Question 1 · 1 mark · Difficulty 1/3
Which of the following best describes the Coriolis effect in relation to tropical storms?
- It increases sea surface temperatures above 27°C
- It reduces wind shear, allowing storms to intensify
- It causes tropical storms to form over warm land surfaces
- It causes tropical storms to spin due to Earth's rotation
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — It causes tropical storms to spin due to Earth's rotation
The Coriolis effect is the deflection of moving air caused by Earth's rotation, which gives tropical storms their characteristic spin — anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, clockwise in the Southern. Option C is wrong because tropical storms form over warm oceans, not land. Option D describes a prerequisite for storm formation, not the Coriolis effect itself. Option A describes low wind shear, a separate condition for storm development.