The Coriolis Effect: Why Outbound Flights Don’t Last as Long as Return Flights

Have you ever wondered why roundtrip travel times on long haul flights are typically different from the one at the back? This difference is neither a coincidence nor a flight planning error, but is deeply related to an effect known as Coriolis.

This phenomenon is critical not only to aviation, but also to understanding many of the weather patterns and ocean movements that affect our daily lives. From the path of winds to the formation of ocean currents, Coriolis force It plays a vital role in the functioning of our planet.

WHAT IS CORIOLIS FORCE?

The Coriolis force is the apparent acceleration that occurs in objects moving in a rotating frame of reference, such as the Earth. This phenomenon is caused by rotation of the earth and affects the trajectory of any object moving on the surface of the planet: when an object moves in a straight line in a rotating frame, its trajectory deviates due to the continuous rotation of the reference frame.

So in the earthly context this means that in North hemispheremoving objects tend to deviate to the right, and in Southern Hemisphere They do it from the left. This deviation is not caused by an actual force pushing the object, but by the rotation of the Earth, which creates perpendicular acceleration to the direction of movement of the object.

This phenomenon was first described in 1835 by a French engineer and mathematician. Gustave Gaspard Coriolisfrom which it gets its name. The Coriolis effect is crucial to understanding many geophysical processes, such as atmospheric and ocean circulation patterns. And while it does not do work in the classical sense (it is not a real force), its effects can be observed on a large scaleas in wind currents and sea currents. In fact, its influence becomes more significant at higher speeds and over greater distances.

FLIGHT DURATION

Thus, the Coriolis effect has a very important influence on aviation, although its influence is manifested indirectly through large-scale wind regimes. Airplanes, especially on long flights, use jet streams or jets to speed up their movement, as these are fast air currents flowing from west to east in the upper layers of the atmosphere. These currents are formed due to temperature difference between air massesand its direction and speed are influenced by the Coriolis effect. This phenomenon means that, for example, in the Northern Hemisphere, the prevailing winds at high altitudes tend to move eastward, which encourages faster flights in that direction.

Pilots plan their flight routes around jet streams to optimize fuel consumption and reduce flight time. For example, on a transatlantic flight from New York to Madrid, an airplane can take advantage of these currents and reduce travel time compared to the return route, which faces headwinds.

It is important to understand that this difference in flight time is not directly related to the Coriolis force acting on the aircraft, but to how does this force affect in the formation and direction of large-scale air flows. Therefore, planning efficient air routes requires a detailed understanding of wind patterns, which are influenced by the Coriolis effect.

It is clear that it is extremely important for pilots and air traffic controllers to be aware of the influence of the Coriolis effect when flying between hemispheres. When an aircraft crosses the equator, the direction of wind deflection changeswhich can affect your trajectory. Moreover, the effect is most pronounced near the poles and is virtually absent at the equator. So fly different latitudes This involves adaptation to changes in wind patterns caused by the Earth’s rotation.

DRAINAGE MYTH

One of the most persistent myths associated with the Coriolis effect is the belief that it causes the water in the sewer turns in opposite directions in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. This myth, widely believed and taught over and over again, states that the rotation of the Earth is enough to influence the direction of rotation of the water in a sink or bathtub. However, the reality is that the Coriolis effect Extremely weak on a small scale, such as domestic sewerage, and the acceleration created by this force is insignificant compared to other factors.

Indeed, it has been shown that the Coriolis effect can be observed in large stable bodies of water under controlled conditions. For example, experiments conducted in large tanks showed that under very specific circumstances and without any other influences, water can rotate in the direction expected by Coriolis.

However, at home these effects easy to outshine much more dominant factors. The shape of the drain, the direction in which the sink fills, and any slight tilt of the container have a much greater influence on the direction of water flow. So while the Coriolis effect is an important force on a large scale, it is not responsible for the direction of rotation of water when draining in our homes.