How does the coriolis effect controls certain aspects of weather?
All weather is the result of the Sun which does not heat the air but does heat the earth’s surface. The earth’s surface is what heats the air. (That is why the air at high altitudes is much colder even though it is closer to the Sun.) Basically, the Sun shines most directly on the Equator. This causes warming of the Earth’s surface which causes the air over the Equator to rise. As it rises it cools and flows to the coldest part of the Earth, the Polar regions. If the earth was not revolving on its axis Sun would not rise or set and the wind direction and weather would never change. Air would flow up from the equator then flow North or South to the poles. But the earth does revolve on its axis. So, as the air flows up, cools and heads North (in the Northern hemisphere) and tries to reach the North Pole, the earth keeps moving from East to West. This drags the air along with it. The result (in overly simplified form) is a long line of air starting at the Equator and skewing to the left a
