Final answer:
The Coriolis effect, caused by Earth's rotation, significantly impacts global winds by causing them to veer right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere, influencing wind patterns and storm rotations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Earth's rotation causes the Coriolis effect, which has a significant impact on global wind patterns. For instance, in the Northern Hemisphere, any motion, including winds, veers to the right due to the Coriolis force. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, it veers to the left. The Coriolis effect is generally negligible for small-scale motions due to Earth's slow angular velocity. However, for large-scale motions like wind patterns and ocean currents, its influence is substantial. Without the Coriolis force, air would move straightforwardly into low-pressure areas, such as tropical cyclones. Instead, it is deflected, resulting in the counterclockwise rotation of storms in the Northern Hemisphere and the clockwise rotation in the Southern Hemisphere, which is particularly evident in the formation and behavior of tropical cyclones.