Which one of the following is the reason due to which the wind in the southern hemisphere is deflected towards its left ?

The deflection of winds in the southern hemisphere towards the left is primarily caused by the rotation of the Earth [2]. This phenomenon is known as the Coriolis effect, which describes an apparent force that deviates moving objects from a straight path [5]. According to Ferrel's Law, this force deflects winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere [5]. The Coriolis force is an inertial force resulting from the Earth's rotation on its axis [6]. It is absent at the equator and reaches its maximum intensity at the poles [4]. While temperature and pressure variations create the pressure gradient force that initiates wind movement, it is the Earth's rotation that determines the direction of deflection [5]. This effect is crucial in shaping global wind patterns, such as the trade winds and westerlies [3].

Sources

1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 23: Pressure Systems and Wind System > UPSC Prelims 2011] Which one of the following weather conditions is indicated by a sudden fall in barometer reading? > p. 308
2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 23: Pressure Systems and Wind System > Why Tropical Cyclones Do Not Form At The Equator? > p. 310
3. [5] CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: Climate > Pressure and Winds > p. 28
4. [6] https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/coriolis-effect/
5. [4] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: Atmospheric Circulation and Weather Systems > Coriolis Force > p. 79
6. [3] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 14: Climate > Pressure and Planetary Winds > p. 139