis effect, which is the result of Earth's rotation. The Coriolis effect causes moving air and water to turn and twist, leading to the characteristic spiral shape of hurricanes. In the Northern Hemisphere, this effect causes storms to rotate counterclockwise, while in the Southern Hemisphere, they rotate clockwise. The strength and direction of a hurricane are significantly affected by the Coriolis effect, making it a crucial factor in their formation and movement.
  • #1
ben_orin
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Do hurricanes experience the Coriolis effect going down or up category after crossing the equator? The Coriolis effect is what makes water spin counter clockwise/clockwise down a drain on either side of the equator.
Is this the correct sub forum for this post?
 
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  • #2
Welcome to PF.
ben_orin said:
Do hurricanes experience the Coriolis effect going down category after crossing the equator?
Which hurricane, or tropical cyclone, has ever crossed the equator?
 
  • #3
Thanks! I just lost the key to my old acct, be back in a day on it when Greg gets to it. Sorry, kinda new to Earth Science. Is there a gradual reversal of the direction of water flow (cw/ccw) while approaching the equator due to the Coriolis effect that the angular momentum of the hurricane or tropical cyclone resists, keeping it from crossing over?
 
  • #4
You're an Engineer? Sweet! What kind? Congrats on the award! @Baluncore
 
  • #5
ben_orin said:
Is there a gradual reversal of the direction of water flow (cw/ccw) while approaching the equator that the angular momentum of the hurricane or tropical cyclone resists keeping it from crossing over?
Yes.
Hurricanes are chiral. If their hand is amplified in one hemisphere, they will be attenuated in the other. For that reason, they cannot cross the equatorial zone.

ben_orin said:
You're an Engineer? Sweet! What kind?
The old human kind.
 
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  • #6
Baluncore said:
The old human kind.
My favorite kind!!
 

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