Author Question: What conditions lead to supergeostrophic and subgeostrophic flows? What will be an ideal ... (Read 87 times)

Jkov05 · **on:** Jul 14, 2018

What conditions lead to supergeostrophic and subgeostrophic flows?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Is the motion of water spiraling into a bathtub drain influenced by the Coriolis force? Explain.

What will be an ideal response?

bob · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 14, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: Troughs and ridges. As air approaches a ridge it must begin turning to the right in order to remain parallel to the pressure gradient. For this to happen the Coriolis force must increase, which means the speed must increase. In other words, the wind speed must exceed what is given by geostrophic balance. Conversely, air flowing around the trough must slow down so that it can turn to the left. The Coriolis force is still present and pushing to the right of the wind direction, but it is weaker than the pressure gradient force and thus the wind can divert from a straight geostrophic path.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: No, whether the water spirals counterclockwise or clockwise is determined by the shape of the basin of the tub or the initial direction of spin imparted by the water.