With reference to "Coriolis force", which of the following statements is/are correct?
- 1.It increases with increase in wind velocity.
- 2.It is maximum at the poles and is absent at the equator.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
The Coriolis force comes from the Earth's rotation and deflects moving air — to the right in the northern hemisphere, to the left in the southern. Its strength rises with wind speed and with latitude, so it is greatest at the poles and zero at the equator.
- ✓ 1. The deflection grows with the speed of the wind: the faster the air moves, the stronger the Coriolis effect on it.
- ✓ 2. The force is proportional to the sine of the latitude, so it is maximum at the poles and absent at the equator. That is why tropical cyclones do not form right on the equator.
Remember · Coriolis force rises with wind speed and latitude: zero at the equator, maximum at the poles; deflects winds right (north) and left (south).
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Ch 9 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Chapter 9 “The deflection is more when the wind velocity is high. The Coriolis force is directly proportional to the angle of latitude. It is maximum at the poles and is absent at the equator.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·