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RAD4921
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Does the Earth rotate clockwise or counterclockwise?
chroot said:barely even tickle the mind
mercmisfire said:well, considering that most people here seem to think this an absurdly easy question, I may be in for some ridiculing, but here goes : 1) I assume that the Earth itself (the phsyical land mass) moves in only on direction -- if not, then I'm screwed and give up, (2) as to why it would appear to be moving different directions, I can only hazard a guess -- please tell me if I am right : the Earth is a sphere and so narrows as one approaches the poles; the Earth will have the greatest speed where it is widest -- that is, at the equator, and have speeds diminishing equally on both sides of the equator as one approaches the poles (narrower Earth = less distance covered in same time (one day) = slower speed) --> air leaving the equator will maintain the eastward speed it had at the equator, but, as the Earth slows, will appear to be moving faster eastward than the Earth --> thus, looking straight on at the earth, all air moving north or south will be deflected to on'e right side (if one drew a line from the equator the north it would go right; if one drew from the equator to the south, it would go right) --> looking down at the right curving air (that is, looking from the north), it will appear to be turning left (counterclockwise) --> looking up at the right curving air (that is, looking up from the south), the air will appear to be moving right (clockwise). Is this correct ?
-->merc
The Earth rotates counterclockwise, which means that when looking down at the North Pole, the Earth will appear to be rotating towards the left.
The direction of Earth's rotation is a result of its initial formation. As the Earth was formed from a rotating cloud of gas and dust, it inherited its rotation direction from this initial motion.
No, the Earth's rotation is not constant. It experiences variations in its rotation speed due to factors such as tidal forces, atmospheric winds, and the Earth's changing shape.
The Earth's rotation speed varies depending on the latitude, with the equator having the highest speed at about 1,037 miles per hour, and decreasing towards the poles.
Earth's rotation has many effects, including the creation of day and night, the Coriolis effect which influences weather patterns, and the formation of the Earth's magnetic field.