when an helium filled balloon rises (in a windless scenario) it would just rise straight up, 90°, right? So I know it has the same speed as the spot on earth it was let go. But with anything spinning, it spins faster the further you get away from the center! So how does it pick up speed to stay over the same spot it has left the earth? From where does it get the force to spin faster? Or if it does not need it – why?
In: Earth Science
It does get left behind. The phenomenon is called the Coriolis effect. A balloon rising over the equator will slowly drift to the west from the prospective of someone on the ground. The amount of drift is proportional to the speed of the object, so it isn’t noticeable in everyday life.
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