Earth Science
Coriolis Effect and Circulation Patterns
Quick Summary
The earth's atmosphere is separated into 6Â mirrored cells, 3 on each side of the equator. In the middle we have the Hadley cells, beyond those the Ferrel Cells and at the poles we have the Polar Cells. In addition, we have two general motions in the northern and southern hemisphere leading to objects moving "off course" in a clockwise direction in the north and counterclockwise in the south.
Cells
Hadley Cell
The Hadley Cell are the cells above the equator in which cool air moves towards the poles, sinks and proceeds towards the equator heating it up and causing it to rise before repeating the process​
Ferrel Cell
The Ferrel Cell sits between the Polar and Hadley, its cool air moves towards the equator and hot air moves towards the poles.​
Polar Cell
Finally the Polar Cell, they sit at, who could have guessed? the poles.​ These cells are the weakest of the 3 and their cool air flows inward from higher altitudes towards the poles, sinks and then flows outward heating up towards the ferrel's before rising.
Coriolis Effect
The Coriolis effect covers the phenomenon of the deflection of any objects not firmly connected to the ground as the move long distances, this affect causes the object to appear to veer right in the northern hemisphere and left in the southern. This effect is caused by the fact that the poles and equator for example are not moving at the same speed leading to even the best and straightest trajectory appearing to deflect in the aforementioned directions as the point they are heading too moves at a different rate than them.