Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Magnetically Induced Rotating Rayleigh-Taylor Instability
Published on: March 3, 2017
The effect of the earth's rotation on ground water motion
1Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. hugo@geog.ucsb.edu
Abstract:
The average pore velocity of ground water according to Darcy's law is a function of the fluid pressure gradient and the gravitational force (per unit volume of ground water) and of aquifer properties. There is also an acceleration exerted on ground water that arises from the Earth's rotation. The magnitude and direction of this rotation-induced force are determined in exact mathematical form in this article. It is calculated that the gravitational force is at least 300 times larger than the largest rotation-induced force anywhere on Earth, the latter force being maximal along the equator and approximately equal to 34 N/m(3) there. This compares with a gravitational force of approximately 10(4) N/m(3).
Related Concept Videos
Apparent Weight and the Earth's Rotation
For an object on the Earth's equator, the net centripetal force that accounts for its rotation is the Earth's pull towards its center, or the weight minus the normal force that prevents it from piercing into the Earth's surface. This force,...
Variation in Acceleration due to Gravity near the Earth's Surface
The difference between the true and apparent weights is proportional to the square of the Earth's angular speed. Since the...
Influence of Earth's Curvature and Atmospheric Refraction on Leveling
Gyroscope: Precession
Tidal Forces
Acceleration due to Gravity on Earth
The acceleration of an object close to the Earth, because of the Earth's gravitational pull, is called the acceleration due to gravity. It is always directed...
