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In the North Pacific (Northern Hemisphere), Gyre surface currents flow in a clockwise direction.

a. True
b. False

User Rune
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The Coriolis force causes hurricanes in the northern hemisphere to rotate counterclockwise and tropical cyclones in the southern hemisphere to rotate clockwise.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Coriolis force causes hurricanes in the northern hemisphere to rotate in the counterclockwise direction, while the tropical cyclones (what hurricanes are called below the equator) in the southern hemisphere rotate in the clockwise direction. Air flows toward any region of low pressure, and tropical cyclones contain particularly low pressures. Thus winds flow toward the center of a tropical cyclone or a low-pressure weather system at the surface. In the northern hemisphere, these inward winds are deflected to the right, as shown in the figure, producing a counterclockwise circulation at the surface for low-pressure zones of any type. Low pressure at the surface is associated with rising air, which also produces cooling and cloud formation, making low-pressure patterns quite visible from space. Conversely, wind circulation around high-pressure zones is clockwise in the northern hemisphere but is less visible because high pressure is associated with sinking air, producing clear skies.

User Chapmanio
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