Question

Around the low-pressure system, the visible image shows a broad white, comma shaped swirl of clouds. Consistent with the hand-twist model of a Low, an animation would show this swirl to be rotating ________.The circulation and rising motions of low-pressure systems that leads to the "comma" shape of cloudiness frequently seen in satellite images.

(a) Counterclockwise
(b) Clockwise

Answer 1

Option A: Visible swirling patterns around low-pressure systems such as hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere rotate counterclockwise due to the Coriolis force.

Step-by-step explanation:

Around a low-pressure system, such as a hurricane in the Northern Hemisphere, the rotation of clouds would be counterclockwise. This is due to the effect of the Coriolis force, which deflects winds to the right causing that counterclockwise circulation. These inward winds contribute to the characteristic comma shape of cloudiness frequently seen in satellite images. This circulation contributes to the formation of clouds and the characteristic comma shape seen in satellite imagery.

Low pressure at the surface is indicative of rising air which supports cloud formation and results in the visible swirling patterns we observe from space. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, tropical cyclones rotate in the clockwise direction due to the opposite effect of the Coriolis force.

The visible image of a low-pressure system in the atmosphere shows a broad white, comma-shaped swirl of clouds. The rotation of this swirl depends on the hemisphere it is in. In the Northern Hemisphere, the rotation is counterclockwise, while in the Southern Hemisphere, the rotation is clockwise. This rotation is caused by the Coriolis force, which deflects the inward winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.