Meteorology · Wind — Buys Ballot's Law
Applying Buys Ballot's Law in the Northern Hemisphere, if you stand with the wind at your back, the center of low pressure lies to your:
- ARight
- BLeft (and somewhat forward)✓ Correct
- CDirectly ahead
- DDirectly behind
Explanation
In the Northern Hemisphere, facing downwind (wind at your back), lower pressure is on your left and higher pressure on your right (slightly forward of directly abeam, due to surface friction). This lets a mariner locate a storm center from the observed wind, reversed in the Southern Hemisphere.
Authority: Bowditch (Pub. No. 9), Buys Ballot's Law
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