Coriolis Effect (Weather)

According to proponents of the Coriolis Effect, in the Northern Hemisphere wind systems rotate counter-clockwise, and in the Southern Hemisphere wind systems will rotate clockwise. This is provided as evidence of the Coriolis Effect, and therefore, as evidence of the diurnal motion of the earth. We find, however, that the permanent wind and water systems of the earth rotate in a contradictory manner to what is alleged by the Coriolis Effect. It is mainly the tropical cyclones which originate from certain patterns of wind currents near the equator that rotate with the correct direction.

Dr. Anantha Aiyyer of NC State University explains that, due to the rotation of the earth, systems should rotate counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/technology/article103760221.html (Archive)

The National Geographic issues the same depiction:

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/wind/ (Archive)

=Prevailing Wind and Ocean Systems=

"Prevailing Winds" and "Trade Winds" are the world's large permanent wind systems which put the ocean systems into motion. When we look at the permanent wind and ocean systems of the world, we find the counter-clockwise rule of the Northern Hemisphere and the clockwise rule of the Southern Hemisphere to be untrue. Earth's large permanent wind and ocean systems are rotating in a manner contrary to the alleged Coriolis Effect.

Prevailing Currents of the Pacific
Prevailing Currents of the Pacific (Click for bigger)



See also: Prevailing Currents (World)

Map from Atlas of World Maps, United States Army Service Forces, Army Specialized Training Division. Army Service Forces Manual M-101 (1943).

Prevailing Winds (Generalized)
Below we find a world map which shows a generalized pattern of the wind rotation. One should note that the rotations seen are clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, which is opposite from the "Coriolis Effect".



=Hurricanes and Tropical Cyclones=

Coriolis Effect proponents mainly point to the rotation of hurricanes and other tropical cyclones. In the Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclones rotate counter-clockwise, and in the Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclones rotate clockwise, true to the Coriolis Effect. While researching this claim, we find that these rotational directions are generally true for the hurricanes and tropical cyclones.

Unlike the permanent wind and water systems of the earth, however, the hurricanes and tropical cyclones are special and temporary weather systems which have an average lifespan of 9 days. The directions of rotation of these temporary systems are entirely explainable with known and existing phenomena called Kelvin Waves which do not require the Coriolis Effect. Indeed, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has verified Kelvin Waves to occur during cyclone development 1, and now uses them in their early warning systems.

Counter-Rotating Vortexes
To explain why the hurricanes rotate oppositely from each other we point to the fact that the Hurricanes and other tropical cyclones develop near the equator, and that at the equator there exists a strong wind current called the Equatorial Counter Current, which is a strong permanent easterly-flowing wind current. This Counter Current runs in an opposite direction to westerly-flowing currents that are immediately North and South of it. Since the atmosphere is generally characterized as a fluid, we can imagine this as a water current which moves against the flow of the waters around it.

We look to the the following videos, where friction in water creates oppositely rotating vortexes:

- Wooden Spoon Stroking Through Water Creates Counter-Rotating Vortexes (1m29s) - Dinner Plate Creates Counter-Rotating Vortexes in a Swimming Pool (2m20s)

The above videos show the creation of counter-rotating vortexes when the water is disturbed by plates or spoons.

The same general phenomena seen in the fluids of water in the above videos are occurring with the fluids of the air near the equator. When comparing the direction plate and spoon across the water with the direction of vortex rotation to the direction of the Equatorial Counter Current and the directions of vortex rotation in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, we find that the directions match up. A "Coriolis Effect" is not needed to describe the rotational direction of these systems.

Kelvin Wave Pattern (Water)
The oppositely rotating vortexes in the videos above are caused by the Kelvin Wave Pattern. When an object disturbs water it will leave a wake in its path, which fans out and curves in opposite directions.



Along these oppositely curving patterns water rushes towards the body to fill in the gap left by the disturbance. The curves of this moving water system themselves also flow to follow the direction of the body. If the boat were traveling eastwards the flow of the water on the curved paths would be traveling counter-clockwise to the north of the boat and clockwise to the south of the boat, like the "Coriolis Effect".

