Westerlies in the southern hemisphere are stronger and persistent than in northern hemisphere. Why? 1. The Southern hemisphere has less landmass as compared to the Northern hemisphere. 2. Coriolis force is higher in Southern hemisphere as compared to the Northern hemisphere Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

QUESTION

Medium

Physical Geography

Prelims 2011

Westerlies in the southern hemisphere are stronger and persistent than in northern hemisphere. Why?

The Southern hemisphere has less landmass as compared to the Northern hemisphere.
Coriolis force is higher in Southern hemisphere as compared to the Northern hemisphere

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

The westerlies in the southern hemisphere are indeed stronger and more persistent than in the northern hemisphere.

This is primarily due to the fact that the southern hemisphere has less landmass compared to the northern hemisphere. The vast expanses of open ocean in the southern hemisphere allow the westerlies to maintain their strength and persistence without being interrupted by landmasses.

On the other hand, the Coriolis force, which is a result of Earth's rotation, is not stronger in the southern hemisphere compared to the northern hemisphere. The strength of the Coriolis force is not determined by the hemisphere, but by the latitude. The Coriolis force is strongest at the poles and weakest at the equator.

Therefore, only Statement 1 is true.

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