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In the Forces in the Atmosphere module, six forces were identified as being important to the state of the atmosphere. Three of them, gravity, the centrifugal force, and the vertical pressure gradient force, control the up-and-down motion of air, and the other three control the horizontal motion of air. These three forces are:
- The horizontal pressure gradient force. This force causes air to attempt to accelerate toward the direction of lower pressure.
- Surface friction. This force causes air near the ground to attempt to slow down.
- The Coriolis force. This force causes air in motion to attempt to curve to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
That's it. These are the significant forces that cause the air to accelerate. To keep the discussion simpler, we'll only consider the situation in the Northern Hemisphere, so the Coriolis force will always act to the right.
Not all forces are in action all the time. Consider the following question:
If there is initially no wind, which forces can cause the air to start moving? Check all that apply.
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