Does Atmospheric Viscous Drag Affect Upper Atmosphere Rotation and Air Movement?

[the4thamigo_uk]

I guess the Earth's surface pulls around the lower atmosphere with viscous drag effects? What about the upper atmosphere? Does it rotate with a slower absolute tangential velocity? If so, is there any pressure difference that caused by the difference in velocities that would cause any significant movement of air towards the Earth (i.e. bernoulli effect).

 

[russ_watters]

Based-on Newton's 1st law, no force is required to keep the atmosphere rotating with the earth.

 

[rcgldr]

There are "easterlies" (trade winds) that flow in the direction of the Earth's rotation, or "westerlies" that flow opposite, depending on the distance from the equator.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_wind

 

[russ_watters]

Those are caused by the coriolis effect acting on vertical convection.