The effect caused by the Earth's rotation, which causes other things on its surface to tend to turn. This effect acts at a right angle to an object's direction of motion, deflecting the object to the right in the northern hemisphere, and to the left in the southern hemisphere. There is no coriolis effect at the equator. The coriolis effect affects wind, ocean currents, the launching of spacecraft, storm circulation (such as hurricanes and tropical storms), and even the routes taken by jets and airplanes.