Foundations of Earth Science (8th Edition)
Foundations of Earth Science (8th Edition)
8th Edition
ISBN: 9780134184814
Author: Frederick K. Lutgens, Edward J. Tarbuck, Dennis G. Tasa
Publisher: PEARSON
Question
Book Icon
Chapter 10, Problem 1GST
To determine

The reason why the surface current such as the one shown in the accompanying map does not correctly coincide with the direction of the prevalent wind.

Expert Solution & Answer
Check Mark

Answer to Problem 1GST

In addition to the prevalent winds that drive the surface currents, there is the influence of Coriolis effect on the currents. It is due to the impact of Coriolis effect that the surface currents get deflected from the direction of the prevalent wind.

Explanation of Solution

It is known that wind is the major driving factor of surface currents of the ocean. However, currents do not follow the exact direction of the prevailing winds rather they would be slightly deflected, just the way shown in the accompanying map.

The deflection of currents is because of the Earth’s Coriolis effect. The Earth’s rotation on its axis is responsible for Coriolis effect. The deflection from Coriolis effect is toward the right in the Northern hemisphere, while it is toward the left in the Southern hemisphere. Moreover, Coriolis effect rotates the ocean gyres in clockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere and in anticlockwise direction in the Southern hemisphere.

Want to see more full solutions like this?

Subscribe now to access step-by-step solutions to millions of textbook problems written by subject matter experts!
Students have asked these similar questions
Write an opening statement and a brief background for this discussion: efforts should be made to create distance and separate crops that produce pollutants such as ecoli (i.e. animal farming) from crops that don’t (i.e. lettuce) to protect these latter crops despite the extra costs and logistical challenges.
In which category of publications should the journal titled The Canadian Geographer / Le Geographe Canadien appear, according to the lectures? Indeed, your professor argued that Montello & Sutton (2013) would have listed this journal under this category within Table 3.1 of their chapter if the journal’s circulation and citation counts were substantially higher.   Question 10 options:   scholarly journals in human geography   academic journals in general geography   popular magazines adjacent to the geography discipline
Clifford & Travis (2018) found that people use climate rubrics to make sense of the weather around them. They define such rubrics as stable linkages that people apply to determine how one feature of the weather will affect another environmental feature. One rancher described the use of ____ to assess how much vegetation would grow over the summer to feed his cattle.   Question 8 options:   water levels at a local lake   the date at which leaves first start to bud on some trees   snow depth at a certain location
Knowledge Booster
Background pattern image
Similar questions
SEE MORE QUESTIONS
Recommended textbooks for you
Text book image
Applications and Investigations in Earth Science ...
Earth Science
ISBN:9780134746241
Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Exercises for Weather & Climate (9th Edition)
Earth Science
ISBN:9780134041360
Author:Greg Carbone
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Environmental Science
Earth Science
ISBN:9781260153125
Author:William P Cunningham Prof., Mary Ann Cunningham Professor
Publisher:McGraw-Hill Education
Text book image
Earth Science (15th Edition)
Earth Science
ISBN:9780134543536
Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Environmental Science (MindTap Course List)
Earth Science
ISBN:9781337569613
Author:G. Tyler Miller, Scott Spoolman
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Physical Geology
Earth Science
ISBN:9781259916823
Author:Plummer, Charles C., CARLSON, Diane H., Hammersley, Lisa
Publisher:Mcgraw-hill Education,