Your Friend the Coriolis Force

Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Your Friend the Coriolis Force
Dale Durran
February 9, 2016
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Gaspard Gustave de Coriolis
I
1792-1843
I
Presented results on
rotating systems to the
Académie des Sciences in
1831
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Pop Quiz
Does the Coriolis force on an object moving due east vary between
Fairbanks and Honolulu?
3 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Outline
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
4 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Rates of Change in a Rotating Frame
For any vector s,
Df
Dr
s=
s +Ω×s
Dt
Dt
5 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Rates of Change in a Rotating Frame
For any vector s,
Df
Dr
s=
s +Ω×s
Dt
Dt
Setting s to be the position vector drawn from an origin at the
center of the Earth, r ,
Vf = Vr + Ω × r
5 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Rates of Change in a Rotating Frame
For any vector s,
Df
Dr
s=
s +Ω×s
Dt
Dt
Setting s to be the position vector drawn from an origin at the
center of the Earth, r ,
Vf = Vr + Ω × r
Setting s to be the velocity in the fixed frame Vf
Df
Vf
Dt
=
=
Dr
Vf + Ω × Vf
Dt
Dr
Vr + 2Ω × Vr + Ω × (Ω × r )
Dt
5 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Two Apparent Forces
Coriolis force
2Ω × Vr is independent of position.
Centrifugal force
Ω × (Ω × r ) is independent of the velocity.
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Two Apparent Forces
Coriolis force
2Ω × Vr is independent of position.
Centrifugal force
Ω × (Ω × r ) is independent of the velocity.
Does the Coriolis force on an object moving due east vary between
Fairbanks and Honolulu?
6 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Outline
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
7 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Balls on the Merry-Go-Round
Classic Merry-Go-Round
MIT Merry-Go-Round
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Merry-Go-Round as Model for the Earth
Applying the merry-go-round model to the Earth
9 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Pop Quiz
Is the merry-go-round a good basis for our intuition about Coriolis
forces on the Earth?
10 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Outline
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
11 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
The Inertial Oscillation
Cushman-Roisin: Introduction to Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
12 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
The Inertial Oscillation
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Pop Quiz
Can we combine the centrifugal force with gravity and forget it?
Does the Coriolis force “drive” the inertial oscillation?
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Coriolis Force on E-W Motion
Ahrens: Essentials of Meteorology
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Coriolis Force on E-W Motion
Lutgens and Tarbuck: The Atmosphere
16 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
A More Correct Trajectory
On a non-rotating planet, what trajectory will a fricton-free hockey
puck follow if launched due east from mid-latitudes?
17 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
A More Correct Trajectory
On a non-rotating planet, what trajectory will a fricton-free hockey
puck follow if launched due east from mid-latitudes?
On a rotating planet, what causes a parcel moving east in
mid-latitudes to deflect to the south?
17 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
No Inertial Oscillation on the Rotating Plane
trajectory of experimenter
point of possible
catch
trajectory of puck
launch point
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Question Review
Is the merry-go-round a good basis for our intuition about Coriolis
forces on the Earth?
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Inertial Oscillation View in the Fixed Frame
Consider an f -plane tangent to the North Pole and define
Vr = ui + v j ,
Ω = Ωk
20 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Inertial Oscillation View in the Fixed Frame
Consider an f -plane tangent to the North Pole and define
Vr = ui + v j ,
Ω = Ωk
In the rotating frame
Dr
Vr + 2Ω × Vr = 0.
Dt
20 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Inertial Oscillation View in the Fixed Frame
Consider an f -plane tangent to the North Pole and define
Vr = ui + v j ,
Ω = Ωk
In the rotating frame
Dr
Vr + 2Ω × Vr = 0.
Dt
Thus, in the fixed frame
Df
Vf = Ω × (Ω × r ).
Dt
20 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Inertial Oscillation View in the Fixed Frame
Consider an f -plane tangent to the North Pole and define
Vr = ui + v j ,
Ω = Ωk
In the rotating frame
Dr
Vr + 2Ω × Vr = 0.
Dt
Thus, in the fixed frame
Df
Vf = Ω × (Ω × r ).
Dt
What does the RHS represent?
20 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Tr
ue
Gr
av
ity
Polar Axis
The Earth As a Perfect Sphere
I
Non-rotating earth
I
True gravity points to the
center of the earth.
I
True gravity is
perpendicular to the
spherical surface.
Equator
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
I
Centrifugal force acts on
the crust in a rotating
earth.
I
Net force, apparent
gravity, shears the crust.
I
The earth deforms.
Centrifugal Force
Tr
ue
Gr
av
ity
Ap
pa
ren
tG
rav
ity
Polar Axis
The Earth Deforms
Equator
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Centrifugal Force
Tr
ue
Gr
av
ity
Ap
pa
ren
tG
rav
ity
Polar Axis
The Oblate Spheroid
I
Net force, apparent
gravity, again
perpendicular to the crust.
Equator
23 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
”Horizontal Component of True Gravity
y
Centrifugal Force
Tr
ue
Gr
av
ity
Ap
pa
ren
tG
rav
ity
Polar Axis
Co
mp
on
en
to
f Tr
ue
Gra
vit
I
True gravity has a
non-zero projection onto
the geopotential surfaces.
Equator
24 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Pop Quiz
Suppose the earth were topography-free and covered with
frictionless ice. A hockey puck is sitting at rest at the north pole.
