As an air parcel aloft moves northward from the equator, it moves closer to Earth's axis of rotation. Because of the conservation of angular momentum, the air parcel's motion should ____.

Question

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As an air parcel moves closer to Earth's axis of rotation (e.g., moving northward from the equator), it conserves its angular momentum. This conservation means that as the radius of its rotation path decreases, its speed must increase to maintain the same angular momentum. This is analogous to a figure skater spinning faster as they pull their arms in closer to their body.

As an Air Parcel Aloft Moves Northward from the Equator