As demonstration of these curving patterns, we find a video of a model toy boat making curved wakes behind it. Note that the boat leaves behind curved paths, and that these paths follow the boat once it passes, indicating the direction of flow.

The University of British Columbia provides a technical assessment of the Kelvin Wave Pattern on water (Archive)

Kelvin-Rossby Wave Pattern (Atmospheric)
A 2000 study describes the creation of Kelvin wave patterns created by Rossby wind current collisions over equatorial "warm pools":

Convection over the Pacific Warm Pool in relation to the Atmospheric Kelvin – Rossby Wave (Archive)

Abstract:



Diagram Caption:

According to the above, when wind currents collide over "warm pools" at the equator counter-rotating wind patterns are created.

We see that in the diagram the northern system is rotating counter-clockwise while the southern system rotates clockwise, just as was depicted in the premise.

The system in the diagram above is described as having a strong westerly core:

Further, we see that these gyres are rotating around centers of low pressure, just as the hurricanes and tropical cyclones do. The National Geographic says (Archive):

Counter Current Activity Correlation
The following is a study which associates curious activity in eastwardly flowing Equatorial Counter Current, also known as the North Equatorial Counter Current, with the development of hurricanes.

On the role of the North Equatorial Counter Current during a strong El Niño (Archive)

Abstract:

Text:

Hence, we find that strong westerly winds at the equator, in conjunction with the warm pool event, was associated with the development of the El Niño hurricanes.

Atmospheric Kelvin Waves Confirmed in Development of Hurricanes
In 2015 meteorologists confirmed the influence of atmospheric Kelvin Waves in the development of tropical cyclones.

Kelvin Waves and Tropical Cyclogenesis: A Global Survey (Archive | Study)

Twin Cyclones
Q. If the tropical cyclones are created by Kelvin Waves, then why don't we ever see twin cyclones?

A. According to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research they often do come in pairs. The following study (Archive p.47) has images of twin cyclones in development via Kelvin Waves. From the Summary section of the document we see infrared weather imagery from "satellite" data:







Crossing the Equator
Coriolis Effect proponents further assert that the cyclones do not cross over the equator into the opposing hemisphere. Although we have found articles of instances where cyclones have crossed for a short time before dying out, we accept the rarity and point out the following:

- At the equator exists a strong and permanent easterly-flowing current called the Equatorial Counter Current, which is bordered on the North and South by permanent westerly-flowing currents called the Northern and Southern Equatorial currents. Such a hurricane would need to defeat these currents in order to make it across.

- Hurricanes are created by these topical wind currents, and are sent spiraling Northward or Southward away from the tropical regions of the equator to cause havoc towards temperate regions of the North or South.

- Hurricanes have relatively short lives with an average of about 9 days.

The above points make it unreasonable for a hurricane to return to the equator and cross to the other side.

Steering Winds
Hurricanes do not move around randomly, but are steered by high altitude wind currents:

Where Are Hurricanes Formed?
https://scijinks.gov/hurricane/ (Archive)

Hurricane Path Map
From https://weloveweather.tv/hurricanes-equator/ (Archive) we see the following graphic, showing hurricanes originating in the tropical regions of near the equator:

150 years of tropical cyclone tracks through 2006



Hurricane Life Cycle
http://hurricanescience.org/science/science/hurricanelifecycle/ (Archive)

Average Life
http://www.wxresearch.org/family/pg4.html (Archive)

http://shopkins.uga.edu/dir/Geog1112/Lectures1112/LECT19TropCyclo.htm (Archive)

North Equatorial Current (Westerly)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Equatorial_Current (Archive)

Equatorial Counter Current (Easterly)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorial_Counter_Current (Archive)

South Equatorial Current (Westerly)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Equatorial_Current (Archive)

=Addendum=

We suspect that if all of the the wind and ocean patterns, systems, and currents of the world were traveling in a reverse manner to which they travel, that the Copernican Coriolis Effect proponents would instead be championing the Prevailing Winds and Ocean Currents as proof of the Coriolis Effect and the rotation of the earth, while blissfully ignoring the hurricanes.