Donald Trump claims he is strong enough to slap the puck into a
target placed at any point on the globe. You measure the speed of
Donald’s fastest slap shot and discover he is a liar. You also
measure the speed of Bernie Sander’s fastest shot and discover
that Bernie might indeed be able to slap the puck into a target
placed at any point on the earth.
What criteria did you use to differentiate between the capabilities
of Donald and Bernie?
25 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Solution
In order to hit targets in the southern hemisphere, Donald and
Bernie need to be able to slap the puck “over” the earth’s
equatorial bulge.
requator = rpole + 21 km
1 2
mv = mgzmax
2 i
vi = 642 m/s
26 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Solution
In order to hit targets in the southern hemisphere, Donald and
Bernie need to be able to slap the puck “over” the earth’s
equatorial bulge.
requator = rpole + 21 km
1 2
mv = mgzmax
2 i
vi = 642 m/s
In the non-rotating framework, the equator is uphill.
26 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Inertial Oscillation Viewed from the Fixed Frame
Recall
Df
Vf = Ω × (Ω × r ).
Dt
27 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Inertial Oscillation Viewed from the Fixed Frame
Recall
Df
Vf = Ω × (Ω × r ).
Dt
Component form, origin at the North Pole
d 2x
+ Ω2 x = 0
dt 2
d 2y
+ Ω2 y = 0
dt 2
27 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Inertial Oscillation Viewed from the Fixed Frame
Recall
Df
Vf = Ω × (Ω × r ).
Dt
Component form, origin at the North Pole
d 2x
+ Ω2 x = 0
dt 2
d 2y
+ Ω2 y = 0
dt 2
At the North Pole, f = 2Ω.
27 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Comparion of Inertial Oscillation Trajectories
Dashed: fixed frame,
Solid: rotating frame.
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Comparion of Inertial Oscillation Trajectories
Puck, denoted by square, initially at North Pole.
29 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Comparion of Inertial Oscillation Trajectories
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Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
One Source of Confusion
The Coriolis force is commonly invoked as the sole driver of
motions at are actually governed by either:
31 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
One Source of Confusion
The Coriolis force is commonly invoked as the sole driver of
motions at are actually governed by either:
I
Coriolis and centrifugal forces:
I
Object conserves linear momentum in the fixed frame.
31 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
One Source of Confusion
The Coriolis force is commonly invoked as the sole driver of
motions at are actually governed by either:
I
Coriolis and centrifugal forces:
I
I
Object conserves linear momentum in the fixed frame.
Coriolis forces, centrifugal, and gravitational forces:
I
I
Motion is a forced oscillation
Object does not conserve its linear momentum in the fixed
frame.
31 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Rotating Turntable with Coriolis and Centrifugal Forces
Relation between Coriolis and Centrifugal Forces
32 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Question Review
I
Can we combine the centrifugal force with gravity and forget
it?
33 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Question Review
I
Can we combine the centrifugal force with gravity and forget
it?
I
Does the Coriolis force “drive” the inertial oscillation?
33 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Coriolis and N-S Motion
A parcel moving north turns east to conserve angular (not linear)
momentum.
34 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Coriolis and N-S Motion
A parcel moving north turns east to conserve angular (not linear)
momentum.
On the sphere,
tan φ
Du
− uv
= 2Ωvsinφ
Dt
a
implies conservation of absolute angular momentum (per unit
mass) about the polar axis
D
[(Ωa cos φ + u)a cos φ] = 0.
Dt
(a = radius of the Earth).
34 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Coriolis and E-W Motion
Does the conservation of angular momentum uniquely determine
the path of a parcel moving to the east?
35 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Coriolis and E-W Motion
What causes a parcel moving east to deflect to the south?
36 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Coriolis and E-W Motion
What causes a parcel moving east to deflect to the south?
Better preliminary question: why do we come back down in the
same place when we jump straight up?
36 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Coriolis and E-W Motion
What causes a parcel moving east to deflect to the south?
Better preliminary question: why do we come back down in the
same place when we jump straight up?
Answer: The component of true gravity projecting onto the
geopotential surface keeps us orbiting the pole.
36 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Coriolis and E-W Motion
What causes a parcel moving east to deflect to the south?
Better preliminary question: why do we come back down in the
same place when we jump straight up?
Answer: The component of true gravity projecting onto the
geopotential surface keeps us orbiting the pole.
Answer: The component of gravity projecting onto the
geopotential surface is too weak to keep the parcel orbiting around
the pole at its initial distance from the polar axis.
36 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Coriolis and E-W Motion
What causes a parcel moving east to deflect to the south?
Better preliminary question: why do we come back down in the
same place when we jump straight up?
Answer: The component of true gravity projecting onto the
geopotential surface keeps us orbiting the pole.
Answer: The component of gravity projecting onto the
geopotential surface is too weak to keep the parcel orbiting around
the pole at its initial distance from the polar axis. (Parcel moves
southward and upward.)
36 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Outline
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
37 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
Pop Quiz
Does the Coriolis force determine the direction of the drain swirl?
38 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
On the Equator
Fun with tourists
Tourists having fun
39 / 40
Derivation
The Merry-Go-Round
The Inertial Oscillation
Swirl Around a Drain
References
Stommel, H.M. and D.W. Moore, 1989: An Introduction to the
Coriolis Force. Columbia University Press, 297 pp.
Durran, D.R., 1993: Is the Coriolis Force Really Responsible for the
Inertial Oscillation? BAMS, 74, 2179-2184.
Durran, D.R., and S.K. Domonkos, 1996: An Apparatus for
Demonstrating the Inertial Oscillation. BAMS, 77, 557-559.
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