Enticing Coriolis Effect Observations

In my travels in the tropics, it has always been enticing to observe the fascinating Coriolis Effect. As an observant and analytic boy, I would always watch in wonder as water screwed down counter clockwise in drains in both Canada and Britain. Later in life, I moved to Taiwan and witnessed that vines twine themselves counter clockwise up trees as they are influenced by the Coriolis Effect (see image, recently taken in a national park at the south tip of Taiwan).

 

I also got to vividly endure raging destructive typhoons while living on Ilha Formosa, which are gigantic mighty counter clockwise vortexes, creating incredible carnage!

   The first time I crossed the equator, my wife and I were on a visit to Bali, Indonesia. One of the first things I did was fill the sink in our hotel room and then witness the water draining in a clockwise direction. I was instantly on the phone, raving to my father about it. He snickered a bit, and quipped, “Well, Miles, if you simply swirl the water with your hand you can choose to make the water spin either way.” Undeterred in my fascination with the Coriolis Effect, I was soon out looking at vines growing up clockwise around trees. On visits to Australia, I was always sure to watch the water whirl clockwise down drains. I was also interested to hear the name of clockwise spinning weather systems as being ‘cyclone’, instead of the counter-spinning vortex names ‘hurricane’ or ‘typhoon’.

   There, that’s my take on the CORIOLIS EFFEEEEEEEECT! Yes, I am still interested in it even if some people give me funny looks when I discuss this phenomenon.