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Viewed from above, cold and warm fronts in the Northern Hemisphere rotate ______ around centers of low pressure, with cold fronts typically advancing more rapidly than warm fronts.

a) Counterclockwise
b) Clockwise
c) Eastward
d) Westward

1 Answer

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Final answer:

In the Northern Hemisphere, cold and warm fronts rotate a. counterclockwise around low pressure centers due to the Coriolis effect, with cold fronts moving more rapidly.

Step-by-step explanation:

Viewed from above, cold and warm fronts in the Northern Hemisphere rotate counterclockwise around centers of low pressure, with cold fronts typically advancing more rapidly than warm fronts. This rotation is due to the Coriolis force, a direct result of Earth's rotation. As air moves towards the low pressure areas of weather systems, it is deflected to the right, causing a counterclockwise flow in the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast, air flowing away from high-pressure areas is deflected to the right but results in a clockwise rotation, due to the opposite nature of high-pressure systems.

The Coriolis effect is significant in meteorology, particularly for large-scale weather phenomena like hurricanes, where it contributes to the overall structure and rotation of these storms.

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