Anticyclonic rotation

Anticyclonic rotation or circulation is the movement of the atmosphere in the direction opposite to a planet's rotation. For Earth, in the northern hemisphere that is in a clockwise direction, and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere. For large-scale weather systems, greater than approximately 500 km, anticyclonic rotation only occurs for high pressure systems. This is due to how the Coriolis effect acts on high-pressure systems. Large, low pressure systems, such as tropical cyclones, have cyclonic rotation. Small scale rotating atmospheric features, such as tornadoes, water spouts, and dust devils can have either anticyclonic or cyclonic rotation, since the direction of their spin depends on local forces rather than the Coriolis effect.

• Compare: cyclonic rotation

External links

• Anticyclonic Rotation - AMS Glossary of Meteorology