<P> In popular ( non-technical ) usage of the term `` Coriolis effect '' , the rotating reference frame implied is almost always the Earth . Because the Earth spins , Earth - bound observers need to account for the Coriolis force to correctly analyze the motion of objects . The Earth completes one rotation per day , so for motions of everyday objects the Coriolis force is usually quite small compared to other forces ; its effects generally become noticeable only for motions occurring over large distances and long periods of time , such as large - scale movement of air in the atmosphere or water in the ocean . Such motions are constrained by the surface of the Earth , so only the horizontal component of the Coriolis force is generally important . This force causes moving objects on the surface of the Earth to be deflected to the right ( with respect to the direction of travel ) in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere . The horizontal deflection effect is greater near the poles , since the effective rotation rate about a local vertical axis is largest there , and decreases to zero at the equator . Rather than flowing directly from areas of high pressure to low pressure , as they would in a non-rotating system , winds and currents tend to flow to the right of this direction north of the equator and to the left of this direction south of it . This effect is responsible for the rotation of large cyclones ( see Coriolis effects in meteorology ) . </P>
<P> In popular ( non-technical ) usage of the term `` Coriolis effect '' , the rotating reference frame implied is almost always the Earth . Because the Earth spins , Earth - bound observers need to account for the Coriolis force to correctly analyze the motion of objects . The Earth completes one rotation per day , so for motions of everyday objects the Coriolis force is usually quite small compared to other forces ; its effects generally become noticeable only for motions occurring over large distances and long periods of time , such as large - scale movement of air in the atmosphere or water in the ocean . Such motions are constrained by the surface of the Earth , so only the horizontal component of the Coriolis force is generally important . This force causes moving objects on the surface of the Earth to be deflected to the right ( with respect to the direction of travel ) in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere . The horizontal deflection effect is greater near the poles , since the effective rotation rate about a local vertical axis is largest there , and decreases to zero at the equator . Rather than flowing directly from areas of high pressure to low pressure , as they would in a non-rotating system , winds and currents tend to flow to the right of this direction north of the equator and to the left of this direction south of it . This effect is responsible for the rotation of large cyclones ( see Coriolis effects in meteorology ) . </P>
coriolosis component of acceleration can be found in
coriolosis component of acceleration can be found in
the Earth
the Earth