[T3] Coriolis Effect Down Under

[DGaries808@aol.com]

QuirkkruiQ@aol.com was asking about the Coriolis effect in Australia.  It 
refers to the name of a French scientist -- Gaspard Coriolis -- who lived 
from 1792 to 1843 and who found out that due to the Earth's rotation, in the 
Northern hemisphere water in the toilet swirls counterclockwise and water in 
a toilet in the southern hemisphere swirls clockwise.  It also has to do with 
the directions of cyclones in the northern-southern hemispheres.

In the northern hemisphere, cyclones should rotate counterclockwise, and in 
the southern hemisphere they should be termed anticyclones, which rotate 
clockwise.  The Great Red Spot on Jupiter and the orientation of Sun spots 
are examples where the Coriolis effect comes into play in the Solar System; 
both being in the southern hemisphere should be termed anticyclones.  On the 
Sun though, they reverse about every 12 years, giving us the Sun Spot cycle.  

Is it true that toilet water swirls clockwise in Australia?  It should be 
that way in Australia, southern Africa, and south-South America.  For people 
who live directly on the Equator, water should flush straight down.  I don't 
know what effect that is.  It would be interesting to find out, though.

I just took a beer break, and sure enough, the water swirled counterclockwise 
in the toilet.

Don Garies
dgaries808@aol.com

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