Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-classical-mechanics-course-of-part-b-of-the-physics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2016/1/a/solution
Past exam of the classical mechanics course of Part B of the physics course of the University of Oxford 2016 1 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
In a frame rotating with angular velocity , a particle of relative velocity experiences the Coriolis forceFor nearly horizontal atmospheric motion, the relevant vertical rotation component is , with latitude . In the northern hemisphere the horizontal deflection is to the right of the motion. A low-pressure center produces an inward pressure-gradient force; an anticlockwise circulation has an outward Coriolis force to oppose it. A high-pressure center instead supports clockwise circulation, with inward Coriolis force opposing the outward pressure-gradient force.
The sense reverses in the southern hemisphere. There, anticlockwise circulation is anticyclonic and corresponds to high atmospheric pressure. HenceThis is the large-scale rotating-fluid interpretation; friction, centrifugal acceleration and departures from ideal balance modify actual wind profiles. NASA's description independently identifies the southern, counterclockwise Great Red Spot as a high-pressure system.[ref]
The Great Red Spot: An Ancient Storm in Jupiter's Atmosphere by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Description comparing the southern-hemisphere counterclockwise Great Red Spot with low-pressure terrestrial hurricanes
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