The Coriolis force is a result of the Earth’s rotation on its axis. It causes moving air—winds—to deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This force is essential for the formation of large-scale weather systems like cyclones and determines the direction of the planet’s major wind belts. ANSWER: (B) Coriolis force
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The Coriolis force is an inertial force that appears to act on objects in motion within a rotating reference frame. Because the Earth rotates faster at the equator than at the poles, air moving toward the poles carries its higher eastward momentum, causing it to “outrun” the ground below. This results in a curve in the wind’s path. While the force is zero at the equator and strongest at the poles, it is fundamental to meteorology. It transforms straight-line pressure gradients into the circular wind patterns seen in hurricanes and regulates the flow of the global jet streams.