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<<In a message dated 9/28/2004 2:34:50 PM Central Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I carefully reviewed the correct direction to turn in a thermal. Learned that by studying which way the water rotated in the toilet. Exactly why I was sitting on the floor wistfully staring into the toilet bowl is not pertinent information and need not be disclosed at this time.>> Acquiring knowledge by such novel means is a wonderful thing!
Adorations at the porcelain throne notwithstanding, is the water (and assorted
detritus) really rotating in response to coriolis forces or is it the design of
the plumbing? Same doubts for thermals and dust devils (minus the plumbing
issue). They're kinda small to consistently respond to a coriolis effect.
Are there meteorology types out there that might clarify that some?
It seems there should be a preferred direction for best use of a thermal
but what's the signature to see that? Seems like you should be flying counter to
the rotation direction of a thermal but how do you figure that out?
Spent quite a few hours over at the lake watching pelicans enter thermals.
By the time the whole flock is topped out, they're all turning in the same
direction. But when they enter down low they typically turn into the thermal
depending on how they encounter it. If they come in on the right they'll turn
left and vice versa. About halfway up, the pelican density becomes high enough
that pelican-pelican collisions become more likely and they sort it all out. But
in one thermal they may be going CW at the top while the next group over may be
going CCW.
Hint, don't EVER get your boat under a pelican populated thermal. It's a
beautiful sight right up to where they top out, drop ballast and take off.
Which brings us full circle to the ole Polecat's muse.
TIA - Dave R
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