Which statement correctly describes factors influencing Coriolis deflection?

• A. Latitude
• B. Temperature
• C. Velocity
• D. Latitude and velocity

Answer: (D)

The essential idea is that Coriolis deflection depends on how fast something is moving and where you are on Earth. In a rotating frame, the sideways acceleration is a_c = -2 Ω × v, which has magnitude |a_c| = f |v| with f = 2 Ω sin φ. Here φ is latitude and Ω is Earth's rotation rate, while v is the object's velocity relative to the surface. This means the deflection grows with speed and with latitude (it’s zero at the equator and strongest near the poles). Temperature doesn’t enter the Coriolis term, so it doesn’t directly influence the deflection.